Union Strikes

The Writers Guild of America ends 148 day strike

    On September 27, 2023, the Writers Guild of America (WGA) reached a tentative agreement to end a 148 day strike. 

    “‘We feel great. We won,’ said WGA West President Meredith Stienhm in an interview,” Los Angeles Times Company Town Senior Editor Ryan Faughner said.

    The WGA is a labor union that represents hundreds of thousands of writers for TV, film, and other digital media who have been on strike since July 14th after their new three year contract was implemented back in the summer. WGA members voted for ratification of their new contract between October 2nd and 6th. 

    The new contract will allow for an increase in health and pension contributions, improved terms for screenwriter employees, and will reduce the usage of AI during the writing process without the writer's consent. If the new contract is ratified, it will remain valid until May 1, 2026. 

    During the course of the strike, TV and movie production was paused and even canceled. These productions include “Abbott Elementary,” “Stranger Things,” “The Last of Us,” “Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse,” “Dune: Part Two,” “Wicked,” and many more. Most of these shows and movies have started production again. 

    “It [the strike] was an immensely difficult time, not just for them [the writers] but for everyone else working on this show and many others who could no longer do their jobs. And to be clear, this strike happened for good reasons,” host of “Last Week Tonight” John Oliver said on his first show back from the strike. “Our industry has seen its work severely squeezed in recent years. You’ve probably seen stories about writers and actors whose work you may even recognize, routinely not making enough to qualify for health insurance or afford basic needs.”

RHS family eyes UAW strike

    The United Auto Workers (UAW) strike has been affecting many Detroit and Downriver families, such as freshman Vivian Nordstrom’s.

    Nordstrom’s grandpa, uncle, and father work for Stellantis Automotive Manufacturing Corporation, which is a UAW member on strike.  The family keeps up to date on all the news and changes regarding the strike in case something changes in regards to their jobs.

     “My grandpa watches the news in the evening, so that’s how we usually get it [the information],” Nordstom said.

    The UAW strike began September 15, 2023, and has only grown thus far. According to USA Today, there are around 400,000 active members in the UAW and more than 25,000 workers are active in the strike. In September, around 13,000 workers walked out of the factory simultaneously. Blaming the strike, auto companies are temporarily laying off employees through the duration of the strike.

    “Nobody [in Nordstrom’s family] is on layoff right now,” Nordstrom said. “[I think] maybe at some point they could be on layoff. We have talked a lot about how it might affect some things because my dad, grandpa, and uncle wouldn't be going to work or anything.”

    The strike continues to impact thou

sands of families. The biggest change auto employees are striking for is a 48 percent pay increase. Additionally, they are striking for a 4-day work week with overtime pay beyond 32 hours. 

    “I think the benefits that would come out of the strike would be good for everyone,” Nordstrom said. “But while it is happening, it has been very difficult because of all the layoffs.”