The WGA and SAG-AFTRA Strikes: Stories from the Front Lines

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The last time the Writer’s Guild went on strike, in 2007, residuals for DVD sales and “new media,” were at the forefront. Although nothing changed in regard to DVD residuals, the fight for job representation in new media resulted in a win, requiring that streaming platforms creating shows over a certain budget would be required to hire WGA writers. As the strike ended in 2008, Netflix was still in early transition from DVDs to streaming. When the writers made their deal, no one, outside of Netflix themselves perhaps, knew where things were truly heading. It was another 5 years before shows like Orange is the New Black and House of Cards began significantly changing the landscape.

Now, in 2023, cable chords have been cut, there are many, many streaming platforms and residuals are front and center yet again, with royalties shrinking along with the duration of work in the writers room and episode counts of television – a long way from the 22 episode network TV era prior to “Peak TV.” 

The WGA went on strike against the AMPTP on May 2nd, and for the first time since the 60’s, on July 14th, the actors joined them. With SAG/AFTRA’s equal concerns in regard to streaming residuals and both groups fearful that Artificial Intelligence would either replace or highly supplement the work of human artists, the WGA strike recently surpassed 100 days, inching toward the record set in 1988. 

When I first contemplated writing about the WGA and SAG/AFTRA strikes, I knew I wanted to share the voices of those affected who were not getting the same opportunities to be heard as their more famous counterparts. The artists who are dipping into their savings, who were already at odds with a changing industry. 

Being from the South, I wanted to talk to the people working there, outside of Hollywood and NYC, union and non-union. I wanted to hear from casting directors, who work not only with agents and actors but also, sometimes, the very companies that are being struck. I wanted to hear from young actors who were only beginning in the industry. Independent filmmakers, members of the WGA who are on the picket lines every day, one of whom has started a fund to help fellow writers struggling to pay rent and buy groceries. The most important thing for me was to let them speak in their own words. Below are excerpts from these conversations, ones that bring a much needed humanity to what is happening.

I began to reach out to contacts and friends in the industry, and although some people were uncomfortable or afraid to go on the record, many were not. A couple wanted my questions in advance, others wanted to know what my angle was, and many simply did not write back. In the end, I spoke with eight very open industry professionals, all feeling the effects in some capacity across the country.

Talking to Adetinpo Thomas, an actor based in Atlanta, Georgia, with roles in Hawkeye and the upcoming The Color Purple, I immediately discovered that actors and writers outside of LA and NYC have their own specific needs and struggles.

Whisenant: What is the experience of the strike in Georgia?

Thomas: “I feel forgotten about. I know that it does not escape us in Atlanta that the film industry has moved here in large part because background is nonunion, or can be and tax incentives. The incentive that is not talked about as much is how much we’re discriminated against financially because of the zip code. So people get underbilled and underpaid. 

“A phrasing that I’ve been seeing a lot lately that really resonates with me, is the fact that we are getting paid scale. And scale is supposed to be the minimum, and it has essentially become the ceiling.

Whisenant: How is it affecting you on a personal level?

Thomas: “Somebody recently asked me, hey, how are you doing? How you been? And for the most part I’ll say – within reason, contextually, I’m actually doing okay. I’m doing well. I am lucky enough to be married to someone who is not in the industry. 

“So there is still steady income happening in my home. But my lament was that after some deep soul searching, which has honestly been happening for years because of being so significantly underpaid, what I had to realize is that what I want is still to be an actor. 

“So to be striking now feels invigorating because it gives me hope that things will change, and it’s happening across so many different industries which I think is just telling to the fact that the structure we currently are in as a nation is not functioning.”

What many people may not know, whether in LA, NYC or other filmmaking hubs like Georgia, is that making a living as a non-union filmmaker or actor is possible. Writer, Director and Cinematographer Michael Williams, based out of West Point, Mississippi spoke to me about how the strike has had an effect on him as a non-union worker.

Whisenant: How has the strike affected you and your work?

Williams: So there was a feature that, I guess it would have been last week, this past week is when we would have been (filming). It was a small feature, but for people like us, that was a month’s salary for me or more. 

“So it was something I was relying on because – also my commercial gigs have dried up a good bit, which is unrelated to the strike. It’s just – that happens sometimes. So a lot of work has dried up. But I was like, okay, I’ll be fine because I’ve got this feature project coming up. 

