Amid an unprecedented double strike that shows no signs of resolution, the most vulnerable members of the entertainment industry are facing severe challenges in securing their basic sustenance, warns nonprofit organizations committed to tackling the food insecurity crisis. This ongoing work stoppage in Hollywood, stemming from a contractual deadlock between the writing and acting guilds on one side and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers on the other, is causing widespread humanitarian distress within the community, extending beyond just union members engaged in the strike.
The Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, a prominent provider of assistance to those in need across the county, has seen a substantial 9% rise in year-over-year distribution, primarily attributed to the impacts of the strikes. Roger Castle, Chief Development Officer, highlights the rapid increase in demand when income abruptly ceases.
Compounding the issue, Keith McNutt, Executive Director at the Entertainment Community Fund, points out that this crisis follows the aftermath of the pandemic, which drained individuals’ savings. He emphasizes that individuals are now grappling with financial burdens despite existing depletion. Consequently, McNutt’s organization, backed by notable donors like Seth McFarlane, Steven Spielberg, and Greg Berlanti, is witnessing an unparalleled surge in immediate pleas for essential living expenses, mainly groceries. McNutt notes that the number of applications has skyrocketed from around 50 weekly to a staggering 50 per day since the start of the strike.
In a show of solidarity, on July 28, below-the-line unions IATSE and the Teamsters Local 399 organized a drive-through food drive for industry members affected by the strikes at IATSE’s West Coast headquarters in Burbank. Throughout the day, approximately a thousand vehicles participated.
The relief-focused nonprofit Labor Community Services, which played a role in coordinating the event and is preparing for another one in August, managed to distribute 1,740 food boxes, providing sustenance for an estimated 8,700 people on that day.
Strikingly, striking workers in California are ineligible for unemployment assistance, and on a national scale, they can only access SNAP food benefits if they qualify before the strike. Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania introduced a new bill on July 27 to address this concern. Striking actors, in particular, can seek support from the SAG-AFTRA Foundation, which offers emergency financial aid and resources, including grocery store gift cards, to union members. SAG-AFTRA substantially donated to the Foundation at the start of the strike to bolster these efforts.
Cyd Wilson, the Foundation’s Executive Director, highlights the stark rise in demand for their assistance. Wilson emphasizes the considerable suffering in progress with individuals facing choices between paying rent or putting food on the table. The foundation’s workload has surged to approximately 40 times its usual weekly applications, with grants distributed already exceeding annual norms since the beginning of the strike.
Another initiative, “Groceries for Writers,” managed by the non-profit Humanitas, focusing on film and television writers, has disbursed over 1,100 gift cards to WGA members since the strike began in early May. Michelle Franke, Executive Director of Humanitas, notes that many writers expressed urgent financial concerns, including student debt, challenges with state unemployment assistance, eviction threats, and limited local support networks.
Addressing the escalating demand, Glen Curado, CEO of L.A.’s World Harvest Food Bank, states that their organization, which provides free food to striking writers and actors, is serving an average of 150-200 members of this group each day. This initiative was inspired by Drew Carey, host of “The Price Is Right,” who generously paid for meals for striking writers at local eateries.
As the situation unfolded, the AMPTP and talent unions were questioned about their responsibility for the worsening crisis. The AMPTP’s spokesperson stated their willingness to reach an agreement, as did the guilds’ negotiators, to prevent the hardships arising from labor strikes. While SAG-AFTRA didn’t respond, the WGA spokesperson highlighted the industry’s efforts to negotiate a fair deal and criticized the studios for their refusal to address reasonable proposals.
Emerging as particularly at-risk during this period are support staffers, often low-paid early-career workers occupying roles like assistants and coordinators. Their compensation often includes implied access to food resources, such as writers’ rooms and set craft services. This invisible compensation abruptly vanished with the onset of strikes, creating a significant need.
The advocacy group Pays Up Hollywood has relaunched its COVID-19-era Hollywood Support Staff Relief Fund to alleviate this. The fund has already dispersed around $45,000 in one-time grants of up to $1,000 each. Additionally, entertainment veteran James Costello, a driver for Teamsters Local 399 and an IATSE Local 44 prop master, points out the importance of supporting industry members with food assistance during work stoppages, drawing from his family’s experience during a strike in the 1980s.
As the strikes endure and negotiations between the WGA, SAG-AFTRA, and AMPTP remain pending, nonprofit organizations on the front lines of the food-insecurity crisis in the entertainment industry are preparing for an extended period of need. SAG-AFTRA Foundation’s Wilson reveals a robust fundraising strategy to meet escalating demand, already aided by contributions from notable figures. McNutt from the Entertainment Community Fund highlights that the financial strain will outlast the strikes, leaving a sustained period of elevated need.
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