Currently, more than 11,000 Writers Guild members are out on strike across the country. 160,000 SAG-AFTRA TV & Film members could join them by the end of the month as their union has recommended that their members vote to authorize a strike.
The strike of Hollywood Writers has drawn widespread national interest. With so many high-profile celebrities supporting the strikes on social media, the strike could inspire workers in various industries to take similar action.
We are already seeing an uptick in strikes, and more strikes are expected. We are looking at the beginning of a “Summer of Strikes” that could easily see nearly a million workers go on strike. This moment in many ways, reminds me of the early days of the pandemic when the strike wave began.
380,000 Teamsters are moving towards strike at UPS this summer, and over 150,000 autoworkers, members of the UAW, could go on strike towards the end of the summer. We are also likely to see large-scale teachers’ strikes as the school year begins.
Covering the Writers’ Guild strike now will be crucial to prepare for the “Summer of Strikes” ahead. It’s important that we create momentum and get the word out so that workers know that they are part of a larger movement.
Already, Payday Report has filed 16 stories and dispatches on the Writers’ Guild Strike. We have even created a map that tracks Writers’ Guild picket lines across the United States.
We need your help to do more and to track the “Summer of Strikes” that is brewing across the country. Donate to help us cover this strike wave.
Our work as the first outlet to systematically track the strike wave during the pandemic has been widely recognized everywhere, from the front page of the Washington Post to NPR’s “All Things Considered” to filmmaker Boots Riley.
Help us once again to make a big impact in the media and cover the “Summer of Strikes.”
Donate to Help Us Cover the Writers Guild Strike; please, sign up as one of our 748 recurring donors today.