The Writers Guild of America is on strike for the first time in 15 years, causing Hollywood productions to grind to a halt. The union says the transition to streaming has cut writers’ pay, while studios and producers are under pressure to cut costs as they attempt to turn a profit. Labor disputes in Tinseltown are nothing new. Here are the most pivotal strikes in entertainment history in this week’s Five for Friday.
5: 1941 Disney Animators Strike
Just a few years after the success of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Disney’s animators decided it wasn’t the happiest place on Earth to work. The studio was in debt and artists were working longer hours for less pay. Walt Disney himself pushed back against the animators organizing under the banner of the Screen Cartoonist’s Guild, which led to an eventual walkout.
The artists used their talents to make some of the best picket signs in the history of labor. After five weeks, a federal mediator sided with the artists on their demands.
In the end, the union was recognized, pay was equalized and they created a set salary structure.
4: 1945 Set Decorators Strike
In 1945, a crew strike shut down Hollywood and resulted in one of the more violent scenes on a studio lot. The catalyst for the conflict was over which union would represent the industry’s set decorators. Thousands of members of the Conference of Studio Unions went on strike in March, and after nearly seven months, some studios still held out.
The Black Friday melee took place on the Warner Bros. lot in October when non-strikers represented by the more seasoned International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees tried crossing the picket line and chaos ensued. The scene included tear gas, fire hoses, brass knuckles and flipped vehicles. Dozens were hurt but nobody died.
The CSU eventually won the right to negotiate but their victory was short lived. After facing accusations of being run by communists, the union disbanded in the early 1950s.
3: 1960 Actors Strike
President Ronald Reagan helped reshape Hollywood well before he was in the Oval Office. In the 1940s and 1950s, the rise of television had taken a toll on the film industry. When motion pictures were aired on the small screen, actors didn’t get any additional compensation. Despite pressure from Reagan, who was serving as president of the Screen Actors Guild, producers refused to pay and actors eventually refused to work.
After six weeks of striking in 1960, SAG members struck a deal that included small payments when films were telecast, known as residuals, a practice that continues today.
2: 2000 Commercial Actors Strike
In 2000, 135,000 union-represented commercial actors launched a 6-month work stoppage against the Association of Advertising Agencies. At the time, commercial actors would get residual payments when their ad aired on network TV. However, there were no residuals for cable TV airings, where the average union actor would be paid $1,000 for a commercial and nothing more.
After a boycott of blue chip brands like Proctor & Gamble, the final deal boosted cable ad pay by 140% and introduced negotiations for internet ads, a growing segment at the time.
1: 2007-2008 Writers Strike
The last Hollywood strike was waged by the Writers Guild of America in 2007 and 2008. The focus was residuals for DVD sales and the emerging streaming landscape. Without writers for 100 days, primetime programming went dark, seasons were cut short, shows were forced to go on hiatus and the Los Angeles County economy took a $2.5 billion hit.
Eventually the writers had to drop their demands over DVDs and focused on increasing union pay in streaming, an issue that studios and writers are still fighting over today.
