A group of more than 20 screenwriters, including members of the Australian Writers Guild (AWG), gathered outside the NBCUniversal office in Sydney today to take part in a global day of solidarity with their US counterparts.
Screenwriters Everywhere, an international call to action incorporating film and television writers from more than 21 countries, was held in support of 11,500 members of the Writers Guild of America West and Writers Guild of America East who have been on strike since May 2.
The Australian contingent included members of both the WGA and AWG, such as Thai-Australian playwright and screenwriter Anchuli Felicia King, who has worked on episodes of Foxtel’s The Twelve and Amazon series’ Class of 07 and Deadloch.
Having been part of a writers’ room in New York when the strike hit, leading her to return to Australia, King said writers were “going to hold out for as long as they needed to”.
“It’s really hard for us to be on strike,” she said.
“We don’t want to be on strike. We love our work and we are passionate about the shows we are working on but we are fighting to protect the future of our profession against AI, against these multinational tech corporations exploiting our labour and not rewarding us commensurately.
“We’re all still fired up and committed to this fight, even though we are sad not to be working.”
It comes as the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) is potentially placed under renewed pressure from SAG-AFTRA, who have voted to strike if they don’t reach a deal with the major studios by June 30.
At the start of this month, the Directors’ Guild of America (DGA) announced it had reached a tentative agreement with the AMPTP.
For the moment, advice for AWG members remains they same: they are being urged not to cross the picket line and consult with the guild on any project where there is ambiguity or concern.
Speaking about today’s event, AWG executive director Claire Pullen said it was about making sure the WGA knew that writers in other territories supported its cause, adding she was “very pleased” with the turnout.
“We don’t expect that [Screenwriters Everywhere] is going to be the decisive blow, where the AMPTP is going to start paying writers fairly,” she said.
“But it is important for the WGA to know that writers all around the world, particularly in the English-language markets, know what they’re going through and care about what is happening with the action.”