The Pandemic and Its Effects on the Industry

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The expectation was the strike was going to happen around May or June then the pandemic hits in March and so it takes all those steam out of that. The industry got back to work very quickly and people were working extremely hard because there was a period of catch-up. IOTC workers don't get a check like an actor or a director might their residuals fund their pension so to ensure that they have a stable health and pension benefits going forward they really need a bigger piece of that pie.

Paris Marx is joined by Anousha Sakoui to discuss the prospect of a writer’s strike later this year, what workers are fighting for, and how the move to streaming has affected working conditions and compensation in Hollywood.

Anousha Sakoui is an entertainment industry writer for the Los Angeles Times, covering topics including labor and litigation in Hollywood. She was part of the team that was a 2022 Pulitzer Prize finalist in breaking news for work covering the tragic shooting on the “Rust” film set. You can follow Anousha on Twitter at @anoushasakoui.

Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.

The podcast is produced by Eric Wickham and part of the Harbinger Media Network.

Also mentioned in this episode:

Anousha wrote about how the Writers Guild and Directors Guild are approaching upcoming negotiations with studios.
David Robb wrote about the history of Writers Guild strikes, and why another one seems overdue.
WGA West recently blasted Warner Discovery for reducing opportunities for content creators after its merger.
In 2021, IATSE was poised to go on strike before reaching a last-minute deal with the studios that was accepted by members.
A new deal will loosen some Covid protocols on film sets.
In 2021, Apple was paying lower rates to production crews because it said its TV+ service has less than 20 million subscribers. In July 2022, it started paying the higher rate.
In 2018, the Hollywood Reporter reflected on the 2007 writers strike after ten years.
The 2007 writers strike helped revive Donald Trump’s flagging The Apprentice show with a spinoff, The Celebrity Apprentice.