President Joe Biden said striking film and TV writers should receive a contract that properly pays them for their work, weighing in for the first time publicly on a dispute that is bringing production delays to Hollywood and could herald more labor troubles this summer.
“I sincerely hope the writer strike in Hollywood gets resolved and the writers are given a fair deal they deserve as soon as possible,” Biden said at a White House screening on Monday of “American Born Chinese,” held in celebration of Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.
Negotiations between the Writers Guild of America, which represents more than 11,500 Hollywood writers, and the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers, broke down, leading writers on many popular programs to walk out last week.
Writers are worried that generative AI tools such as ChatGPT could undercut their work and the union is seeking regulation of the technology in its contract.
Read more: Hollywood Braces for Long, Contentious Summer as Writers Strike
The last time the union walked out, in 2007, the strike ended up costing the Los Angeles economy some $2.5 billion, according to estimates. This strike, which is national in scope, could crimp the economies of states such as New York and Georgia, which are also hubs for film and television production.
If the current strike drags on, it could prevent entertainment companies from completing the production of shows for the fall television season.
The alliance, which represents companies such as Walt Disney Co. and Warner Bros. Discovery Inc., said it had presented “generous increases” in compensation to writers.
Other entertainment industry unions are also expected to begin negotiating new contracts, including those representing actors and directors.
“Nights like these are a reminder the power of stories and the importance of treating storytellers with dignity, respect and the value they deserve,” Biden said Monday.
