ONE BIG THING: THE FIGHT FOR THE FUTURE OF HOLLYWOOD
What Happened
As you’ve probably heard, over 11,000 writers began a strike this week as they face the largest assault on compensation and working conditions that they’ve seen in a generation.
Writers are doing more work for less pay with less job security. So, they're fighting for a future where all the workers who make Hollywood run can earn a stable, living wage.
Why It Matters
This affects more than just writers – it affects stagehands, actors, truck drivers, and more. The studios have the money to pay these workers what they deserve, but instead, they are leaving the entire industry behind to prioritize their already-soaring profits.
Two Big Issues
Are studios trying to set the stage for an AI takeover of Hollywood?
Writers want protections so they can ensure that their jobs won’t be replaced by artificial intelligence, but the studios so far are refusing to negotiate.
This could set a dangerous precedent – not just for Hollywood, but for all jobs. A future dominated by AI means more inequality, with billionaires getting richer at the expense of good union jobs.
Studios use the streaming model to pay writers less
The pay for repeat views on streaming platforms is just a fraction of what it would be if the episode were re-aired on TV. Since most shows are now watched via streaming, many writers, especially at the lower level, have seen their earnings plummet compared to just a few years ago.
By The Numbers
• Studios have brought in over $30 billion dollars in profit over the past few years, yet they refuse to share those profits with the workers.
• This isn’t about the money. The studios lost nearly 10 billion dollars in value on the first day of the strike alone. That’s enough to fund everything the writers are asking for... for 25 years!
• Median weekly writer-producer pay has declined 4% over the last decade. Adjusting for inflation, the decline is 23%.
• Last year, just eight major Hollywood studio CEOs made a combined $773 million. Meanwhile, many writers can’t even afford to pay their rent.
As the councilmember represents Hollywood, I wholeheartedly support these workers. See you back on the picket line!
Two More Quick Hits!
1. Hollywood Community Plan Passes Unanimously in City Council
After 35 years, Hollywood will finally get an updated community plan! Community plans determine what type of housing we’re allowed to build, and where we can build it. This new plan will:
🏗️Increase construction of truly affordable housing
🏠Expand protections for historically marginalized communities of color
🚉Promote transit options and a more sustainable future
It's a huge step toward a more equitable and affordable LA with more housing options, and we’re ready to continue this work in the months and years to come.
2. May Day March
For International Workers Day on Monday, our staff joined thousands of workers Downtown to rally for:
✅ The Right to Unionize
✅ The Right to Strike
✅ The Right to Housing
✅ The Right to Citizenship
Check out the scenes from the day below, and remember – when we fight, we win!
Meet Our Team!
Regina Mallare - Field Deputy, Silver Lake, Atwater Village, Elysian Valley
Regina is a proud first generation Filipina with a background in grassroots organizing and community work. She brings experience in youth and student organizing to our office, most recently working to organize with immigrant youth and families in the Inland Empire. Regina works to center working-class, marginalized communities in the fight for equity and justice in the city of Los Angeles.
Constituents in Silver Lake, Atwater Village, and Elysian Valley can get in touch with Regina at regina.mallare@lacity.org
Aram Martirosyan - Case Manager
Born and raised in Little Armenia right here in the heart of CD13, Aram comes to our team with a background in organizing for candidates and causes at the local, state, and national levels. Previously, he served as a Genocide Prevention Fellow at the Armenian National Committee of America-Western Region, where he contributed to the development of a platform aimed at highlighting cases of genocide and genocide denial. Aram is passionate about elevating the conditions and agency of working people, and building solidarity with global populations facing injustice.
CD13 In The News
LA TIMES – L.A. adopts strategies for bringing 135,000 new homes to downtown and Hollywood – In Hollywood, developers of properties on some of the city’s busiest boulevards — such as Hollywood, Sunset and Cahuenga — will receive permission to build much larger buildings than otherwise allowed if they include a percentage of affordable units in their projects.
LA THIS WEEK – HOLLYWOOD COMMUNITY PLAN – “The last time [the community plan] was updated was in 1988. So as you can imagine, the laws of that time were different from what we need now.”
ASBAREZ – Interview with L.A. City Councilmember Soto-Martinez – Soto-Martinez said that he is also tackling the issue of affordable housing in the district and explained the steps he has taken to ensure that the district has a say in future city development plans and projects
CITY NEWS SERVICE – LA City Council Approves Community Plans for Hollywood, DTLA – “For the first time in 35 years, Hollywood has a new community plan that can serve as a road map for a more equitable, sustainable and affordable future,'' Councilman Hugo Soto-Martínez, whose 13th District encompasses parts of Hollywood, said in a statement.