Writers Guild Strikes Wealth, Hides Earnings Amid Record-Breaking Dues and Pending Strike

According to the most recent annual financial report, the Writers Guild of America West members earned and paid record-breaking dues, just before the currently ongoing strike. The report, which was dated June 29, recodes member dues and initiation fees of a staggering $41,585,533, a sum which indicates a 24.6% increase from the preceding year's dues of $33,374,582.

Although the guild has previously included earnings and employment data in its financial statement, that portion of data has been omitted in the latest report due to the ongoing strike. Interestingly, the guild's earnings for this past fiscal year were conspicuously higher than any previous records including the prior record-high which was settled at the onset of the Covid pandemic in March 2020.

Notably, the guild has avoided including a detailed overview of members’ employment, residuals, and earnings in its latest report, a pretty unprecedented move. The data, which typically finds its way into the media, has remained a forbidden fruit this year, being securely locked up in a member’s only, password-protected site.

Further still, the guild infers that the spike in last fiscal year's earnings may not serve as an implication that writers were faring better prior to the strike, but instead may represent a pre-strike production speed-up - an occurrence that mirrors the prelude to the last WGA strike from November 5, 2007, up to February 12, 2008.

On the other hand, the guild shared that ahead of this strike, they had gathered a strike fund of slightly over $19 million, solely intended to help members negatively affected by the work stoppage. This is more than double the amount set aside for the previous strike in 2007-2008, suggesting the guild's preparedness for a potentially lengthier strike this time round.

Now, entering the opinion portion of our programme after the initial, fact and figures heavy dose, let me pour a little zest and personality into this rather dry, albeit newsworthy cake.

Oh, the unpredictability of Hollywood! Who would have thought a global pandemic would be topped by an historical strike, in a dramatic twist more intriguing than a final season of Game of Thrones cliffhanger?

However, amidst the seeming chaos, there's an undeniable spirit of resilience. An almost doubled strike fund compared to the last walkout? Well, the Guild surely knows how to "prepare for winter", making the Game of Thrones' House of Stark proud.

The surge in pre-strike production might seem a touch hastily rebellious, like teenagers sneaking out before an impending curfew. But it serves as a reminder that adversity often birth resourcefulness. Hollywood, despite facing down its share of dragons, doesn’t fail to produce fire.

Although I find it mildly disconcerting that earnings and employment data wasn't disclosed this time, I understand secrecy is the heart of all compelling scripts. Whether this annual report omission is foreshadowing for a significant plot twist, we'll have to wait and see.

Of course, it might simply be their way of keeping us engaged, leaving us wanting more, just like a breathtaking season finale. After all, isn’t that what Hollywood does best? They all know the show - and the stories, the secrets, the dollars and the disputes - must go on.