WHEREAS, the UFT stands in solidarity with fellow labor unions in pursuit of fair and equitable working conditions for their members; and

WHEREAS, the Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE) and Writers Guild of America West (WGAW) represent writers in motion pictures, television, cable, digital media and broadcast news and are determined to maintain the integrity and value of their members' profession; and

WHEREAS, the WGA Negotiating Committee entered these negotiations with the intention of securing a fair deal for its members, who are facing an existential crisis, but in return has received wholly insufficient responses from the studios; and

WHEREAS, the media companies' actions have created a gig economy within a union workforce and have demonstrated a commitment to further devaluing the profession of writing, including by refusing to guarantee any level of weekly employment in episodic television, by creating of a "day rate" in comedy variety, and by stonewalling on the questions of unpaid work for screenwriters and on regulating AI for all writers; and

WHEREAS, last year, eight Hollywood CEOs collectively made nearly $800 million, while pay for TV writers has fallen by 23% over the last 10 years, highlighting the growing income inequality and disregard for the value of writers' work within the industry; and

WHEREAS, the rise of streaming services has adversely affected the pay and working conditions for writers, as half of TV series writers (up from 33% in 2013–14) are currently paid the basic minimum rate, and the companies have used the transition to streaming to cut writer pay and separate writing from production, which worsens working conditions for series writers at all levels; and

WHEREAS, the WGAE and WGAW, acting upon the authority granted to them by their memberships, have voted unanimously to call a strike, effective May 2, 2023, following six weeks of negotiations with major media companies under the umbrella of the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers; therefore be it

RESOLVED, that the UFT fully supports the Writers Guild of America, East and Writers Guild of America West in their decision to call a strike and their ongoing efforts to secure a fair and equitable deal for their members; and be it further

RESOLVED, that the UFT encourages its members to support the Writers Guild of America strike by following the WGAE and WGAW on social media platforms, sharing their posts and raising awareness about the strike and its objectives within their personal networks; and be it finally

RESOLVED, that the UFT encourages its members to join the striking writers on the picket lines to demonstrate our solidarity and commitment to the labor movement and the rights of all workers to fair and equitable working conditions.