2007-08 Writers Guild of America strike
The 2007-08 Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike was a significant labor dispute that took place from November 5, 2007, to February 13, 2008. It involved approximately 12,000 members of the WGA, who walked out in response to unsuccessful negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) over a new contract. The primary issue at stake was the writers' demand for increased residual payments from content delivered online and through new media, reflecting the changing landscape of the entertainment industry. The strike led to a halt in production for most scripted television shows and many films, affecting late-night talk shows first and gradually causing numerous series to go off the air or enter reruns.
After 100 days of striking, an agreement was reached on February 12, 2008, which was subsequently voted on and accepted almost unanimously by WGA members. This resolution resulted in increased pay rates and residuals for writers while also reshaping the dynamics between writers and studios regarding online content. The strike not only marked a pivotal moment for the WGA but also highlighted the evolving nature of media consumption and the rights of creators in the digital age.
2007-08 Writers Guild of America strike
A one-hundred-day labor strike over profit sharing that pitted film and television writers against studios
Between November 5, 2007, and February 13, 2008, the members of the Writers Guild of America went on strike as a result of their inability to come to terms on a new contract with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. The main point of contention was the writers’ demand for an increase in residual payments related to content delivered online and through other forms of new media.
On November 5, 2007, the approximately twelve thousand members of the Writers Guild of America’s (WGA) eastern and western divisions went on strike after talks to complete a new contract with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) failed to produce an agreement that both sides were willing to accept. During the strike, which ultimately lasted one hundred days, production of most scripted television shows and some motion pictures came to a halt. The dispute was finally settled on February 12, 2008, at which point the entertainment industry returned to normal operations.
The WGA strike was primarily centered on the issue of residual payments associated with content streamed online and released through other forms of new media. The WGA argued that writers were entitled to a larger portion of the profits that studios were making on such releases of the content that writers created. Conversely, the AMPTP and the studios held that they needed the profits from new media and online releases to meet their ever-rising expenses.
The strike continued into February 2008 before the WGA and AMPTP were able to reach an agreement that satisfied both sides. On February 12, the WGA’s members voted almost unanimously to accept the new agreement. As a result of this vote, the strike was formally ended on February 13, and the writers returned to work.
Impact
During the strike, production on a large number of scripted television shows and films was suspended. Among the first programs affected by the strike were late-night talk shows, many of which were forced off the air due to the loss of their writing staffs. As the number of previously produced episodes of sitcoms and prime-time dramas dwindled, these programs were also either forced off the air or into reruns.
With the acceptance of its new agreement with the AMPTP and the end of the strike, the WGA succeeded in achieving many of its goals. Both the rates at which writers are paid for their work and the amount they receive in residual payments for content used and written for online and new media outlets increased. Though the WGA was forced to make some concessions, the strike substantially altered the relationship between writers and studios and the way that both benefit from content released online and through other forms of new media.
Bibliography
“Q&A: Hollywood Writers’ Strike.” BBC News. British Broadcasting Co., 13 Feb. 2008. Web. 26 Nov. 2012.
“Strike Over, Hollywood Writers Head Back to Work.” CNN. Cable News Network, 13 Feb. 2008. Web 26 Nov. 2012.
“Writers Guild of America.” New York Times. New York Times Co., 10 Feb. 2008. Web. 26 Nov. 2012.