1960 Writers Guild of America strike

Last updated

1960 Writers Guild of America strike
Part of 1960 Hollywood labor disputes
DateJanuary 16 – June 12, 1960 (1960-01-16 1960-06-12)
(4 months, 3 weeks and 6 days, or 148 days)
Location
United States
Caused by
  • Lack of agreement on a new contract between the WGA and the Alliance of Television Film Producers.
Goals
  • Improve rights and pensions for screenwriters
Methods
Parties
Alliance of Television Film Producers

The 1960 Writers Guild of America strike was a labor dispute between the Guild and the Alliance of Television Film Producers. It lasted 148 days, from January 16 to June 12, 1960. [1]

On January 16, 1960, citing “a consistently uncompromising attitude on the part of producers,” WGA president Curtis Kenyon, a former screenwriter now toiling in television, called a “two-pronged” strike against both film and television production. Among the demands: residuals “in perpetuity” and not merely for six reruns; a cut of the profit stream from foreign distribution; and more equitable working practices, particularly concerning speculative, or “spec,” writing. [2]

The strike ended with improved rights and pensions for screenwriters. [1] [3] [4] One outcome of the strike was that 5% of the net studio earnings from television airings of pre-1960 films would be contributed to pensions, healthcare, and other funds that helped writers. [1]

The 1960 Screen Actors Guild strike also occurred at the same time on March 7, 1960, as part of the broader labor dispute. The actors' strike lasted six weeks, becoming paler when compared to this strike. [5] The two unions would not strike simultaneously for another sixty-three years until the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike and 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike both took place, with the former ultimately tied. [6]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Screenwriter</span> Person who writes for films, TV shows, comics, and games

A screenwriter is a writer who practices the craft of screenwriting, writing screenplays on which mass media, such as films, television programs, and video games, are based.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Screen Actors Guild</span> American labor union (1933–2012)

The Screen Actors Guild (SAG) was an American labor union which represented over 100,000 film and television principal and background performers worldwide. On March 30, 2012, the union leadership announced that the SAG membership voted to merge with the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA) to create SAG-AFTRA.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Writers Guild of America</span> US TV and film writer labor unions

The Writers Guild of America (WGA) is the generic term of two different American labor unions, representing writers in film, television, radio, and online media:

A showrunner is the top-level executive producer of a television series. The position outranks other creative and management personnel, including episode directors, in contrast to feature films, in which the director has creative control over the production, and the executive producer's role is limited to investing. In scripted comedy and drama TV shows, the showrunner also usually serves as the head writer. The role of a showrunner is not present on all television series, especially outside the US; this article describes the nature of the role where it is present.

Residuals are financial compensations that are paid to the actors, film or television directors, and others involved in making TV shows and movies in cases of the cable reruns, syndication, DVD release, or licensing to streaming media. Residuals are calculated and administered by industry trade unions like SAG-AFTRA, the Directors Guild of America, and the Writers Guild of America. The word is typically used in the plural form.

The Animation Guild, IATSE Local 839, also known as The Animation Guild, or TAG is a professional guild and union of animation artists, writers and technicians. The full name of the organization is The Animation Guild and Affiliated Optical Electronic and Graphic Arts, Local 839 of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees and Moving Picture Technicians, Artists and Allied Crafts of the United States, its Territories and Canada, American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations/Canadian Labour Congress.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Writers Guild of Canada</span> Trade union

The Writers Guild of Canada (WGC) is a trade union representing professional writers working in film, television, radio, and digital media production in Canada. Members of the WGC write dramatic TV series, feature films, Movies of the Week, documentaries, animation, comedy and variety series, children's and educational programming, radio drama, as well as corporate videos and digital media productions. The organization administers the annual WGC Screenwriting Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Melissa Rosenberg</span> American screenwriter

Melissa Anne Rosenberg is an American television writer, television producer, and screenwriter. She has worked in both film and television and has won a Peabody Award. She has also been nominated for two Emmy Awards, and two Writers Guild of America Awards. Since joining the Writers Guild of America, she has been involved in its board of directors and was a strike captain during the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike. She supports female screenwriters through the WGA Diversity Committee and co-founded the League of Hollywood Women Writers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Writers Guild of America, East</span> Labor union formed in 1951

The Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE) is a labor union representing writers in film, television, radio, news, and online media.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Writers Guild of America West</span> Labor union formed in 1954

The Writers Guild of America West (WGAW) is a labor union representing film, television, radio, and new media writers. It was formed in 1954 from five organizations representing writers, including the Screen Writers Guild. It has around 20,000 members.

