“Like many others in the lowest-paid IATSE positions, we’ve been stuck in a cycle of financing our lives on credit cards between jobs, fighting to pay off those credit cards once we find work, only to find ourselves building those balances right back up again once the show ends. We’re currently putting off having children and starting a family because right now there is no way we could afford kids, a gamble given our age. We’ve been unable to build up any savings, as 90% of every paycheck goes to bills. His moving out isn’t really a good thing – we’re not entirely sure how we’re going to make up his share of the rent. “My husband, who is also an industry assistant, and I lived with a roommate until a month ago. Our weekly writers’ room craft service budget was nearly double that, the lunch budget was nearly triple it. “In my last job as a writers’ assistant, I made $16.25 an hour, for an average take-home check of $861.09 a week for sixty hours of work. Beyond that even – it is about being paid in a commensurate fashion to our counterparts in the industry and being treated fairly and equitably for the work we do.”Īmy Paulette Hartman, 34, who has worked as a writers’ room assistant on six TV shows shot in Los Angeles, got a chance to address the AMPTP’s negotiators, and to tell them what it’s like to work for “unlivable wages.” Here’s her account, made on Twitter, of her presentation to the companies’ reps: It’s about the consequences of holding a second job to supplement the paycheck from the 60-hour work week they just finished for you or choosing which bills go unpaid next month. It’s about this month, and the rent they can’t pay. The current contract expires July 31.Ĭrystal Hopkins, president of Local 871, sent out a statement she made to management’s Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers shortly before the talks broke off: “For the workers we speak for here today, this isn’t about savings, year-end bonuses, or vacations. IATSE and its 13 Hollywood production locals – including Script Supervisors Local 871, which represents writers’ room assistants and script coordinators – will return to the bargaining table on July 6 after negotiations broke off on June 11. In a multi-billion dollar industry it’s nothing short of necessary & essential,” tweeted Shameless and Parenthood writer LaToya Morgan. “Pay Writers’ Assistants & Script Coordinators a livable wage. I stand in solidarity and support #IALivingWage #IASolidarity.” “We need to walk the walk and pay our assistants a living wage. “A writers room could not function without Writers Assistants and Script Coordinators and it’s about time their pay reflected that,” tweeted Gloria Calderón Kellett, the One Day at a Time co-showrunner/executive producer. We need to pay our assistants a living wage. “Writers’ rooms are 100% dependent on Writers’ Assistants and Script Coordinators,” tweeted Dailyn Rodriguez, executive producer/co-showrunner of Queen of the South. Pay them what they deserve for the love of god.” I’ve seen them get treated poorly time and time again and they still come back the next day. ![]() “They have the hardest jobs and longest hours. “I’ve never been a writer’s assistant, but I’ve worked with many,” tweeted Amanda Brooke Perrin, writer and creator of An Awkward Girl Dates. Normalize a living wage for TV assistants.” “My studio pays $20, ‘non-negotiable.’ So I pay the balance. I asked friends what constitutes a fair wage, and et al told me $25/hour,” tweeted Lisa Takeuchi Cullen, whose writer-producer credits include Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. “I got to hire my first assistant this year. So be sure to let your studio execs know that your indispensable staff getting a wage they can actually live on is important to you. Mike Royce, One Day at a Time co-showrunner/executive producer, tweeted that “Showrunners without a support staff are called “shitshowrunners” because imagine one freaking second without them. “The only people who can afford to LIVE off the current rates are those who come from wealth/privilege. “Studios who claim to support diversity & inclusion MUST pay writers room support staff a living wage,” tweeted DC’s Legends of Tomorrow executive producer Keto Shimizu. 2023 Premiere Dates For New & Returning Series On Broadcast, Cable & Streaming
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