Hollywood writers union members authorize strike if studio talks fail
LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Members of the Writers Guild of America have voted overwhelmingly in favor of allowing union leadership to call a strike if talks with Hollywood studios fail.
The strike-authorization vote passed with 97.85% of members in favor, WGA leaders announced Monday.
"Writers are ready for a deal from the studios that allows writers to share in the success of the content they create and build a stable life," the WGA tweeted upon announcing the vote results.
The union representing Hollywood writers is pushing for increases in pay and residuals, particularly over streaming content.
A representative from the negotiations committee says writer rooms are getting smaller and they aren't receiving producing fees like they used to. They're also trying to keep up with the increasing cost of living.
The last WGA strike lasted 100 days in 2007-08 and cost the Southern California economy an estimated $2 billion to $3 billion as film and television production shut down.
The negotiations committee wants to prevent that from happening again but say they're fighting for a fair deal.
"A show like 'Wednesday' or 'Stranger Things' - that is driving huge numbers of subscriptions, that many people are watching - pays the same residual as every other show... that feels unfair to a lot of people who are used to participating in the success that our work makes," said committee member and writer Adam Conover.
The current contract expires in May and the authorization vote means union leaders have the discretion to call a strike after that time if they feel the talks with the producers have stalled.
Talks are continuing between the WGA and the studios, represented by the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP.)
"A strike authorization vote has always been part of the WGA's plan, announced before the parties even exchanged proposals. Its inevitable ratification should come as no surprise to anyone," AMPTP said in a statement. "Our goal is, and continues to be, to reach a fair and reasonable agreement. An agreement is only possible if the Guild is committed to turning its focus to serious bargaining by engaging in full discussions of the issues with the Companies and searching for reasonable compromises."
