The Facts
The Hollywood screenwriters' strike came to an end Wednesday at midnight Pacific time, as the Writers Guild of America (WGA) announced that union leaders had "voted unanimously to lift the restraining order and end their strike."
After 148 days of picketing, the WGA accepted an agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers — representing studios and streaming services, including Warner Bros. Discovery, Disney, and Netflix — ending one of longest strikes in Hollywood's history.
The Spin
Narrative A
This strike was about fair compensation. Profits from movies, television shows, and other forms of media have skyrocketed over the last two decades, but writers haven't received their fair share. Studios have created a gig economy inside a union workforce, devaluing the writers, who are the foundation of the entertainment industry. The WGA has reached a good deal that includes meaningful gains and protections for its members.
Narrative B
While this is a welcomed move, Hollywood's writers should have considered the state of the economy when making their demands. Authorizing a pay bump in a time of economic uncertainty and widespread layoffs could put the entire industry at risk. Rather than holding the entertainment industry hostage and costing the economy billions, writers should have used AI to improve their work.
