President Joe Biden called for major studios to come up with a “fair deal” for striking writers who have demanded changes to their contracts. The president made the comments while honoring Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month at the White House with a star-studded screening of “American Born Chinese,” a show set to premiere later this month.
More than 11,000 members of the Writers Guild of America went on strike May 2 for the first time since 2007, demanding better compensation and other concessions from studios and streamers amid a changing media landscape. The Alliance of Motion Pictures and Television Producers (AAP) has said it is willing to improve on its offer but unwilling to meet certain demands from the union.
The WGA has signaled that the work stoppage could last for many months, while studio executives have insisted their bank of streaming content can withstand writers temporarily stopping the flood of content.
President Joe Biden addressed the ongoing strike by the Writers Guild of America on Monday evening, calling for a “fair deal” to be reached “as soon as possible.” He made his first public comments on the strike in remarks ahead of an exclusive pilot screening hosted at The White House.
Biden urged writers and all workers involved in storytelling: "to tell stories about our nation—stories that include each one us." Furthermore, he discussed treating storytellers with dignity and respect while valuing them appropriately.
The upcoming series "American Born Chinese," based on Gene Luen Yang's award-winning graphic novel adaptation will premiere on Disney+ May 24th. Celebrating Asian American culture during heritage month; actor Ke Huy Quan joined President Biden during his address at The White House event.
In response to President Biden's call-to-action surrounding fair negotiations between unions and production companies alike – picket lines continue to gather strong support from the writing community in both Los Angeles and New York.