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Tuesday, January 20, 2026
Can Hollywood Avoid a Strike This Time?
www.hollywoodreporter.com: Six months. A 17 percent dip in entertainment employment in the L.A. area. Billions in estimated economic activity lost to the state of California. Could it happen again?
3 comments:
Sid J
said...
As with any newspage article that is about strikes and the struggles of entertainment workers, I will always point out how corporate consolidation and the general evils of capitalism are the core of the problem here. Cost of living is higher than ever, health care is only becoming more expensive, job counts are plunging, and AI presents an opportunity for production companies to get material for cheap. I honestly really hope that the unions hold strong and fight for contracts that reflect the high cost of living and protect their jobs, and the media we consume, against AI bias and environmental harm. However, I also understand that the most recent strike was devestating for a lot of reasons and executing another strike could be costly. Unions are one of the strongest societal structures we have, and yet they are always under attack, especially in creative fields. I’m eager to see how negotiations turn out, and I hope union members are able to enjoy the benefits of fair contracts with full benefits.
This industry seems to be in a very rocky place at the moment. The idea of a potential strike after one happened less then five years ago is kinda crazy because it just shows how much has had to change in that time. The article talks about how the industry has made less in the past few years then they had in a while and it does not help that we are dealing with a crazy economic state. It seems as though, the price keep rising and it is creating a problem not only for the industry, but for the people behind the scenes that are getting paid the minimum to be a production assistant or gaffer. The mergers that are continuing to happen also cause fear for these workers and there job stability. The article mentions the idea of AI in the industry and how that is causing an effect in film production which seems to be te the new topic to worry about. I feel that they may go on strike because of the potential or active use of AI taking up jobs people used to have.
It’s hard to believe that it has been three whole years since the SAG-AFTRA strike. But in strike and union terms, three years is an insanely short amount. It’s scary to be going into a world where the entertainment industry is in such a fragile place. And the talk of AI replacing both performers and writers… no one, even in general audiences, wants that. (Especially with all the Stranger Things AI accusations that are going on. Season Five was an absolute dumpster fire, and everyone knows it. If we found out it was at all AI generated, I think there would be a big resistance against AI in the writing room.) Another issue is healthcare, because that is a benefit that CANNOT be cut?? I feel like healthcare benefits are non-negotiable at this point, because it’s so audaciously priced in this country. I would love to see actual numbers to know how much of this is employer human greed.
3 comments:
As with any newspage article that is about strikes and the struggles of entertainment workers, I will always point out how corporate consolidation and the general evils of capitalism are the core of the problem here. Cost of living is higher than ever, health care is only becoming more expensive, job counts are plunging, and AI presents an opportunity for production companies to get material for cheap. I honestly really hope that the unions hold strong and fight for contracts that reflect the high cost of living and protect their jobs, and the media we consume, against AI bias and environmental harm. However, I also understand that the most recent strike was devestating for a lot of reasons and executing another strike could be costly. Unions are one of the strongest societal structures we have, and yet they are always under attack, especially in creative fields. I’m eager to see how negotiations turn out, and I hope union members are able to enjoy the benefits of fair contracts with full benefits.
This industry seems to be in a very rocky place at the moment. The idea of a potential strike after one happened less then five years ago is kinda crazy because it just shows how much has had to change in that time. The article talks about how the industry has made less in the past few years then they had in a while and it does not help that we are dealing with a crazy economic state. It seems as though, the price keep rising and it is creating a problem not only for the industry, but for the people behind the scenes that are getting paid the minimum to be a production assistant or gaffer. The mergers that are continuing to happen also cause fear for these workers and there job stability. The article mentions the idea of AI in the industry and how that is causing an effect in film production which seems to be te the new topic to worry about. I feel that they may go on strike because of the potential or active use of AI taking up jobs people used to have.
It’s hard to believe that it has been three whole years since the SAG-AFTRA strike. But in strike and union terms, three years is an insanely short amount. It’s scary to be going into a world where the entertainment industry is in such a fragile place. And the talk of AI replacing both performers and writers… no one, even in general audiences, wants that. (Especially with all the Stranger Things AI accusations that are going on. Season Five was an absolute dumpster fire, and everyone knows it. If we found out it was at all AI generated, I think there would be a big resistance against AI in the writing room.) Another issue is healthcare, because that is a benefit that CANNOT be cut?? I feel like healthcare benefits are non-negotiable at this point, because it’s so audaciously priced in this country. I would love to see actual numbers to know how much of this is employer human greed.
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