On April 17, The Los Angeles Times published a piece by cultural columnist and critic-Mary McNamara. The article provides commentary on the recent Writers Guild of America strike. She provides information in support of the writers, which clearly explains the impact it could have on Hollywood and the national economy
McNamara opens the article with plain, direct language: “We cannot afford a writers’ strike.
She believes the strike will have an adverse effect on Hollywood, Los Angeles and other American cities with extensive production opportunities in TV and film.
According to the author, the global pandemic has changed the cost of production over the last three years and the industry has not yet adjusted to it. She indicates further complications like political division, post-pandemic inflation, job insecurity and the housing crises.
The strike could cause the entertainment industry to lose billions of dollars in revenue.
The communications between Writers Guld of America and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television (AMPTP) have stalled.
The TV and film sector should theoretically feature more opportunities for writers as many productions today can be seen on streaming services rather than network television. Netflix, for example, remains a leader in streaming content and includes opportunities for writers to make new productions in their studios. The guild wants the AMPTP to correspond the new opportunities with fair salaries.
McNamara introduced an interesting argument regarding the demographics of guild writers and how they will be impacted by the strike. She stated that women and people of color continue to see the devaluing of their writing at a fast rate. She believes that contract negotiations should include discussion on this issue.
According to an economist for the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corp., the previous strike cost $772 million in lost wages for writers and production workers, $981 million for industry businesses and services, and $1.3 billion from the “ripple effect” to the businesses that would have profited from the lost wages.
While negotiations continue to stagnate, the parties have less than two weeks to resolve the issue before it has a negative affect on the industry.