Chapter 921 - The End of the Strike

Meanwhile, on the other side, the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), representing film and television producers, also hoped to resolve the issue as soon as possible. For every day the writers remained on strike, the losses mounted.

Writers don't just script TV shows and movies; they also write variety show scripts, radio scripts, and more. The strike had far-reaching consequences, and after three months, many sectors were running on empty.

American TV series are typically broadcast weekly, with episodes filmed as they air. The advantage is that scripts can be adjusted based on audience feedback, but the downside is that when writers go on strike, most shows have to halt production.

Without new episodes, networks had to fill airtime with variety shows, old movies, or celebrity interviews and talk shows. But these alternatives couldn't compare to regular series, as the plummeting ratings demonstrated.

With no new episodes to air, networks had to compensate advertisers for lost ad revenue, which was a significant financial hit. Major events were also affected.

Take the Golden Globes, for example. Known for their savvy self-promotion and ability to capture public attention, the Golden Globes typically rake in substantial advertising and broadcasting fees each year. But this year, without the awards ceremony, they had to return much of that money.

Understanding this, Laila felt a sense of satisfaction. Although she couldn't personally deliver a slap in the face with her film 'The Lord of the Rings', seeing them lose tens of millions of dollars was enough to lift her spirits.

The media calculated that during the three-month strike, Hollywood and the American entertainment industry lost at least $500 million. This was with most parties having some reserves. If the strike had continued, affecting major events like the Oscars or the Grammys, the losses could have easily exceeded $10 billion.

Why such massive losses? The biggest factor was advertising revenue, followed by breach-of-contract penalties. With no TV shows or movies being produced, actors, directors, and related staff were left idle. These people were under contract, and even though no work was being done, their schedules had been reserved. You couldn't just dismiss them because production had halted. If that happened, who would be left to work on projects once the strike ended?

The two sides finally engaged in a lengthy negotiation on Laila's turf. On one side were the writers, desperate for a resolution, and on the other were the producers, losing money with each passing day. The writers wanted better pay and conditions, while the producers hoped to minimize concessions while getting the writers back to work.

The negotiations dragged on for days.

As the host, Laila witnessed the entire battle firsthand. In her previous life, she had only read about this event in the news. Being part of it now was a novel experience for her.

What she didn't know was that this negotiation was even more intense than in her past life, with the Writers Guild demanding higher compensation than before.

Why? It was all Laila's doing. She had treated her writers so well that those struggling writers, looking pale and emaciated, were green with envy.

This, of course, didn't sit well with the producers. Their money didn't grow on trees. The more the writers got, the less the producers would have. This was a matter of profit distribution, and it had to be negotiated carefully.

The heated back-and-forth was thrilling for Laila. She thought that documenting this process might even provide material for a future film.

The producers' alliance was somewhat relieved that Laila had stepped in. They were not only dealing with the Writers Guild but also the Directors Guild and the Screen Actors Guild, both of which supported the writers. If all three unions united, the producers would suffer the most.

However, they couldn't match the compensation Laila offered her writers. Her company was relatively small, requiring fewer writers each year, mostly for film scripts.

Their situation was entirely different. Some producers worked with writers daily, and if they adopted Laila's standards, their profits would take a significant hit. That was something they couldn't accept.

As the negotiations grew increasingly heated with no resolution in sight, and with the Oscars approaching, Laila lost her patience.

"It's just money, right?" she said. "You can keep arguing, but I'm signing this contract." She slapped a contract on the table, detailing the compensation standards for writers.

The producers were stunned.

The terms were so generous that even the most hardline negotiators couldn't refuse. If such a contract were made public, who would want to write for anyone else?

Some might argue that they could hire inexperienced newcomers who wouldn't demand such high pay. But could rookies match the skill, experience, and audience insight of seasoned writers?

Even if they could hire ten rookies for the price of one veteran, no one wanted to go down that path. It would be a shortcut to self-destruction.

"Wait! We've reached an agreement!" After stopping Laila, the producers' alliance spent two hours discussing and finally agreed to most of the Writers Guild's demands.

There was no way they could let Laila's contract terms go public!

The Writers Guild was equally shocked by the sudden concession. They had presented Laila's contract knowing the producers wouldn't fully agree, but they had hoped to use it as leverage.

They understood that Laila's generous terms wouldn't shift the industry standard. Her companies didn't produce enough content to employ a large number of writers, and not every writer could work with her. The real goal was to negotiate with the producers' alliance. With most of their demands met, there was no reason to hesitate.

In the following days, members of the producers' alliance revised their contracts, significantly improving writers' compensation.

After more than three months, the writers' strike finally came to an end!

This resolution came just three weeks before the Oscars. If Laila hadn't intervened, the strike might have dragged on past the Oscars, turning her years-long award campaign into a joke.