Friend,

Streaming networks announced their quarterly profits recently, and they
are obnoxious.

In just three months, HBO Max made $50 million. Apple TV+ contributed to
Apple’s $20.9 billion quarter. Paramount+’s revenue increased by 50%.(1)

But the writers of the amazing shows that are responsible for these
profits are being paid less and less every year. We know this story all
too well.

Fortunately, screenwriters have a union--the Writers Guild of America--the
majority of whose members are in California. And they are on strike right
now to demand better conditions, which means while CEOs rake in millions
of dollars, thousands of employees are out of work and unpaid.

[ [link removed] ]Help put pressure on streaming networks by signing on to our call to
support screenwriters!

[ [link removed] ]SIGN THE PETITION

Here’s the situation: Before the age of streaming, writers would be hired
for a show and be able to make money for the season, and often through
syndication and other residuals.

Streaming changed all that. Now not only is there no syndication or other
residuals anymore, but writers are only being hired at minimum wages for
“mini rooms” of just a few episodes and then traded for other writers for
less money.(2)

And with AI on the rise, corporations are looking into the possibility of
using human writers for just the beginning of a show and then letting
computers write the rest off the backs of their work.

So while writers are finding it harder to even make a living, CEOs are
making more money than ever. The CEO overseeing HBO Max made $250 million
in 2021 alone.(3)

This isn’t just about Hollywood. It’s another example of corporations
abusing the workers who are responsible for their record profits. And
writers of color are suffering the worst--Sony, Apple TV+, and the rest
are hiring writer pools that are less than 6% Latinx and other people of
color, and the new systems are keeping them in those mini rooms instead of
advancing them.(4)

We all benefit from the art that writers produce, and we should have their
backs now. Will you add your name to our coalition’s petition calling on
studio executives to pay writers fairly?

[ [link removed] ]Yes, I'll sign now.

[ [link removed] ]SUPPORT THIS CAMPAIGN

Yours in the fight for fairness,

Irene, along with Annie, Angela, Isidra, Lindsay, Mai, Mai, and Scottie
(and the rest of the Courage team)

Footnotes:
1.
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2.
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3.
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4. Ibid.



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Courage California (formerly Courage Campaign) makes sure our democracy works for ALL of us by fighting corruption in California politics. We believe the solution lies in exposing and solving systemic problems through strategic organizing, enhancing coordination between progressive organizations, and mobilizing civic engagement from our communities, particularly voters of color, young voters, and self-identified progressives.

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