Writers Guild of America (WGA) announced the start of a strike in order to achieve higher wages and better working conditions. As follows from the statement of the association, which consists of approximately 11.5 thousand people, about 98% of its members expressed their readiness to join the protest.
The decision to strike was made after unsuccessful negotiations with Hollywood studios and major streaming services, including Netflix, Amazon, Apple, Disney, Warner Bros. Discovery, NBC Universal, Paramount and Sony. According to the WGA, the internal policy of these companies is aimed at completely transferring screenwriters to the freelance format, depriving them of a guaranteed level of employment and social protection.
“Here's what all writers know: Companies have broken this business. They took so much from the very people, the writers, who made them rich,” the WGA said in a statement.
The previous American screenwriters' strike took place in 2007–2008. The action lasted 100 days and cost the California economy about $2.1 billion.