ASK me: More Strike Questions

Phil Zeman writes…

I appreciate you answering questions about the WGA strike even though you aren't as in the know as you were in previous strikes. However, something I've been wondering about is what we, meaning those of us who aren't in the WGA or SAG-AFTRA or the Director's Guild or any of the other unions involved in Hollywood, can do to support the WGA?

I don't think there's a lot you can do apart maybe from backing us on social media and helping us tamp down some of the more ridiculous assertions that we're being greedy or that the most important writers are not solidly behind the strike. And of course, it would help if you didn't start writing all the shows that we're not writing.

Phil also asked me about things like not crossing a WGA picket line to take the Universal City Tour. Not crossing a picket line is another way to show support. So is not watching reruns of shows that would be airing new episodes right now if the studios had offered us a decent contract. I wish I could suggest more substantial ways.

Robert Forman wrote to ask…

Do you know if one of the things being negotiated is A.I.? Do you think it should be?

As I understand it, we (the writers) want to negotiate on the topic and they (the producers) don't want to. They've proposed we have occasional meetings to discuss it…which is so meaningless that I think the response was A.I.-generated.

Yes, I think it should be addressed and we should start establishing rules about how it can be used as an adjunct to our work and even — gulp! — as a replacement in some instances, especially when the A.I. in question has been "trained" with our work.

And lastly for now, Jeff George asks…

What's it like out there on the picket lines? Is there any part of it that's fun?

Some picketers will tell you that they appreciate the exercise and the chance to see (and march with) some old friends. If so, that's fun for about fifteen minutes and it's really just a viewpoint that moves your mind off the more serious side of the whole thing. My knees have not made it possible for me to go out and picket yet in this strike but I'm going to try to do it early next week.

In past strikes, I usually volunteered to so things like help make signs and man the check-in tables. But I marched a lot and all of that made me feel like I was helping my union, helping our cause. So I guess you'd call that a plus. We also do a lot to buoy each others' spirits and to reassure our fellow/sister writers that our cause is righteous and that a fair deal is necessary and attainable. We don't do it just to send a message to Management.