The Writers Guild of America is Officially on Strike

With more than 11,000 members working across networks, film studios, and streamers, the Writers Guild of America strike could be felt as soon as this week.

Writers Guild of America members are headed back to the picket line for the first time in 15 years.

According to a statement from the union, the WGA is now officially on strike. The union revealed the latest round of negotiations with The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers -- a trade organization representing the major studios and streamers -- failed to address the demands of its more than 11,ooo members working across networks, film studios, and streamers.

"Though we negotiated intent on making a fair deal… the studios’ responses to our proposals have been wholly insufficient, given the existential crisis writers are facing,” the statement reads. "They have closed the door on their labor force and opened the door to writing as an entirely freelance profession. No such deal could ever be contemplated by this membership."

WGA members are protesting the chilling impact streaming has had on their pay and work conditions, charging Hollywood studios and major networks with using the transition to a streaming model as an excuse to employ fewer writers on season orders that are now half -- if not less -- of the episodes of a traditional 20-ish-episode season. The WGA outlined their proposals for fair pay in the streaming era in a document tracking their status in the negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Televisions Producers. The union is emphasizing pay raises across the board and at every level of production, as well as weekly employment guarantees for members working on episodic television and the elimination of the "day rate" for writers.

With picket lines planned to be set up on Tuesday afternoon, the WGA strike could be felt as soon as this week, as the late-night shows begin to air re-runs instead of new episodes.