Strike in Hollywood: Joe Biden calls for a quick and “fair” agreement for screenwriters

US President Joe Biden “hopes” that striking screenwriters in Hollywood will be offered a “fair” deal quickly, he said Monday, May 8 at the White House. "I sincerely hope that the writers' strike in Hollywood will be resolved and that the writers will be offered the fair deal they deserve as soon as possible," he said before a screening in honor of the Asian community in the United States. The 80-year-old Democrat, candidate for a second term, had not previously spoken on this social conflict, he who never misses an opportunity to support union demands.

Thousands of American television and film screenwriters began a strike on May 2 because of the failure of negotiations with the main studios and streaming platforms relating in particular to an increase in their remuneration (Satellifacts, May 2). They are also demanding minimum guarantees to benefit from stable employment and a greater share of the profits generated by the rise of streaming. This social movement, carried by the powerful Writers Guild of America (WGA), has an immediate impact on certain television shows, including the "Late Night Shows", and in the longer term on series and films scheduled for release this year.

The last major social movement in Hollywood dates back to the screenwriters' strike which paralyzed the American audiovisual industry in 2007-2008. The 100-day conflict had cost the industry $2 billion.