BROOKLYN COLLEGE–About 160,000 people in the entertainment industry have been on strike since May 2, fighting for consistent pay and better treatment. The writers’ strike began when the Writers Guild of America, an alliance of two labor unions representing over 11,000 film, television, news, radio, and online writers, demanded higher pay, a stable pay structure, and more fair deals and contracts.
Almost five months later, the WGA has suspended its picketing after reaching a tentative agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers this past Sunday, Sept. 24. Numerous members of the Brooklyn College community stand with those who were on strike and are thrilled that there is finally a deal in the works.
“Fair compensation is at the heart of the WGA and the SAG-AFTRA [Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists] strikes. The corporations just need to share the profits. That’s it,” said Patrick Sabongui, an actor and the head of the B.F.A acting program at BC. “Enough of this greedy capitalism. You’ve got to keep the wheels greased to keep the machine running.”
