On May 2, 2023, television and film writers unionized through the Writers Guild of America went on strike for a fair contract. As of July 13, 2023, actors unionized through SAG-AFTRA are also on strike. FSP supports the strikes and will respect the picket lines set by each union.
As freelancers, we stand in firm solidarity with members of other media industry unions who strive to unionize and improve conditions in their workplaces. Official statements of solidarity, along with links to our member-led solidarity actions, are below.
May 3, 2023
As a union of multidisciplinary media workers committed to using collective action to end the exploitation of freelance labor and build a world where all workers have what they need to thrive, members of the Freelance Solidarity Project (the Digital Media Division of the National Writers Union) understand all too well what happens when the companies that profit off of creative labor succeed in devaluing that labor, dividing their workforce, and profiting even more off of the atomization and demoralization that inherently follows.
But Hollywood, like the broader media industry to which it belongs, will continue to take advantage of its workers so long as they are able to isolate them and force them to compete with one another for diminishing resources.
To quote WGA member Charlie Kaufman, “Our work is to not contribute to [executives’] fortunes or our own, it is not to please them or critics or audiences. Our work is to reflect the world, saying what is true in the face of so much lying. The rest is window dressing at best.”
And so members of the Freelance Solidarity Project pledge our public solidarity:
✰ We will not cross the WGA picket line.
✰ We will stand alongside our colleagues as they strike for dignity, respect, and a fair contract.
✰ We will not stop fighting for a world where telling stories and making art are valued not just for the capital they create for corporate stakeholders, but for the beauty, truth, and joy they bring to the human experience.
The terms WGA writers are asking for are not unreasonable. The fight to win them is existential.
Power to the writers.
You can learn more about the strikes on the WGA strike hub and the SAG-AFTRA website.
Member-led solidarity actions
SIGN: WGA Strike Solidarity Pledge for critics, editors, and journalists covering the entertainment industry.
LEARN: WGA Strike Solidarity Resource for Nonfiction Podcasters, developed in collaboration with the WGA Audio Alliance.
ADOPT: WGA & SAG-AFTRA Strike Solidarity Editorial Statement, strategically designed to add critical context to contemporary coverage.
PLAY: Likeness Machines, a tarot journaling game of AI exploitation & union solidarity created by FSP member Pearse Anderson. All game profits will go to the Entertainment Community Fund and SAG/WGA-approved emergency strike funds.
If you have any questions about any of these campaigns, or if you’d like to hook up with FSP members out on the picket lines, you can get in touch with the FSP critics’ working group at freelance.solidarity.project@gmail.com.