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Writers Guild of America
The 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike was a major strike in history. It involved Writers Guild of America and the Writers Guild of America, West. Both labor unions represent film, television and radio writers working in the United States. More than 12,000 writers joined the strike. The strike started on November 5, 2007, and concluded on February 12, 2008 making 3 months of time off for many actors.
This strike was against the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. This is a trade organization representing the interests of some 397 American film and television producers. The biggest corporations being affected by this strike were, CBS Corporation, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, NBC Universal, News Corp/Fox, Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures Entertainment, the Walt Disney Company, and Warner Brothers.
On 2/8/08, negotiators for the striking writers reached a tentative agreement, and the boards of both guilds unanimously approved the deal on 2/10/08. Striking writers voted on 2/12/08 on whether to lift the restraining order, with 92.5% voting to end the strike. On February 26, the WGA announced that the contract had been ratified with a 93.6% approval among WGA members.
The guilds were on strike for 14 weeks and 2 days (100 days). The last writer strike in 1988, which is the longest in history, lasted 21 weeks and 6 days (153 days). According to an NPR report filed on 2/12/08, the strike cost the economy of Los Angeles an estimated $1.5 billion. There are various reports that were released giving different amounts ranging from $380 million to $2 billion.
The issue of the strike was about contract negotiations. Every three years, ...