“But then a week before, we realized that, okay, SAG is striking, and our lead actor is SAG, so it’s only appropriate for us not to work. And we all understand that. Everyone’s cool with it, but it is unfortunate that we can’t work. 

“It’s not unfortunate that there’s a strike. It’s unfortunate that we have to strike or that the unions are having to strike. The situation is unfortunate that it even has to happen.” 

SAG/AFTRA members are at the front lines of the fight for a living wage for actors, but I also wanted to talk to someone who was just starting a career in the industry. In NYC I spoke with Matthew Zimmerman. Originally from the South, Matthew recently received his MFA from Brooklyn College where he was also a teaching fellow. This summer he worked as an actor in a non-union independent film in Mississippi. He

talked to me about how the strike is affecting him and his dreams of stepping into acting work as a member of Actors Equity Association (the theatre actors’ union), but pre-union for film.

Whisenant: How has the strike affected your post-graduate plan?

Zimmerman: “As someone who very much is in the striving phase – I finished graduate school, we do an industry showcase. Even when we were doing our industry showcase, there was discussion that there might be weird things going on because there’s going to be a writers’ strike. 

“People were very sure that this was going to happen and it might affect how much work people think is coming down the line. 

“Finishing graduate school would be like, hey, I’m back. Let’s go. So if there’s less work, obviously there’s less of a need to add new faces to (representation) rosters. This is the assumption we all start working under or that we’re afraid we’re going to head into – and absolutely magnifies with the idea that also SAG is going to go on strike because then there is really not going to be a lot of work, especially the kind of work you’re hoping to make a jump. 

“So when you’re coming out and it’s like, you know, rosters are, what’s the term I’ve heard – frozen. People are like, oh, we’re not seeing anyone right now. So I think it kind of takes the wind out of your sails a little bit. I mean, that’s the emotional component of it, is feeling like – Oh, I worked really hard to get to this point, and I’m going to lose my momentum. 

“It was a really big personal decision for me to join Actors Equity as well as a career decision, but it was a personal decision. 

“And I’ve always known that joining the Screen Actors Guild was also going to be that same kind of decision. Yes, it’s a career move, but also it’s a personal decision that we are organized because we know the value of this work. 

“So I am extremely happy to be a part of this larger world and to know that the organizing body took a stand to say we won’t let this happen to our work and that we are going to ensure that for now and also for the future generations of actors right here, we will protect their living. 

Back in Los Angeles, I wanted to talk to Hollywood casting directors and get their perspective on how streaming has affected the industry and their work specifically. When I spoke with casting directors Debby Romano and Brett Benner, a 24+ year yin/yang team responsible for casting “Shrinking” and “Scrubs,” Debby told me how after years of the 22 episodic model of television, the peak TV era actually led to less work, long before the strike started.

Romano: …And then after 17 years…we had six months off and didn’t have a show to go back to and couldn’t get a job. 

And it was very scary. And it was the first time we went through that where we were just emailing any and everyone that we knew to say -we’re available. But you also try to put the spin-on of like, I’m not desperate. Even though you completely are.

And then just as you’re about to get back on the bike and do your thing, we got “Shrinking.” That was fantastic. We cast that. It got picked up to series. And then, I just don’t know that people know this, so I just want to put it out here. And it’s a little like,  soul bearing to say it, but we finished casting the first season of “Shrinking” in August of last year. And since then, we have worked six weeks on two separate indie films. This is kind of pre -strike and maybe a little bit into the writer’s strike, but it didn’t interfere. Otherwise, we haven’t. It’s a challenge. It’s a scary time.

Benner: “The problem is, you know-  10, 12 years ago, it was network driven, when you had most shows 22 episodes a year. So for anyone who was working on a show in terms of – beyond the actors, beyond the people that everyone sees – you could be guaranteed to be doing 22 episodes, which was a big swath of time. 

“That was seven, eight months of your life, you were employed. Whereas now, because of the way streaming has kind of dictated for everyone how it’s going to go, you now have eight, if you’re lucky, you might get 12 episodes. And that’s network as well, because everything’s around year round programming. 

“As a result, we have to work twice as many jobs to get even close to what we would make in half the time before. So you’re competing for less work effectively, because there’s less time involved. You can cast eight episodes in three months or less sometimes, especially if the studios have their way. They want you to do it in two months without hiatuses. 

