WGA Members Rally On Social Media; Share War Stories About Mini-Rooms, Low Pay And No Work

deadline.com:

Scores of WGA members have turned to social media to not only reveal how they voted on the strike authorization but to share personal stories about their low pay and lack of opportunities for advancement — assuming they are working at all.

In one case, a writer talked about stealing food from the Netflix cafeteria to help feed his family because “we had to write for many months for free and couldn’t take other jobs.” Another talked about having to go on EBT despite selling a studio feature and optioning two pilots. “So yes, the system is broken,” writes Alanna Bennett (Roswell, NM). “Yes, peak TV is over so we’re fucked in other ways too.

But that next job you’re worried about finding will be MUCH harder to get & to live off of if we don’t get what the WGA is asking for in these negotiations.” Erin Conley (Shadow and Bone) wrote how she hasn’t been in a writers room since February of last year. “My situation is not unique, I have many friends in worse or similar spots.

2021 was a life-changing year for me. In the span of about 3 months, I got my first co-write and got staffed, after a decade of underpaid assistant work.