What You Need to Know About the Writer's Strike

Television viewers might not know it yet, but they could be in for a dearth of new Directv programming in the near future. Has Hollywood finally run out of ideas? There are those who argue that Hollywood ran out of ideas a long time ago, yet they’re still pumping out product anyway. Did everyone in Tinseltown just decide to retire en masse? That’s not the problem either.

The issue is that the Writers Guild of America, Hollywood’s equivalent of a union for film/television writers, might be going on strike.

Sound familiar? You’re not crazy. This has happened before, and it wasn’t even that long ago. In November 2007, the WGA voted to strike. The strike lasted until February of the following year.

Of course, most television shows film well in advance of their air date, so the ramifications of the strike weren’t felt immediately, at least for television serials. Shows that required fresh scripts everyday--late night shows, talk shows--were put on hold almost instantly.

The strike was resolved only a few days before the Academy Awards. Indeed, many cite the potential cancellation of the annual awards show as one of the key driving factors to resolving the strike.

What was the strike about? Here were the main issues that concerned the WGA: residuals from DVD sales, compensation for sales on new media platforms, inclusion of writers who work on animated and reality shows.

• Ten years later, it’s fair to say that the results from the strike were a mixed bag for the WGA. The WGA had to sue just a year later, as the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers--the organization they were striking against--did not honor the February 2008 agreement. That suit was settled out of court, and the agreement was renewed in 2011. It was renewed again in 2014.

2008. 2011. 2014. Starting to notice a pattern? The AMPTP and the WGA settle on a minimum basic agreement (MBA) every three years. So let’s do some quick math, shall we? What’s 2014 plus three? That would be… uh oh.

Yes, 2017 is the year that the two organizations are supposed to reconvene and reaffirm the MBA. Unlike in 2011 and 2014, the WGA doesn’t seem to be so eager to do so.

So what are the concerns this time around? Can they be traced back to the 2007-2008 strike? Let’s take a look.

Health Care

The health care fund for the WGA is running out money, and doing so at a dangerously precipitous rate. To be fair, the fund ran a surplus in 2016, but just barely. And compared to preceding years, it was most certainly an aberration. 2012 was the last time the fund ran a surplus at the end of the fiscal year. The fund ran a $19.5 million deficit in 2015.

Think that’s bad? Here are the estimated figures for the next four years, assuming that the problem is not fixed during renegotiations. This year, the deficit is expected to amount to $13.2 million. Next year will be $25.6 million. 2019 figures to produce a $40.5 deficit. And by 2020, the health care fund for the WGA is estimated to run a whopping $65.8 million deficit. Yikes.

Suffice to say, the health care fund for the WGA is in a state of emergency. What’s the cause of this implosion? First off, of course it’s never one thing, so keep that in mind. But the key driving factor is largely believed to be lower pay for the writers (more on that in a minute). The WGA’s fund is completely independent and self-sustaining as it currently stands. It is not partnered with any other insurers. So the less money writers in the industry make, the less goes into the fund. You don’t need a master’s in economics to figure that out.

Exclusive Contracts

Right now, there are more scripted shows than in anytime in entertainment history. That fact should surprise no one. What might surprise some people is the fact that many of these shows have unique writing staffs.

Right now, if you’re a writer for, say, "Game of Thrones," that’s it. That’s your show. Want to work on the writing staff for a different show, as "Thrones" runs for only a couple of months during the entire calendar year? Sorry, but that’s contractually not possible.

That may sound ridiculous, but it is an unfortunate reality for television writers at the moment. Now, you might say that as a result of the Directv programming explosion, there are more job opportunities for writers. That’s unmistakably true. However, what’s also true is the fact that television seasons have become shorter in recent years. Television seasons that used to contain over 20 episodes are now often in the 10 to 13 range.

So television writers are doing about half of the work that they used to, and while compensation hasn’t decreased, it also hasn’t increased to a point to compensate for the loss. It’s worsened by the fact that they can’t find additional work in the industry.

What are the origins of this rule of exclusivity? It’s simply an example of antiquity in a modern television landscape that has not yet been rectified. At a time when nearly every series ran 20+ episode seasons, it wasn’t as necessary for writers to seek additional work. But in yet another instance of economics not quite being able to catch up with the advent of new technology, the old exclusivity contractual clauses still remain.

Conclusion

So when does this all come to a head? Soon. Very soon. Like May 2 soon. On May 2, the members of the WGA will vote on whether or not to strike, thereby putting a halt to production of Directv programming. They only need a majority vote to proceed. And for reference, the affirmative vote to strike back in 2007 eclipsed 90%. All signs point to a vote to strike. The question, at this point, really seems to be over how long the strike might last, and will the demands of the WGA be met.

Frustratingly, it’s hard to really know on either count.

Sam Joseph is a film/television connoisseur. Did he say connoisseur? He meant addict.