“So it creates an environment where you think, all right, beyond the fiduciary part of it, you have to think about your insurance, and are you going to make enough hours to be able to get your coverage for medical? So these are all things that have changed dramatically because of the streaming template.”

In Los Angeles, you can’t drive between neighborhoods without seeing the picket lines and strikers, especially since the large crowds of SAG/AFTRA joined the WGA on July 13th. I personally joined a writer friend of mine at Disney Studios at the end of July. We picketed around the large block in great heat and talked about the industry and how the WGA currently supports writers. There was a strong sense of solidarity on the line that day, and things were mostly calm.

A few days later, when SAG directed its members to go to Universal Studios due to what was considered poor and unsafe striking conditions, I was also there when the crowd of thousands of actors, writers and laborers took over Lankershim Blvd in a protest. It was a powerful moment that made the news cycle, and one where I saw first hand, in the streets, amidst the police and traffic that artists are struggling, fired up and desperate to go back to work. 

One person who has been on the line most every day is independent filmmaker Daniel Talbott. Talbott moved to Los Angeles from NYC after finding ACT Young Conservatory Theatre and falling in love with acting. He went to Juilliard and eventually transitioned to writing and directing theatre and then film and television. After moving to Los Angeles he began work on “The Mist” for Netflix. 

Whisenant: Before you were striking, what were you recently working on as a filmmaker?

Talbott: “We had our film, my sister and I, Sam Soule, we co-wrote and co-directed a film called “Midday Black, Midnight Blue.“ It’s an experimental indie drama feature that got distribution through Good Deed Entertainment. We were getting ready for that film to come out and then we went on strike. So the film was released while we were on strike. 

“I was also working on a film for Motor Productions called “Gray.”  I was working and had to “pens down” on that film. So I only got part way through the pass that I was working on as a writer….

Whisenant: How is the strike affecting you on a personal level?

Talbott: “Work is such a part of my life. I am a workhorse and a workaholic, so not being able to work is really hard. The whole reason I moved to LA was to work, and to try to create work as a family, so not being able to work is excruciating. And also, just financially, we’re running out of money, so you go like – how are you going to survive, but again, I think the strike is more important. I really believe in it, and so we’re gonna figure it out as a family, and have been figuring it out as a family, but it’s financially taking a huge toll, so whatever savings we have will be gone, which is hard, but it’s worth it. It’s what we need to do. I really believe in what we’re fighting for. It’s worth it 100% to me.”

At this point everyone has heard of the SAG/AFTRA interim agreements and Sarah Silverman’s TikTok relating work on those as scabbing. We also know that Viola Davis recently left “G20,” a film that was going into production under one of those agreements. As this was all happening, I spoke with Tim Friedlander, a voice over artist (“Record of Ragnarok,” “Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown”), SAG/AFTRA member and co-founder of the National Association of Voice Actors, a non-profit association created to advocate and promote the advancement of the voice acting industry through action, education, inclusion, and benefits.

Whisenant: Are there projects you can work on right now?

Friedlander: “There is a lot that you can still work on for independent filmmakers. For other artists who are out there who want to work, find the things you can work on. Dig into those. Lean into those, right? Make that indie film. Do all the things you can do. It’s only against the very specific contracts and what falls under that contract that we are striking against. The other thing – this doesn’t mean you can’t make films, doesn’t mean you can’t be a voice actor, doesn’t mean you can’t do all these things that you want to do, but now is a great opportunity especially for an indie filmmaker – get out there and do those things, support the artists who are out there who aren’t working right now. Talk to SAG/AFTRA about getting an interim contract that puts you under the contract to allow you to work under a SAG contract. Those are all possibilities.”

When I asked Daniel Talbott a similar question he had a response more in line with Silverman.

Talbott: “I think what a writer can do right now is strike. That’s what I really, really believe in. I think, “pens down” means “pens down,” and I and I support that, and really believe that, and it’s hard. I want to be working. Everyone I know wants to be working, but I really just believe in what we’re fighting for and to me “pens down” means “pens down.”

I asked Mississippi filmmaker Michael Williams about the work he has been able to do outside of the strike as well.

Williams: “I do have a short film coming up that I’m working on, but it’s all completely low budget, grant funded. It’s in no way associated with anyone who’s affected or that the unions are fighting against. 

