Hollywood writers approve strike before shutdown

The Writers Guild of America (WGA) has voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike if a fair deal for a new film and TV contract is not reached by May 1, when the current pact expires. The vote was approved by nearly 98% of the eligible voting members, setting a new record for both participation and the percentage of support in a strike authorization vote. The two sides are set to resume negotiations, and the bargaining for a new contract with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers is expected to kick into high gear as the deadline for a deal draws near. The guild’s Pattern of Demands, broken down into three categories, include compensation and residuals, pension plan and health fund, and professional standards and protection in the employment of writers. The WGA Negotiating Committee has said that they will continue to work at the negotiating table to achieve a fair contract for all writers. The AMPTP has stressed that their goal is to reach a fair and reasonable agreement and that an agreement is only possible if the Guild is committed to turning its focus to serious bargaining by engaging in full discussions of the issues with the Companies and searching for reasonable compromises. If a strike is called, it would be the first since 2007, which lasted 100 days, and the last time a strike authorization was taken in 2017, it was approved by 96.3% of the writers who cast ballots.