What do striking Hollywood writers want? A look at demands

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The first Hollywood strike in 15 years began Tuesday as the economic pressures of the streaming era prompted unionized TV and film writers to picket for better pay outside major studios, a work stoppage that already is leading most late-night shows to air reruns. (May 2)

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Josh Gad joins striking writers in front of the Fox Studios lot in Los Angeles, saying he wouldn’t have work without them and adding they will “stay out as long as it takes.” (May 3)

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Members of the Writers Guild of America, WGA picket outside CBS Television City in the Fairfax District of Los Angeles Tuesday, May 2, 2023. The first Hollywood strike in 15 years began Tuesday as the economic pressures of the streaming era prompted unionized TV and film writers to picket for better pay outside major studios, a work stoppage that already is leading most late-night shows to air reruns. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

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The Writers Guild of America West, WGA headquarters are seen in Los Angeles Tuesday, May 2, 2023. Late-night shows including “The Tonight Show” and “The Daily Show” immediately went dark and screenwriters were set to begin picketing as the Writers Guild went on strike Tuesday after last-minute negotiations failed to avert Hollywood’s first work stoppage in 15 years. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

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Members of the Writers Guild of America, picket outside the Netflix, Inc., building on Sunset Blvd., in Hollywood neighborhood of Los Angeles Tuesday, May 2, 2023. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

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Members of the Writers Guild of America picket outside an entrance to Warner Bros. Studios, Tuesday, May 2, 2023, in Burbank, Calif. The first Hollywood strike in 15 years began Tuesday as the economic pressures of the streaming era prompted unionized TV and film writers to picket for better pay outside major studios, a work stoppage that already is leading most late-night shows to air reruns. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

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Members of the SAG-AFTRA join a picket line in support of the Writers Guild of America picket outside the Netflix, Inc., building on Sunset Blvd., in the Hollywood neighborhood in Los Angeles, Tuesday, May 2, 2023. The union is seeking higher minimum pay, more writers per show and shorter exclusive contracts, among other demands, all conditions it says have been diminished in the content boom driven by streaming. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

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Placards are gathered together at the close of a picket by members of The Writers Guild of America outside Walt Disney Studios, Tuesday, May 2, 2023, in Burbank, Calif. The first Hollywood strike in 15 years began Tuesday as the economic pressures of the streaming era prompted unionized TV and film writers to picket for better pay outside major studios, a work stoppage that already is leading most late-night shows to air reruns. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

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Chikodili Agwuna, a writer on the television series “Criminal Minds,” holds a sign as member of The Writers Guild of America picket outside Walt Disney Studios, Tuesday, May 2, 2023, in Burbank, Calif. The first Hollywood strike in 15 years began Tuesday as the economic pressures of the streaming era prompted unionized TV and film writers to picket for better pay outside major studios, a work stoppage that already is leading most late-night shows to air reruns. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

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Writer Jono Matt holds a sign as members of The Writers Guild of America picket outside Warner Bros. Studios, Tuesday, May 2, 2023, in Burbank, Calif. The first Hollywood strike in 15 years began Tuesday as the economic pressures of the streaming era prompted unionized TV and film writers to picket for better pay outside major studios, a work stoppage that already is leading most late-night shows to air reruns. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

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High school students express their support for members of the Writers Guild of America, picketing outside the Netflix, Inc., building on Sunset Blvd., in Hollywood neighborhood of Los Angeles on Tuesday, May 2, 2023. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

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Matt Flink, a captain in the Writers Guild of America West and a writer on the Starz series “Minx,” writes out a message on a sign before a rally in front of the Paramount Pictures studio, Tuesday, May 2, 2023, in Los Angeles. Television and movie writers launched a strike for the first time in 15 years, as Hollywood girded for a walkout with potentially widespread ramifications in a fight over fair pay in the streaming era. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

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Striking writers walk past the entrance of Peacock NewFronts as they picket for better wages, Tuesday, May 2, 2023, in New York. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews)

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

The 11,500 members of the Writers Guild of America went on strike Tuesday after negotiations with Hollywood studios that began in March failed to result in an agreement. The guild has billed the issues behind the labor dispute as “an existential crisis.” Writers say they’re facing a host of new issues brought on by streaming and other recent technological shifts in the industry.

Here’s a look at the demands behind the first Hollywood strike in 15 years, as the industry braces for a long hiatus:

INCREASED PAY

The guild is seeking higher compensation for writers across the board. Though there are more jobs available to WGA members than ever before because of the proliferation of streaming services, pay for most writers is down. Ten years ago, 33% of TV writers were paid the minimum rate. Now, according to the WGA, 49% are. Accounting for inflation, writer pay has declined 14% in the last five years. The median weekly writer-producer pay is down 23% over the last decade, with inflation factored in. Writers say many of their members aren’t even making a living wage. They are also seeking increases for their pension plan and health fund.

BETTER RESIDUALS

For more than half a century, residuals have been a foundational way for writers to make money. But streaming has upended those payouts. Writers used to be handsomely compensated anytime their work went into syndication or was sold for overseas territories. Reruns meant a big payday. But now, series and films often simply land a streaming service and stay there. Streaming services also generally don’t share viewership data with filmmakers and writers, meaning writers don’t know how valuable their work has been. To replace backend residuals, the WGA is seeking more upfront fees.

STAFFING REQUIREMENTS

The union wants TV shows to staff a certain number of writers for a period of time. At issue is the rising practice of “mini rooms” where only a handful of writers are working on a series. Such writer rooms are often employed during development, before a show is greenlit. That means writers can be working on a series that doesn’t get picked up for as much as a year after they worked on it, or not at all. The process has circumvented some of the protections WGA members have from being overworked and understaffed. The use of mini rooms accelerated during the pandemic, with writers often meeting by Zoom — a still commonplace practice.

SHORTER EXCLUSIVITY DEALS

Many of the rules around TV writing are also still based on a now increasingly outdated model. Writers might have once expected to spend almost a year working on a 22- to 25-episode season of broadcast TV. Now, the average season is much shorter. Popular shows like “Bridgerton” might have only eight episodes. Not only does that diminish writers’ per-episode pay, it can limit them from working on other programs if they’re tied to longer terms of exclusivity.

ASSURANCE ON AI

Writers are also increasingly concerned that producers will use artificial intelligence to write scripts or at least fill in the blanks on unfinished screenplays. The fast-advancing technology has potentially widespread ramifications for Hollywood, and, in some cases, may be a useful tool. But the WGA wants production companies to agree to safeguards around its usage.