Hollywood writers are on strike, but several studios are trying to force some showrunners to go back to work.
Notable members of the Writers Guild of America have received support from celebrities such as Drew Barrymore, who stepped down from her hosting duties at the MTV Movie and TV Awards, and Pete Davidson, who on Friday handed out pizza to those who walked the New York picket line.
However, several showrunners, the executives with creative control over a program, say they have received letters from HBO-owned Warner Bros/Discovery, Disney-owned and CBS-owned Paramount asking them to honor their no-writing obligations.
deadline receive copies of letters sent to show runners.
Back to work: Several showrunners, the executives with creative control over a program, say they’ve received letters from studios asking them to honor their non-writing obligations during the WGA strike
Strike: Members of the WGA went on strike on Tuesday after their previous contract expired. Their demands include a higher wage floor, more residuals on streaming platforms and protection against AI
“If you are a WGA member, HBO/HBO Max respects your membership in the WGA, and we will not do anything to put you at risk with WGA rules,” said a May 2 letter from the network.
“However, we believe that certain services, such as participating in the casting process and/or contributing to non-writing production and post-production work, are clear examples of non-WGA required services that should be provided during this time,” the letter reads.
‘Under the Labor Relations Act, the WGA may not interfere with an employer’s right to designate employees to fulfill certain supervisory positions.’
The document then listed those duties, followed by a caveat in the FAQ section that read, “If you fail to provide contracted services due to the strike, HBO/HBO Max will not be required to continue paying your salary.”
The letter added another warning. “Furthermore, if production is interrupted by the strike, even if you offer to continue working, HBO/HBO Max is not obliged to continue your salary, nor the salary of cast and crew.”
Disney, which owns ABC and 20th Century Television, sent a similar letter the next day, stating “Studio intends to remain in production during the WGA strike and we are legally entitled to do so.”
However, WGA strike rules explicitly prohibit the performance of those duties, a statement said The Hollywood Reporter that those assignments are “specifically defined in the Guild contract as writing services” and as such “successful work which Guild members are not allowed to do during a work stoppage.”
Members of the Writers Guild of America went on strike for the first time in 15 years on May 2, after their current contracts expired.
The biggest points of contention in the negotiations are an increased wage floor and more payments and leftovers from shows shown on streaming platforms.
Charles Slocum, deputy executive director at WGA West, explained the situation to Deadline.
Support: Celebrities such as Pete Davidson and Drew Barrymore have expressed their support for the standout writers. Pete delivered pizzas on the picket line on Friday. Drew stepped down as host of the MTV Movie and TV Awards Sunday in solidarity with the strikers
Salaries: The letter from HBO’s parent company, Warner Bros/Discovery, threatened salaries. “If production is interrupted by the strike, even if you offer to continue working, HBO/HBO Max is not obligated to continue your salary, nor the salary of the cast and crew.”
Breaking up unions: After receiving the Disney letter, a WGA spokesperson said, ‘It is embarrassing that Disney, which has expanded its business to include unionized labor, is resorting to well-known tactics to destroy unions’
“In streaming, the companies have not agreed to pay residuals at the same level as broadcast, or the same reward for success as they have traditionally paid in broadcast,” he said. “When you write for a streamer, you get two residual payments: one for domestic streaming and one for foreign streaming. It’s a fixed amount. If it’s a big hit, you don’t get paid more remnants with streaming, while with the broadcast model you get paid because of the success.
The writers want protection against mini-rooms, in which two or three writers, working for base pay, write out a significant portion of a series before it gets the go-ahead.
They also want protection against the use of artificial intelligence.
Upon receiving the Disney letter, a WGA spokesperson said, “It is embarrassing that Disney, which has expanded its business to include unionized labor, is resorting to its well-known tactics of destroying unions.”