WGA strike avoided as writers agree to new contract

Had the WGA strike happened, all your favorite shows would have been in jeopardy — but a deal took place, so, crisis averted.

Many people don’t realize how important writers are to the fabric of a television show until they threaten to walk off if their demands aren’t met. So when news got out in Hollywood that a WGA strike was on the horizon, many television fans were wondering if their favorite shows were at risk of not hitting the air on time.

Fortunately, our corporate sibling Entertainment Weekly has confirmed the WGA strike has been averted — at least for now — as the writers have agreed to sign a new contract. Though they went past the Monday deadline, and finally got a contract early in the Tuesday morning hours, it looks like many of their concerns were addressed.

The three-year contract has been tentatively agreed to by the Guild, but it still needs to be approved and ratified by the board.

"“Writers and studios were initially far apart on several key financial concerns, including pay minimums, health care, and issues caused by networks ordering shorter seasons and the rising popularity of streaming services.”"

One of the biggest concerns about the WGA strike was that the studios weren’t going to get their product — specifically, their shows — in time for the so-called “Peak TV period.” The studios certainly felt the loss the last time the WGA went on strike, which was back in 2007-2008. At the time, the Guild went on strike for 100 days, and cost $287 million in wages. (The Guild disputes this number.)

The rise in popularity of such streaming services as Netflix and Hulu, in addition to the increase of on demand services, were also cause for concern in the Guild.

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It’s a good thing that the WGA strike was averted for now, but time will tell if this new contract is accepted.