Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) on Tuesday threw his support behind the thousands of writers striking to fight for better pay as Hollywood grapples with the streaming era.
“Last year, 8 Hollywood CEOs made nearly $800 million, yet pay for TV writers has fallen by 23 percent over the last 10 years,” Sanders said. “I stand with the nearly 12,000 @WGAWest writers on strike for a fair contract.”
The Writers Guild of America, which is made up of an East and West branch, announced its leadership had voted unanimously to strike after they failed to reach a deal with studios like Netflix, Amazon and Disney, under the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers.
The strike formally kicked off just after midnight Pacific on Tuesday, with picketing to start that afternoon. The move is expected to have a major impact on the entertainment industry.
Several late-night shows — including NBC’s “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” and Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show” — will reportedly air repeats beginning Tuesday until further notice. The strike’s effect on TV sitcoms and dramas might not be seen in currently-airing seasons, but it could impact show and season rollouts and premieres later this year.
“It’s an ongoing strike, and you’ve heard us say many times before, we don’t speak to an ongoing strike,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Tuesday. “But more broadly … President Biden is a strong supporter of workers’ rights to strike. We’ve said this over and over again as we’ve been asked when different entities and you see workers strike in those different entities.”
Jean-Pierre also said the White House isn’t playing any role in the strike or negotiations.
“We encourage both sides to stay at the table, but we are always very mindful,” she added.
California Rep. Adam Schiff (D), who is running for U.S. Senate in the state, also backed the Hollywood writers Tuesday.