The president and CEO of the Motion Picture & Television Fund (MPTF) warned that the ongoing strikes in Hollywood are having devas...
The president and CEO of the Motion Picture & Television Fund (MPTF) warned that the ongoing strikes in Hollywood are having devastating effects on non-union members, including stage crew members who have been living “paycheck to paycheck.”
Bob Beitcher posted an open letter to the industry Thursday urging the community to donate “financial assistance” to aid this particular group as the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes drag on, causing a complete industry shutdown.
“These strikes are having an absolutely awful and devastating impact on the non-striking industry workforce, most especially our below-the-line crews. They are the hardest-working and lowest-paid members of our community,” the letter said in part, per The Hollywood Reporter. “They are, quite simply, the backbone of our industry, the folks who make it all come together and get it done.”
He went on to accuse the Hollywood community of “not doing enough” to support these individuals who often “live paycheck to paycheck and depend on this industry for their livelihood.”
“They have become the forgotten casualties during these strikes, overlooked by the media. Let’s face it, actors and writers make better subjects for strike stories; and now crew members are not getting the philanthropic support they’ve earned and deserve,” the letter states.
Beitcher said he’s been receiving over “500-1,000 calls a week” and that they are mostly from the crew community regarding financial assistance.
“Our crews are at risk of losing their homes, their cars, their ability to pay utility or medical bills, to pay the caregivers for parents or disabled children, and they more than any other group need the financial support from successful community members who know and appreciate what they mean to the film and television production enterprise,” the letter continued.
The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) and WGA have been meeting and are rumored to be coming closer to an agreement which would end the strike, which has now been going strong for over 100 days. Some of the issues the WGA has on the table are discussions about pay raises, compensation based on residuals from streaming, parameters around the use of artificial intelligence, and mandated minimums for the writers’ room.
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