Hollywood Mergers Fuel Strike in Writers Guild West

The Writers Guild of America West's director of research and public policy, Laura Blum-Smith, attributes the ongoing strike by 11,500 writers to the wave of Hollywood mergers that have given studios and streamers the power to exploit workers. Blum-Smith points to companies like Disney, Amazon, and Netflix, which have gained power through anticompetitive consolidation, leading to precarious working conditions, short-term employment, and lower pay for writers and other industry workers. She sees revisions to merger guidelines that address labor concerns as a crucial step in preventing further mergers and protecting workers in the entertainment industry. The Federal Trade Commission and Department of Justice have released new draft merger guidelines that focus more on how mergers impact workers and competition, signaling a shift in antitrust enforcement.