In film industry terminology, movie packaging or film packaging is a type of product bundling in which a top-level talent agency starts up a film or television project using writers, directors and/or actors it represents, before giving other agencies a chance to submit their clients for the project. For this service, the talent agency negotiates a packaging fee. Packaging is frequently done by the "big four" talent agencies Creative Artists Agency (CAA), Endeavor, United Talent Agency, and ICM Partners.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2007–08 Writers Guild of America strike</span> American media labor dispute

From November 5, 2007, to February 12, 2008, all 12,000 film and television screenwriters of the American labor unions Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE), and Writers Guild of America West (WGAW) went on strike.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers</span> American trade association

The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) is a trade association based in Sherman Oaks, Los Angeles, California, that represents over 350 American television and film production companies in collective bargaining negotiations with entertainment industry trade unions that include, among others, SAG-AFTRA, the Directors Guild of America, the Writers Guild of America West and East, the American Federation of Musicians, and the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1981 Writers Guild of America strike</span> Television writers strike

The 1981 Writers Guild of America strike was a 3-month strike action taken to establish compensation in the then-new markets of "pay TV" and home video by 8,500 Writers Guild of America members. The strike lasted 92 days, beginning on April 11, 1981, and ending on July 12, 1981. While the release of theatrical movies was mostly unaffected due to production companies stockpiling scripts, most scripted television series started much later than originally planned. The strike resulted in renegotiated wages towards writers, actors, and directors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SAG-AFTRA</span> American media labor union

The Screen Actors Guild - American Federation of Television and Radio Artists is an American labor union that reflects the 2012 merger of SAG and AFTRA. It represents approximately 160,000 media professionals worldwide. SAG-AFTRA is a member of the AFL-CIO, the largest federation of unions in the United States. SAG-AFTRA is also a member of the International Federation of Actors (FIA).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1980 actors strike</span> Labor action in United States

The 1980 actors strike was a labor strike held in July–October 1980 by the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA), two labor unions representing actors in the American film industry. The strike was caused by a breakdown in labor contract negotiations between the two unions and representatives of film studios, television networks, and other independent producers. The primary point of contention regarded residuals from home media, such as videocassettes and pay television. Specifically, the union was seeking a form of profit sharing wherein they would receive a percentage of the revenue made from home media releases. Additionally, the unions wanted a 35 percent salary increase across the board for their members. By mid-July, the union and industry representatives were at an impasse, and the strike started on July 21. Several days later, the American Federation of Musicians also went on strike for similar reasons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2023 Writers Guild of America strike</span> American media labor dispute

From May 2 to September 27, 2023, the Writers Guild of America (WGA)—representing 11,500 screenwriters—went on strike over a labor dispute with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP). With a duration of 148 days, the strike is tied with the 1960 strike as the second-longest labor stoppage that the WGA has performed, only behind the 1988 strike. Alongside the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike, which continued until November, it was part of a series of broader Hollywood labor disputes. Both strikes contributed to the biggest interruption to the American film and television industries since the COVID-19 pandemic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2023 SAG-AFTRA strike</span> American media labor dispute

From July 14 to November 9, 2023, the American actors' union SAG-AFTRA was on strike over a labor dispute with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP). As the longest strike in SAG-AFTRA history, its combined impact with the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike resulted in the loss of 45,000 jobs, and "an estimated $6.5 billion" loss to the economy of Southern California. According to Deadline Hollywood, the "harshest pain" was "perhaps felt among the below-the-line workers who've had to sell or mortgage their homes, and wipe through IRAs to survive."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2023 Hollywood labor disputes</span> American media labor disputes

From May 2 to November 9, 2023, a series of long labor disputes within the film and television industries of the United States took place, mainly focused on the strikes of the Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA. It was the second time two Hollywood labor unions were striking simultaneously — the first having occurred in 1960 – and as such, the American news media named this phenomenon the "Hollywood double strike", and surpassed the 1960 dual strike as well. By November 9, 2023, both the Writers Guild and SAG-AFTRA had reached tentative deals with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers and ended their strikes.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Schumach, Murray (June 14, 1960). "Record $1,250,000 Paid for Hit". The Miami Herald. p. 33. Retrieved May 24, 2023.
  2. "The Last Time Actors and Writers Both Went on Strike: How Hollywood Ended the 1960 Crisis". The Hollywood Reporter . July 18, 2023.
  3. Wilson, Scott (May 4, 2023). "A history of Hollywood writers' strikes". Yahoo Life. Retrieved May 10, 2023.
  4. "A History of WGA Contract Negotiations and Gains". www.wga.org. Writers Guild of America West. Retrieved May 6, 2023.
  5. Prudence Flowers (July 20, 2023). "How Ronald Reagan led the 1960 actors' strike – and then became an anti-union president". The Conversation. Retrieved September 14, 2023.
  6. Kilkenny, Katie (September 26, 2023). "Writers Guild Strike to End Wednesday: Leadership Votes to Conclude Historic Work Stoppage". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 26, 2023.