“So that one I feel completely comfortable with because it’s just going to be an independent film that goes to film festivals. And it’s not the film festivals’ fault. It’s not the independent person who has a grant….

“But I also had already started my side business, which was my Great Catsby Herb Cartel, which was kind of a dream of mine to always do, which was – whenever my garden became abundant enough, I wanted to sell herbs, spices, teas, salves, and inspire people to love plants.

So that’s a totally unrelated thing to film, but it was a great creative outlet because, unrelated to the strike, it’s just been really hard the last few years for me to get my feature films off the ground.”

The last voice I want to share is that of Joelle Garfinkel, WGA member and founder of the Green Envelope Grocery Aid Fund. Joelle most recently worked as a freelance script coordinator on “Fire Country.” 

Growing up third generation in Los Angeles, Garfinkel knew she wanted to write movies at 10 years old. Having been in the industry since graduating, working as a post PA, a writer’s assistant, & show runner’s assistant, she actually joined the WGA through a freelance gig with protections from the 07/08 strike that focused on streaming residuals and web content. 

Whisenant: Being in the industry for a long time, you must have seen the changes that came from streaming/peak TV and post-peak TV.

Garfinkel: “My first internship was on “Smallville.” It was ’06, and that writer’s room was huge. There were 13, 14 writers. They had a budget to get Starbucks twice a day. I remember because I was the intern that was getting Starbucks twice a day. And residuals – I remember writers were able to afford paying their kids private school off of residuals alone. So residuals have changed so much in the time that I’ve been working in this business where I was like – that’s what it takes to become a writer…

“And prior to being on “Fire Country,” which is a huge CBS hit, my residuals checks were on average twenty two cents at most, generally, one thousand dollars. It’s barely enough to cover rent. And the show I was on was a broadcast show.”

Now, Garfinkel is not only a WGA strike captain, she has turned one of the most contentious sticking points, residuals, which often arrive right on time in a green envelope, into a means for workers affected by the strike to buy groceries. 

Whisenant: Tell me about your fund!

Garfinkel: “Yes! Ok!  As soon as the strike (started), the Writers Guild had wonderful programs that were available to everyone. 

“There’s a Strike Fund. There’s a Good and Welfare Loan. I was lucky enough to qualify for it and felt I had relief. I was like, okay, at least I know I can pay for my bills this month. But just that month. 

“And that was in June. And we’re in the third month, but I got a green envelope, which is a residuals envelope, and it was a good size check for “Fire Country.” It was my first big residuals check. 

“And I was like, the amount of relief that I felt receiving that envelope, I was like, oh, my God, I can now pay my bills for a second month. Like, this is incredible. And I just really wanted other people that were not in that position to feel that same relief. 

“And so the first person I thought of was a PA on a show that I’ve worked on. And I was like, okay, I’m going to just Venmo her $100 for groceries because that’ll give some relief. 

“And she was so grateful. It was like such a kind gesture, and I wish I could have given more, but she was just so grateful for it. And I was like, okay, I have enough money now. I’ll do It for one more person.”

After that, Garfinkel went to Twitter and posted asking if there were any assistants out there who were struggling, and that she would Venmo them $100. This led to another writer friend seeing the post, wanting to sponsor two more people with $100, and so The Green Envelope Grocery Aid Fund was born! More and more people contributed, and as of this publication, the Fund has raised over $108,552.08 and sent out 1,080 grocery grants.

As I finished up my interview with Joelle, I was left with hope. It was not lost on me that this concept of the Green Envelope Fund – writers – who are still currently unable to work, yet are in a better position than their counterparts, have the ability to support other writers (and more) who are struggling to feed their families . To me, this idea could be a solution if applied at the top of the companies being struck. 

As of Friday, August 11, the WGA and the AMPTP have gone back to negotiations. One can only hope that a fair solution to the terms will be met soon, for not only the WGA and SAG/AFTRA members but also all of those affected by lack of work. The people who spoke up for this article.

There were so many incredible thoughts I didn’t have room for here, and I want to thank everyone who took time to speak with me.

I want to leave you with this, from Tim Friedlander.

Tim: “It’s an artistic fight. The artist’s fight. And this is something that I think shows the benefit of what working under a union contract gives you – the protection that you have working under a union contract. It also shows you what can happen when all artists can come together to support what we do in this industry as artists.”