I certainly don't know the inside scoop, but if you were an aspiring writer, would you risk being blackballed by going agaist the union that you would like to eventually join? And I am sure there are certain contracts in place.
BUT, the lower level writers on a few soaps have claimed "financial hardship" and have been given permission to go back to work.
In order to write for TV and movies, you must be a member of the WGA (Writers Guild of America). If you hire more writers, they would just immediately have to go on strike because the WGA is on strike.
If producers tried to hire non-WGA writers, the WGA and the courts would stop them.
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To be honest, it's cutting off your nose to spite your face. It's short-sighted, and completely oblivious to how the business world works.
If the studios try to bypass the writers, they are going to piss off the directors and actors, who are in separate unions. The Actors guild contract is up in June. If the studios try to fire the writers, the actors will strike. They won't work with anything produced by scab writers.
The studios are the ones that are greedy and selfish here. They don't want to give the writers part of the profits for internet downloads or what is created for the DVD or the internet-only. They tried to issue ultimatums in December and then walked away from the table when the writers had the audacity to come back with a counter proposal.
So, you're suggesting that the studios hire scabs to cross the picket line? It's really not a good idea in a union situation...not good press, or good employee relations, on the studios' end. It may not be a good idea for the scabs, either, as they wouldn't be protected by any contract, and would be at risk of missing future jobs, if they go against the union.
For all intents and purposes, it appears that the studios are not only trying to gyp the writers out of being paid for their work, they're also using this strike as an opportunity to get out of existing contracts with other employees & contractors. As far as I can tell, the studios are being greedy, money-grubbing creeps, and it's time for them to give up the teensy portion of their profits that the Writers' Guild is asking for (it's really a VERY SMALL number, when you compare it to what the studios bring in regularly).
no writer is gonna go against the writers strike, thats like totally backstabbing the writers! the only way they could get someone was if they found a good writer that was really desperate for a job and money...
The new writiers that you would hire would be "scabs" and for crossing the WGA's picket lines they would never be allowed to work in the business again.
Not only that, but the actors, who all belong to the Screen Actors' Guild, won't cross picket lines to appear in any show written by scabs. The Teamsters Union would forbid their members from working on the sets, as would the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, the United Association of Pipe-fitters and Plumbers, and every other union in America.
But, hey, other than that, it's a good idea.
The thing is that the Actors, Directors, and Techies Are ALL union as well and they wouldn't want to support Non union writers- it would hurt all Them in the long run- the actors, directors, and techie would lose all their benefits and salaries.
In fact the Actor's contract is up this summer--
Question for the Asker-- if You wrote for a tv show and the network put it up online at their site or Itunes and YOU would get Zero $$$ for YOUR work would YOU be ok with that?
Remember the network sells Ads and makes $$ even for those 'free" downloads- wouldn't YOU want your share of the $$? currently the writers get Nothing for online media
Ok fair enough but remember Media downloads Weren't around during the Last contract it didn't really exist so there was never any provision for it-- but if you are ok with the networks making $$$$ from your work while you get nothing i guess that is your right