Simona Montalto and Laisha Khatun (286)

In the wake of lower pay rates and the looming threat of AI, the Writers Guild of America (WGA) took to the picket line to strike for more career stability. They officially started on May 2nd, refusing to write new scripts. Now that they’ve come to an agreement, what does this mean for the future of not only entertainment but workers’ rights as well?

So why was a strike necessary in the first place? The now common use of streaming services is a driving force. Fewer writers were being hired, making jobs harder to come by. Additionally, the WGA wanted their minimum pay to be higher and limits on the material corporations took from Artificial Intelligence. The Screen Actors Guild of America (SAG) joined the WGA in July, also fighting for job security. The deal that was struck involved minimum pay raises and AI limitations. Writers will have the right to know when artificial intelligence is being used in a project they’re involved with and they can’t be required to use it. 

When interviewed, Chiara Montalto, Director of Programming and Communications of the Writers Guild Initiative (a non-profit affiliated with the WGA), said she was “very glad” that the deal was struck and said that her “hope is that this is just the beginning of things happening on a larger scale.” She went on to say that she believes the writers’ strike has inspired other workers to stand up for themselves, as we see the SAG doing now. When asked if she has any words for young people or children who may want to fight for their own causes, Montalto stated that “We owe it to the generations behind us to try and make it fair” because “it’s hard to be a writer.” She goes on to emphasize the importance of this strike not only on the writers and artists of today but the young people who may pursue that path in the future. 

Montalto also shared that “The best thing is to be engaged in what you want to do.” After being asked what message she has for young people who may have been convinced to take a stand, she said, “Just go forward. Just stand up for what’s right and be engaged in your life.”

Not all movies and shows have been affected, but some notable titles certainly have. For example, as stated by Bramjot Kaur on NBC News, the fifth season of “Stranger Things” was announced to be paused in production. Talk shows and live television programs, such as “Saturday Night Live!,” have had to rerun old sketches.

Even though this strike was about safety for writers and their careers, it propelled a larger movement among workers striking for fair pay. Recently, the United Automobile, Aerospace, and Agricultural Implement Workers of America (UAW) have gone on strike over their salaries as well. The writers’ strike may have been specific to their cause, but it seems like we can expect an influx of people fighting for change in the future.