Hollywood screenwriters on strike for 1st time in 15 years

By Seyma Uzundere

ANKARA (AA) — The Writers Guild of America (WGA) announced late on Monday that its 11,500 members would go on strike after wage talks fell through with studio companies.

The screenwriters' decision to strike comes after unsuccessful talks with the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), a representative of more than 350 production companies, including Disney and Netflix, to increase wages and profit-sharing.

The WGA tweeted that negotiations with production companies, which lasted about six weeks, offered no solution to the crisis faced by screenwriters amid record-high inflation.

The strike announced by the WGA is to begin on Tuesday afternoon and may cause delays in movie screenings.

The last time Hollywood screenwriters went on strike was in 2007, with the 100-day layoff of employees causing about $2 billion in losses.

Screenwriters have been reporting more difficult work conditions and less pay in recent years amid a rapid increase in annual TV series and film production, with the WGA saying writers faced an "existential crisis."