On Wednesday, June 28, 2023, I met with and interviewed Writer’s Guild of America (WGA) member Jamie Flanagan. The guild, with over 11,000 members, began striking on May 2 against the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP).
Writers do not want to be replaced by AI, but instead use it as a research tool. They also want a minimum wage, or Minimum Basic Agreement, but for television, this only covered those in broadcast TV, not streaming. Writers also want their own pension and healthcare.
While on strike, writers may not do any “writing, revising, pitching, or discussing future projects with companies that are members of the AMPTP”.
On Friday, July 14, members of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA) joined the WGA in striking.
