WGA Spells Out Vast Differences That Led to Strike

variety.com:

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer The Writers Guild of America has detailed the vast differences between writers and the studios that led to the first strike in 15 years, which will begin Tuesday.

In a lengthy document, the guild spelled out its proposal for a TV staffing minimum, which would range from six to 12 writers per show, based on the number of episodes.

That proposal is a non-starter for the studios, which declined to make a counter-offer. The guild also wants a guaranteed minimum number of weeks of employment per season, ranging from 10 weeks to 52 weeks.

The studios likewise rejected that proposal and did not make a counter-offer. In a statement on Tuesday night, the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers called those the two “primary sticking points.” But the AMPTP said that it was willing to increase compensation and streaming residuals, and might have gone even farther than its last proposals, were it not for “the magnitude of other proposals still on the table that the Guild continues to insist upon.” The guild also wants a streaming residual that would factor in the success of shows, but the studios rejected that offer.