Writers Strike 2023: Writers Guild loses a key ally

For a little over a month now, Hollywood has been at a standstill. The reason? The Writers Guild of America (WGA), which represents Hollywood screenwriters, went on strike after negotiations for better working conditions, fairer wages and better protection against AI text generators broke down. So far, no agreement has been reached with the other side, the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) – a block consisting of Hollywood’s largest studios, including Disney, Netflix and Warner Bros.

The pressure’s on – especially for writers. Much to the displeasure of fans, numerous film and TV releases have already been postponed, including new seasons of Stranger Things and The Last of Us. Not only that, but the Writers Guild has now lost an important ally in the Directors Guild of America (DGA).

How the Directors Guild stands to gain from the strike

Last weekend, a set of rigorous negotiations took place between the studios and the directors, represented by the DGA. In the end, both parties agreed to renew the collective labour contract that expired on 30 June. The deal, of course, outlines better conditions. Gains that may even have been made at the expense of writers. As a tweet posted by writer Amy Berg (Jack Ryan, Warrior Nun) indicates, this is likely to have been part of AMPTP’s negotiation strategy:

«Thrilled that the DGA was able to use the power of the WGA’s labor action [...] We proposed a number of these terms… before the AMPTP cut off negotiations in order to hand a deal to the DGA.»

Until now, the unity among Hollywood’s three major guilds has proved to be a strong alliance in the fight for better working conditions. The alliance consisted of the Writers Guild, the Directors Guild and the Screen Actors Guild (SAG). Although the organisations act independently of each other, they’ve traditionally maintained a united front in order to increase their bargaining power against Hollywood’s mighty studios. The AMPTP has been banking on this cohesiveness – something Steven DeKnight, who penned series such as Smallville and Daredevil, has pointed out on Twitter:

«Zero surprise. The AMPTP continues to use their tired old playbook. And the DGA sadly continues to toe the line, knowing that they can draft off of the WGA’s resolve to strike for a truly historic deal. Disappointing, but not surprising.»

The Writers Guild’s leadership did congratulate the Directors Guild in an official statement, but didn’t comment on the details of the contract. In its statement, the organisation also stuck to its originally proposed terms. Apparently anticipating the opposition’s strategy, it also emphasised that the AMPTP shouldn’t negotiate directly with WGA members to create internal strife.

What are the actors doing?

So the Writers Guild is still on strike and has lost the Directors Guild as an ally. That leaves the Screen Actors Guild, which was notably low-key in its official statement. Although it congratulates the DGA first, it goes on to reaffirm its solidarity with its striking colleagues. It concludes by stating that the organisation is still independent, and that it wants to learn from the negotiations of its sister unions in order to get the best possible labour contract for its own members.

It’s difficult to predict what will happen next. On Wednesday, the SGA will begin negotiations with the AMPTP – also with the threat of strike action. It’s likely to use the Directors Guild’s new contract as the basis for its own negotiations. If the AMPTP makes more concessions, the Writers Guild could soon be on its own.