well more than 11,000 11,000 screenwriters are on day six of a nationwide strike after negotiations between union members in The Writers Guild of America and Studio Executives fell apart sticking points include higher pay more Riders per show and royalties from streaming services among other demands union members say the focus on streaming has driven a decline in conditions for writers with a push for more content union members say they're prepared to strike for at least a hundred days that's how long the last work stoppage by The Guild lasted in 2007. it has the potential to upend the lucrative fall TV season and Productions right here in New Jersey for more I'm joined by Susan Schurman a distinguished professor of Labor studies at Rutgers University Professor Schurman let me ask you first how far apart is the writer's Guild and the studios the streaming networks on what they're asking for for um they're about as far apart as you can get when you're bargaining at this point surprisingly frankly since they've you know they've been bargaining for a while yeah I mean obviously higher wages are on the table but really a lot of this is about structural changes too what are the union members asking well primarily they want you know because wages are different for but much of the entertainment industry they don't have jobs they're freelance so they they get a contract to write a script for a series or a movie or or whatever and they get paid on that contract in several different ways one way would be to be in what's called a writer's room and in the old days when you were in The Writer's room you were there to create the script and then at least some of you would be also on site for production for changes or because the script wouldn't be fully written and we'd be in production and so the writers are writing the next episode while we're filming so um that's all been changed with the Advent of streaming oh and the other way I should say that writers get paid is they're what's called residuals they used to get paid just like actors do every time something they wrote was rebroadcast they'd get a check and so all of that has changed with the Advent of streaming so considering how far apart they are on this how long how protracted could a strike like this be and what does it really say for the movement overall I predict that it will be a long strike because the most of these Studios The Producers have been busy preparing content that will get them through I've heard different estimates but it might get them through all the way to fall I mean New Jersey has a lot of production um for example New York New Jersey together I live in Hoboken there is something being filmed a movie being filmed right outside my window what's surprising me is that the actors are refusing to cross picket lines the teamsters are refusing to cross we saw the same thing in the Rutgers strike two weeks ago you know there is a there is a level of solidarity across the unions that we have not seen in the past for quite a long time yeah you're right about that's gonna have a that's going to be a big factor Susan Schurman is a distinguished professor of Labor studies at Rutgers University Susan thanks so much for your time you're very welcome support for the business report provided by the Chamber of Commerce Southern New Jersey working for economic Prosperity by uniting business and Community leaders for 150 years membership and event information online at chamber snj.com [Music]