Hollywood’s 15 years of labor peace shattered Monday night, as movie and television writers said they would go on strike, bringing many productions to a halt and dealing a blow to an industry that has been rocked in recent years by the pandemic and sweeping technological shifts.
The unions representing the writers said in a statement that they had "voted unanimously to call a strike.” Writers will begin walking picket lines Tuesday afternoon. Their three-year contract was set to expire at midnight Pacific time Monday.
The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which bargains on behalf of Hollywood companies, said in a statement that its offer included "generous increases in compensation for writers.” The organization added that it remained willing to keep negotiating.