The talented scribes who create stories for the characters on your favorite soaps are not working anymore. The Writers Guild of America has announced that its members, which write for The Bold and the Beautiful, Days of our Lives, General Hospital, and The Young and the Restless, are on strike.
Writers Guild of America: Work Stoppage
“The Board of Directors of the @WGAwest and the Council of the @WGAeast, acting upon the authority granted to them by their memberships, have voted unanimously to call a strike, effective 12:01 AM, Tuesday, May 2,” read a tweet from the account belonging to the Writers Guild of America West.
Why are the scribes striking, and what does this mean for your favorite soaps? Writers want to be appropriately compensated in today’s streaming world, where viewers can watch content on their TVs, computers, and handheld devices. Writers feel they’re not being paid enough. Producers feel that a fair offer was extended. Due to this impasse, the writers have stopped working.
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A BOLD Move
Viewers won’t notice an immediate effect on daytime dramas as they shoot several weeks or, as with DAYS, months in advance. Some writers will be able to continue to work during the strike if they go “Fi-Core,” which means they become a non-member of the guild, but they still pay dues. Fi-core writers are not able to run for office in the WGA nor are they eligible to win WGA Awards.
One veteran soap writer, Michele Val Jean, currently at B&B, took to Twitter to keep her followers updated. “Welp,” Val Jean tweeted. “See y’all on the pick lines. #WGAStrong.” B&B’s Ted King (Jack) responded: “THERE ARE TWO WAYS OF EXERTING ONE’S STRENGTH: ONE IS PUSHING DOWN, THE OTHER IS PULLING UP. – Booker T. Washington Keep pulling your fellow writers up…we support you!”
The Writers Guild of America Strike History
The last two WGA strikes occurred in 2007-08 and in 1988. The 2007-08 strike lasted 100 days. The 1988 strike lasted 153 days. Traditionally, primetime series don’t return to production until the summer, so if this strike ends sooner rather than later, the fall TV season won’t be delayed. Late-night talk shows are affected immediately. Saturday Night Live was set to air a new episode this week with Pete Davidson as host. Instead, a rerun is set to air. With soaps, it’ll take some time for viewers to notice any changes to their shows.
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