dispatch from labor wins

and something about a legend retiring

Welcome to this week’s dispatch from the lesbian internet, a mid-week news roundup from Paging Dr. Lesbian, available in full exclusively for paid subscribers. To read the whole thing, upgrade your subscription.

The WGA West and WGA East Negotiating Committee, AKA our heroes of this week.

Huge news for labor today: the WGA reached a (tentative) agreement with the studios, and it’s a huge win. One of the most pressing concerns for both the WGA and SAG-AFTRA is the use of AI, which is covered in this deal. The deal states that AI cannot be considered source material and thus cannot undermine a writer’s credit and also protects writers from having their work used to train AI. Streaming was another hot-button issue, and this deal increases a writer’s streaming residuals package and requires some transparency on the part of streamers in regard to viewership. The deal requires a minimum of three writers in the writers’ room for a season one series in development. (The guild initially proposed six writers in May.) This stipulation will also help prevent studios from using AI to write their shows. You can read a full summary of the deal here.

The strike officially ended at midnight this morning, and SAG-AFTRA may be meeting with the studios in the coming days. This is a huge deal for the writers and for labor movements everywhere – the Guild has proven that it’s possible to fight for and win better working conditions. This deal also has the possibility to expand what we see on screen – with greater compensation and benefits, marginalized folks will be better positioned to break into Hollywood and make their voices heard. The year of strikes isn’t over, however – read about the United Auto Workers strike, which has expanded across the country and received support from across the globe. Solidarity forever!