On March 7, members of The Writers Guild of America (WGA) voted just short of 99% in favor of a list of new demands from The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) – which represents Amazon/MGM, Apple, Disney/ABC/Fox, NBCUniversal, Netflix, Paramount/CBS, Sony, Warner Bros., Discovery (HBO) and more. The demands are in pursuit of higher pay, adjusted residuals, new staffing requirements and protections from artificial intelligence (A.I.), amongst other concerns. 

Six months later, no agreement has been reached and the WGA is currently on strike, joined now by The Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA), marking the first joint strike between actors and writers in 63 years and the first joint walkout since 1980. With seemingly no end in sight, many actors, writers, unions, laborers and fans alike are left wondering what this strike could mean for the future of the entertainment industry.

The WGA is looking to address concerns within three main categories: compensation and residuals; pension plans and health funds; and professional standards and protection in the employment of writers. Their list of demands within these three categories is as follows:

Compensation and Residuals

• “Increase minimum compensation significantly to address the devaluation of writing in all areas of television, new media and feature”
• “Standardize compensation and residual terms for features whether released theatrically or on streaming”
• “Address the abuses of mini-rooms”
• “Ensure appropriate television series writing compensation throughout entire process of pre-production, production and post-production”
• “Expand span protections to cover all television writers”
• “Apply MBA minimums to comedy-variety programs made for new media”
• “Increase residuals for under-compensated reuse markets”
• “Restrict uncompensated use of excerpts”

Pension Plan and Health Fund

• “Increase contributions to Pension Plan and Health Fund”

Professional Standards and Protection in the Employment of Writers

• “For feature contracts in which compensation falls below a specified threshold, require weekly payment of compensation and a minimum of two steps”
• “Strengthen regulation of options and exclusivity in television writer employment contracts”
• “Regulate use of material produced using artificial intelligence or similar technologies”
• “Enact measures to combat discrimination and harassment and to promote pay equity”
• “Revise and expand all arbitrator lists”

On March 20, negotiations between the WGA and AMPTP began but eventually stalled. Demands were not properly addressed before the set deadline of May 1, which provoked the WGA members to withhold labor starting May 2 after a nearly-98% vote in favor of a strike. As a direct result, many prominent late-night shows such as “The Late Night Show with Stephen Colbert,” “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” and “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” were shut down, along with “Saturday Night Live,” “Real Time with Bill Maher” and “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver.” 

As the strike continues, the list of projects that have halted production includes “Stranger Things” (Season Five), “Euphoria” (Season Three), “The Last of Us” (Season Two), “Abbott Elementary” (Season Three), “The Handmaid’s Tale” (Season Six and Finale), “Severance” (Season Two), “Big Mouth” (Season Eight and Finale), “Cobra Kai” (Season Six), “The Penguin (Season One Debut), “Dune Part 2”, Sony Pictures’ “Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse,” Marvel Studios’ fourth and untitled Spider-Man film, “Kraven the Hunter,” “Daredevil: Born Again” and “Deadpool 3,” among many others.

On June 5, SAG-AFTRA voted with nearly a 98% majority to strike if a deal could not be reached with the AMPTP by the end of the month, which would place them on the picket line alongside the WGA. SAG-AFTRA published a document detailing their positions, in which they explained they had already compromised during negotiations. However, according to this document, the AMPTP was not willing to meet the following demands:

• “Performers need minimum earnings to simply keep up with inflation”
• “Performers need the protection of our images and performances to prevent replacement of human performances by artificial intelligence technology”
• “Performers need qualified hair and makeup professionals as well as equipment to safely and effectively style a variety of hair textures/styles and skin tones”
• “Performers need compensation to reflect the value we bring to the streamers who profit from our labor”
• “All performers need support from our employers to keep our health and retirement funds sustainable”
• “Principal performers need to be able to work during hiatus and not be held captive by employers”
• “Principal performers need to be reimbursed for relocation expenses when they’re employed away from home”

According to the document, the AMPTP was only willing to agree to what SAG-AFTRA refers to as “simple basic issues of fairness and respect,” such as:

• “Access to reproductive healthcare and gender affirming care for performers working away from home in states that restrict medical access”
• “A consultation process to guard against racist and sexist “wiggings” and “paintdowns” of stunt performers”
• “Safety for performers working with animals on set”

In turn, SAG-AFTRA officially began their strike on July 13, which severely impacted the promotion of director Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer” and director Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie.” Actors were unable to make media appearances pertaining to the release of either film, and the cast of “Oppenheimer” walked out of the premier of their own movie when the strike was announced. In spite of the clear negative impact on the two films, both Christopher Nolan and Greta Gerwg expressed their support for the WGA and SAG-AFTRA.

