Writing Center staff reacts to Hollywood writers’ strike

So many people have heard of the widespread writers’ strike, but do they actually know what the strike is all about? The Writers Guild of America is a labor union made up of writers who write TV shows, movies, news programs, documentaries, animation, and provide content for other media technology. It also protects its members’ finances and creative rights. The Guild has been requesting an increase in pay and benefits (i.e. health insurance), which The Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers (AMPTP) has continued to deny.”Writers are middle class,” according to the Guild. “Forty-six percent do not even work; one quarter makes less than $37,700 a year. Over a five year period, a writer’s average income is $62,000 per year.”On the other hand, the union claims AMPTP made $95 billion in revenues last year alone. “They’re [AMPTP] offering less than 1/3 of a penny for every dollar they make,” said a Guild spokesman. The writers strike will last until all agreements are met, affecting not only writers but all employees as well.As a result of the strike, many shows are off the air. For instance, according to The New York Times, the People’s Choice Awards will air a pre-recorded show versus the traditional live show on CBS. Other shows have also been on hold because of the strike. TAMIU Writing Center employees shared their views about the strike that concerns their favorite subject: writing. “They’re [writers] the backbone of the industry…they paint the picture, they write down what you’re going to see on the screen,” Mario Martinez, a writing tutor, said. “Writers should get their share of the pie…at least 3 percent of earnings,” added Destine Holmgreen, associate director of the Writing Center.Michel Martin del Campo, a writing tutor, expressed his frustration. “Last year they announced that Battlestar Galactica was in its final season because of the strike; then, fans started going wild…many staff members were laid off.”A recent letter from Writers Guild president Patric M.Verrone encouraged the strikers to persevere and congratulated the CBS writers who signed an independent agreement. “We are all in this together,” Verrone wrote.For more information on the strike, visit the Writers Guild of America, West website at www.wga.org.