Tuesday, May 2, unions— such as the Writers Guild of America (WGA)—that represent Hollywood screenwriters went on strike for the first time since 2007. Roughly 11,000 Hollywood television writers claim that their pay does not match the money made by streaming services including Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime Video. When it came time for WGA to renew its contract with a variety oif Hollywood studios, it resulted in disputes they could not negotiate. 

“Today, everyone watches TV on their phones and tablets on a lot of streaming services. When I first started writing in the ‘90s and 2000s, binge-watching wasn’t a thing. All the TV shows and films that people are filming now, and obviously someone wrote that, but the residuals are the same, which is where the strike stems from. Another issue is that a lot of the streaming platforms don’t create as much content as they did when working on a network or cable television. It used to be about 22 episodes in a season, and nowadays you’re lucky if you get 10, which also lessens writers’ pay,” screenwriter Lamont Ferrell said. 

The ongoing strike will result in a halt in the production of more than a handful of television series and films. While a majority of studios pre-film their shows and movies about a year in advance, the effects of the strike will mainly display themselves toward the end of the year when viewers’ favorite shows do not make it on the big screen. On the other hand, late-night shows such as “Saturday Night Live” and “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” will likely stay off air, as the writers on those shows typically create the scripts daily.  

“I support the writers! I’m okay to go without my favorite TV shows if it means writers are getting the working rights and support they need. Writers, especially for popular shows, like late-night shows are literally the backbone. Jimmy Fallon and Steven Colbert wouldn’t be funny without their writers. I’m always a proponent of better pay,” magnet senior Claire Scafidi said. 

Because media companies have invested billions into streaming services over the past decade, television production has grown drastically. However, writers started to notice that their compensation had remained the exact same. When writers last went on strike in 2007, Los Angeles lost an estimated $2.1 billion, which could possibly occur again. WGA officials have stated that ‘the survival of writing as a profession is at stake in this negotiation.’ Historically, tensions between writers and studios have always existed because they feel that they do not generally receive credit owed to them, especially when compared to directors and actors. However, they will no longer continue to stand for the injustices they feel the industry faces them. Until further notice, WGA prohibits writers from writing, attending meetings, pitching new projects, entering agreements and attending promotional events.