On Aug. 4, representatives of the WGA met with studios but to no avail, reporting that the AMPTP was not open to engaging in screenwriters’ issues. Now, over three months into the strike, a growing list of delays and cancellations is the least of the problems. The result of 171,500 actors and writers on strike in Hollywood is a hit to local economies all across the U.S. including a $3 billion blow to California. Consequently, 1.7 million out-of-state industry workers have been negatively impacted.

Though neither the WGA nor SAG-AFTRA could reach an agreement, The Directors Guild of America (DGA) agreed to a new contract with the AMPTP on June 23, shortly before SAG-AFTRA went on strike. The agreement between the AMPTP and DGA secured wage increases, better residuals and some protections from AI for directors. DGA released a statement on their website the following month, affirming their support for the WGA and SAG-AFTRA during their respective strikes.

For the strike to end, an agreement must be reached by the AMPTP with both the WGA and SAG-AFTRA. It is difficult to predict when this will happen, but, for now, an agreement seems unlikely in the near future. 

Many corporations across the United States have recently decided to use their platform to either support or regulate the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement. For example, a few airlines have decided to take a stand and allow BLM pins to be worn by all employees if they so desire. Delta Airlines was the first to design their own rendition of the Black Lives Matter pin for their flight attendants to wear, and American Airlines soon followed, issuing a statement of support. 

“American Airlines believes in equity and inclusion for all. In light of the appropriate attention to lives of Black Americans, we will allow team members who wish to wear a Black Lives Matter pin to do so if they choose,” read a statement from American Airlines provided to USA TODAY by representative Sarah Jantz. 

While some employees frowned upon this decision from American Airlines, saying it goes against their own belief that “all lives matter,” American Airlines made it clear that it is an option and not a requirement for their flight attendants. 

“One symbolic way to show our support is through a uniform pin,” said one American Airline employee. “We are working with our Black Professional Network on designing a specific pin that may be worn with the uniform. In the interim until this pin is produced, to recognize the significance of this moment in history, we are allowing people to wear a Black Lives Matter Pin.”

Outside of the sky, this debate continues. Companies such as Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, Taco Bell and Starbucks decided to regulate the Black Lives Matter attire and restrict employees from taking a stand with their clothing and masks, to avoid controversy. 

Starbucks issued a statement to their employees explaining that Black Lives Matter buttons were verboten because they violated dress code policies forbidding attire that advocates for “political, religious or personal issues” and could be used to “amplify divisiveness,” but the company quickly retracted it after Buzzfeed brought the memo to the public. 

Taco Bell also issued a retraction statement after sending an employee home in Ohio for wearing BLM masks, but Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s have stood by their managers and have yet to issue a statement in support of their employee’s attire. 

When asked by the North Star, Trader Joe’s said “We understand this is a time for us to use our voice, and we appreciate the desire to hear how we plan to take action, sooner rather than later. It’s also critical that we take the time and steps that bring about the most meaningful change. When we say we’re committed to listening, caring, acting and continuously improving, we mean it.”

While this is a tough topic to speak about because of the tension going on in the United States, many companies have found it imperative to do so, in spite of fear of backlash or losing business. The NFL, NBA and MLB have all spoken in support toward Black Lives Matter, and they are huge corporations with big support and continue to have support. Many big corporations agree with this statement and have even given millions of dollars to the cause to show full support, such as Apple, Amazon and Microsoft.

Amazon is expected to invest $5 billion in constructing HQ2 and anticipates that the new headquarters will grow to produce 50,000 high-paying jobs. After this announcement, Amazon received 238 proposals from cities, states and provinces, explaining why HQ2 should reside in their city.

Among the 238 proposals was a hand delivered bid from Kansas City. In this proposal, Kansas City offered $2.42 billion in incentives to Amazon. There was also a proposal from the state of Missouri to create a hybrid headquarters between Kansas City and St. Louis.

The possibility of having HQ2 in Kansas City attracted national attention when Kansas City Mayor Sly James started an online campaign to bring HQ2 to the area.

