What is a SAG or WGA?

SAQ is the abbreviation for the Screen Actors Guild, which is the union in which most actors working within Hollywood are members. WGA is also a union, the Writer's Guild of America, but, as you may have guessed, it is a union for writers.

Why are they striking?

Well, first off, nothing is final on the strike, nor will it be until the contract deadlines for each union come and go. Anything can happen up until then, but this section is going to deal with the possibility that a strike is imminent. That being said, both the WGA and SAG are seeking increases in the residuals obtained through foreign and cable markets.

Huh?

Residuals are what the WGA writers and SAG actors get paid every time a film or television show that they were a part of is shown. For example, if someone were to show the movie "Mallrats", then the writer, Kevin Smith, and the actors, not including non-SAG extras, would get a check in the mail. The check could be as large as $0.50, but each time the movie is shown, then a check for that amount would be forthcoming.

So, cable and foreign residuals. What else?

Well, we've finally hit that great time in history where the technology of the internet is the next great residual treasure chest. Since the last contracts between SAG and WGA with Hollywood were pre-internet, there has been no standard measurement for how future residuals involving the internet will be handled. Mainly, both SAG and WGA are looking to a future where television shows and movies are downloadable from the net in a similar fashion to cable, and they want to get paid their due when it happens.

When is this going to happen?

The current WGA contract expires on May 1st, 2001. In all likelihood, if a new contract is not agreed on before, then expect a WGA strike. SAG's contract expires in July 2001, and they too are expected to strike at that time.

What does this mean for "Dawson's Creek"?

Quite simply, many of the writers for "Dawson's Creek", if not all of them, are members of the WGA. So, when the strike occurs, they won't be writing any new episodes of the show. Since the strike will occur roughly around the time "Dawson's Creek" is finished its fourth season anyway, it shouldn't affect this season. A fifth season, however, could be delayed due to the WGA strike. Of course, the show usually goes into filming around July as well, so if the SAG strike occurs, the show would be indefinately delayed until the strike is over since the major actors on the show are all SAG members.

Why don't they just have the writers write more scripts so that they can film episodes for season five up until July, and then that way they'd have something new to show come October 2001?

Good thought, and you aren't the only one who's thought of it. The problem here is that the above idea would be a way for the writers to undermine there own strike. If the networks and studios are all set, then a strike means nothing because there is no leverage. So, the WGA is advising its members not to write more than they are supposed to for any current seasons, and SAG is advising that its actors not act beyond their current seasons either. On the movie front, you'll notice that no movie will be going into production after March 2001 since no studio wants to chance having the strike occur in mid-filming. Hollywood's working overtime right now, but in two months unemployment will be hitting film crews everywhere.

How long will it last?

The last time they striked, in 1988, the WGA strike lasted 22 weeks while the SAG strike lasted only 3 weeks. It cost the industry $500 million dollars. No one wants a strike to last so long again, but you never know.

But I heard the SAG strike just ended. What gives?

The SAG strike that just ended in October 2000 was against the advertising industry, and had actually been going on since May 2000. It has absolutely nothing to do with the possible 2001 strikes.