6/25/2023 0 Comments Paid in full movieThe AMPTP said Monday that the primary sticking points to a deal revolved around the guild's request for a minimum number of scribes per writer room. Studios counter that they are thinking about the long-term health of the industry. That has created a "gig economy inside a union workforce," it added. The studios "have closed the door on their labor force and opened the door to writing as an entirely freelance profession," WGA leadership said Monday in a statement. The minimum pay for WGA members varies based on a writer's title and the length of the individual's employment contract, but the minimum for the lowest-paid writer is $4,546 per week, according to Variety. Meanwhile, writers for comedy-variety shows for streaming services have no minimum pay protections and tend to get paid less than their counterparts in broadcast. The number of writers working at guild minimum pay has risen from about a third to about half in the past decade. The Writers Guild wants total pay increases for members amounting to about $429 million per year, according to the WGA, while the AMPTP's counter would run $86 million per year. Since 2018, inflation-adjusted pay for screenwriters has fallen 14%, according to the guild. And because writers on streaming shows don't get the back-end payments that have allowed broadcast and screenwriters to make a living, such as syndication and international licensing, the WGA is seeking to secure more pay on the front end for its members. On average, showrunners for streaming series make less than half of what showrunners for broadcast series do, the WGA said. That leaves some writers scrambling to put together several sources of income in a single season. ![]() Streaming services use smaller writing staffs, which the industry calls "mini rooms," and also tend to have shorter seasons than broadcast shows. And I support those demands." Why are writers striking?Īt the core of the dispute is the explosion in streaming services and its effects, including the erosion of writers' pay and job security, according to the WGA.Įven as budgets for series have grown, writers are making a smaller share of the money, the guild said. "I think it's a very reasonable demand that's being set out by the guild. Writers "are entitled to make a living," he said.
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