James posted a video of him at his desk surrounded by Amazon boxes. The video reveals that the mayor had purchased and reviewed 1,000 Amazon items. In each review, he presented a reason that Kansas City would be a desirable location for HQ2.

James was not the only one to think of a newsworthy advertising campaign. An economic development firm in Arizona attempted to send a 21-foot saguaro cactus to Amazon. However, this gift had to be rejected due to Amazon’s corporate gift giving policy.  

Georgia followed suit in trying to entice Amazon. The Stonecrest City Council voted to de-annex 345 acres of land and rename it the city of Amazon if HQ2 was placed there.

The efforts of Kansas City and Arizona were in vain as neither was included in the final list of 20 cities. This list ranged from Los Angeles to Boston and even included Toronto, Canada.  

Daniel Ives, an analyst for an economic development firm, published a list of cities he believes to be the five top contenders.

“We believe the top 5 likely cities for Amazon’s second headquarters/HQ2 in order will be: 1. Atlanta, 2. Raleigh, 3. Washington D.C., 4. Boston, and 5. Austin (only non-East Coast city in our Top 5),” Ives wrote in a note to clients.  

Atlanta’s position as a likely contender for HQ2 was widely known before Ives published his list. In November, Atlanta was listed as the top contender for HQ2 on a list published by Sperling’s Best Places.

Atlanta was also named the top ranked city for HQ2 in a study in Business Insider, which created a list based on the cumulative rankings given by organizations such as the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times.

The appeal of Atlanta is its location and corporate friendly atmosphere. According to CityLab, “the long-standing presence of companies with leading supply-chain technology — like Coca Cola, Home Depot, and UPS — might also help bring in the right kind of talent. Low cost of living, proximity to great universities, and creating a presence on the opposite side of the country add to the city’s appeal.”

Amazon is expected to name the final site for HQ2 by the end of 2018.  

Photo courtesy of CNN Money.

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos revealed that HQ2 will act as a full headquarters and have all the same capabilities as the Seattle branch. The opportunity to create thousands of jobs and a general economic boost has sparked a competitive attitude in cities across the U.S. that fit the desired mold. According to the proposal request form, Bezos is placing preference on metropolitan areas with at least a million citizens, a stable and friendly business environment, locations with the potential to attract and retain technical talent and communities that will think big when considering areas for construction of the headquarters.

The project is expected to incur construction and operating costs of $5 billion. However, the chosen city will be making a long-term investment. Between 2010-2016, Amazon has provided the Seattle’s economy with $38 billion. In 2017, the City of Seattle granted the company an award for its contributions.

Mayor Sly James and Kansas City Manager Troy Schulte expressed an interest in placing Kansas City in the running, but the city has been left off most lists of major candidates. In a New York Times report, Kansas City didn’t even make it past the first criterion of strong job growth.

One main concern across the metro area and a potential setback for hosting HQ2 is transportation. Kansas City has been engaged in a long debate surrounding the construction of a new airport terminal. Since this problem is still up in the air, Amazon employees would be restricted on travel. Currently, Kansas City is the largest city in the nation that does not offer direct flights to Europe. Public transportation within the city also poses a problem. The streetcar only covers a two mile track. While this is improvement from the past, it is not suitable to sustain a major corporation.

Population employability is another strong factor affecting Amazon’s decision. It is recruiting individuals with “strong technical talent,” and universities in the surrounding Kansas City area cannot compete with other locations like Boston that have graduates coming from schools like Massachusetts Institute of Technology. A 2016 study in Kansas City revealed that 4,700 tech jobs were available because no candidates met the criteria.

Technical talent aside, Kansas City might not have the manpower HQ2 is demanding. HQ2 is searching to employ 50,000 individuals. At the end of 2016, Cerner, the largest Kansas City employer besides the federal government, employed only about 12,000 individuals.

In an interview with “The Kansas City Star,” Schulte says that he is trying to place Kansas City on Amazon’s radar. The main selling point for Kansas City that he presented is the quality of life and low cost of living.

Kansas City, like all other cities in the running for HQ2, would benefit from the economic boost that Amazon would bring. Despite falling short on some Amazon’s criteria, Kansas City officials will continue to fight for Amazon’s consideration and create a city to be noticed on the map, not just another flyover state.

Photo courtesy of KCBI.