As Apple introduces its new Vision Pro at the World Developers Conference, attendees will be met with picketing writers. The Writers Guild of America has notified its members of a strategy to picket outside of Apple’s headquarters in Cupertino, CA as well as Apple stores around the country.
Other protests will take place in Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Washington, DC, and outside Apple’s headquarters in Cupertino.
Apple TV+ is one of the streamers and members of the AMPTP writers are striking against. in addition to the “Think Different” company, screenwriters and TV writers have entered into a labor dispute with Amazon, Disney, Netflix, Paramount, Universal and Warner Bros. Talks fell apart on May 1.
On June 5, the union plans to distribute leaflets criticizing Apple TV+ for its limited streaming library, pointing out its lack of licensed programs and minimal WGA-covered scripted content.
The union emphasizes that several high-profile series, including Loot, Severance, and Sinking Spring, have already been affected by the strike. Calling for fair negotiations, the WGA urges Apple, which reported significant revenue last year, to contribute a mere $17 million per year to address writers’ demands.
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Members of the Writers Guild of America have been striking for fairer compensation among other issues in a climate dictated by technological progression. The use of AI in screenwriting is also among issues plaguing the WGA members who are demanding that AI should be regulated.
“Though our proposals are reasonable, Apple, a member of the AMPTP, would rather gamble with the livelihoods of all industry workers than pay writers fairly for the value we create. Our proposals would cost Apple just $17 million per year. For comparison, Apple reported almost $400 billion in revenue last year,” said the WGA in an update to members on its strike hub.
The memo added, “As a result of our strike, new content for Apple TV+ will be delayed. Filming on several projects has been interrupted or paused for the duration of the strike, and Apple TV+ already had one of the most limited streaming libraries. Consumers must know that without writers creating new content for the service, Apple TV+ is not worth paying for.”
The Writers Guild Strike has now entered its second month.
