Writers’ strike contract voting begins

10/4/23 by Parker Garlough 

Writers Guild of America members will return to the writers room, after 148 days of striking. Union members began voting on the tentative contract on Monday, Oct. 2, and will continue to do so until next Monday, Oct. 4. Ratification is expected, and the contract comes as a relief to many.

Terms of the contract include increased pay, limits on AI usage, increased health benefits, higher staffing minimums, and greater viewership data transparency. Peter Paige, Boston University alumnus and Grey’s Anatomy co-showrunner, described it as a “once-in-a-lifetime victory for labor in Hollywood.”

The strike may be part of a larger movement towards unionization: SAG-AFTRA, the actors’ union, is still on strike. Support for labor unions is at its highest point since 1965. However, actual union membership has been continually decreasing since 1983, when the Bureau of Labor Statistics first began collecting data. 

Many writers are eager to get back to work. “Going down rabbit holes with people sometimes generates the most fun stuff. I miss that feeling of being in a room and bouncing off other people,” WGA member Kylie Brakeman said.

However, not all will be able to return to normal immediately. “The industry has contracted a little bit. Shows have gotten canceled and pulled during the strike and even before,” said Yellowjackets writer Elise Brown.