Writers Strike?
And an unexpected way to get WGA-covered work
The elephant in the room
The contract the Writers Guild of America negotiated in 2023 is set to expire on May 1. SAG has already begun negotiations, and the DGA starts on May 11, with its agreement expiring at the end of June. I feel a little PTSD just typing that.
No one I know wants a repeat of 2023. What’s frustrating is seeing the trades and even people within Hollywood frame the situation as if writers are gearing up for another strike. There’s little acknowledgment that the AMPTP failed to negotiate in good faith last time.
I have my own issues with the guild right now, for a lot of reasons. But the way these upcoming negotiations are being framed, driven by fear and assumption, feels disappointing.
I understand that headlines are designed to generate clicks, but people have forgotten how to read critically online. All I can really say is that I hope mid- and lower-level staffing doesn’t get deprioritized in the process. Based on what’s been shared in the captain and membership meetings I’ve attended, there are real concerns there that deserve serious attention.
I’m actually pretty optimistic about the future and the proposals — as long as lower- and mid-level staffing doesn’t get shunted aside. A huge driver of our healthcare deficit is simply the lack of members working. If more writers are employed, that problem starts to correct itself, at least to an extent, until something more systemic changes, whether that’s CalCare or healthcare in this country no longer costing a fortune.
That said, I know my optimism probably puts me in the minority. Some of that feels situational. I’ve noticed that lower- and mid-level writers who’ve left L.A. understandably tend to feel more distrustful about how things will shake out.
I’ll leave this with some facts I found eye-opening:
Co-Executive Producers across all television levels are the most unemployed.
There has been no update in the projection about spending. Last year, it was projected that spending would remain flat until 2027, and that seems to be the case for the next few years still. Sobering news.
Though there have been fewer rooms and jobs overall, the rooms that remain have 87% staffed above the minimum.
The writer’s healthcare plan will run out of funds by the end of the year. Yikes.
I’m not sure if anything else can be said on the subject matter, except I’m trying not to waste my energy worrying about something I can’t control to an extent. Happier in Hollywood said something in their podcast about not watering dead roses. Debating if there will be strike is just that. Taylor Swift also summarizes this well. Your energy is a luxury item.
So what am I doing instead?
Cooking a lot more actually…
Joy Cooking and Eating
In other news, I’ve been trying cook a new Vietnamese recipe I’ve never made before once a week-ish. So far I have made bún bò huế, a spicy beef tomato soup; hủ tiếu khô, a dried shrimp and pork noodles, and recently Thịt Kho, caramelized pork belly and quail eggs. Vietnamese food has a lot of pork, so I’m not sure how long I can keep this up, as I’ve generally cut down on red meat. But it’s been fun to try a new recipe, and it’s certainly given me more respect for how elaborate home cooking can be and how much my family put into the dishes I ate growing up!
The only decent photo I took was of the dry noodles dish.
Food-related I need to shout out my new favorite grocery store in the valley. Handy’s Market is a small family-owned business. It’s giving Doose’s Market, but in Burbank. IYKYK. I love their breakfast burritos, which at $8.99 is two meals. Their strawberries are unreal. Their meat is really good. Highly recommend. I want to go back to try their BBQ. I’m not a huge BBQ fan, but I’m very curious.
Also, something else I discovered, the Jon’s on Magnolia stocks a ton of Eastern European, Middle Eastern, Mediterranean groceries. I also had no idea they’re a family-owned chain. I’ve started weight training and trying to eat more Mediterranean since last year.
Shameless Plug
Finally I’m doing a reading in San Francisco from my manuscript next weekend. It’s a free event. There will also be a live zoom for those who can’t be in person. I’ll post it on my social media. I hate public speaking, but the things one does for art!
And today’s resource has to do with selling short stories and the trend I’ve seen change for them. I’ve also included another short story that sold, following this new trend. I also found out how short stories that sold can be covered under the WGA (shocking). I had no idea short stories were a way to get WGA-covered work.
Keep reading to find out more.
