Writers are feeling the strike's effects most acutely, but remain committed to the fight for better pay.
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[Essential California Newsletter] May 15, 2023
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[Click to view images]( workers picket Tuesday at Sony Studios in Culver City. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times) By Ryan Fonseca Good morning, and welcome to the Essential California [newsletter](. Itâs Monday, May 15. The [writersâ strike]( is about to enter its third week, with thousands of Writers Guild of America members trading scripts for picket signs. Thereâs no end in sight as the writers continue to demand better pay rates, a new residuals process for streaming, protections against AI replacement and more from the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. (Full disclosure: my younger brother is a WGA member.) Each day of the strike compounds the impact the production stoppage has on the entertainment industry and the other sectors it touches, but writers â unified but no longer receiving live paychecks â are feeling the strikeâs effects most acutely. âWhen they put down their pens and closed their laptops, some also put their careers and ability to support their families on hold,â Times reporters Josh Rottenberg and Jessica Gelt [wrote Sunday](. âIt was a risk they were willing to take in a struggle that has threatened to boil over for years.â Hereâs a brief look at some of the struggles writers shared with Josh and Jessica from the picket lines. Hollie Overton [A woman stands behind a stroller seating three young children as striking writers walk behind her.]
Hollie Overton is a writer and co-executive producer of âAll American Homecoming.â She is among the Writers Guild of America members who are demanding fair pay for their work. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times) âBefore kids, it was always hard when youâre out of work. But now I just donât want to let down these people who depend on me. And thatâs what weâre really all fighting for. Weâre fighting for survival.â Overton, 43, and her husband brought their 2-year-old identical triplets to the picket line last week. She told The Times she could make up to $150,000 for writing and producing in a good year, but thatâs before her agent, manager and lawyer get their cuts. She supplements her income by writing crime novels and teaching script-writing. Those income streams, plus her husbandâs income as a tennis coach, made it possible for the couple to buy their first home last year. âThe only reason we could even buy a house is I have three careers,â she said. âIf I was just counting on my TV money, we would be renting still.â Jackie Penn [A woman wearing a hat, mask and reflective orange vest holds a sign as she pickets near an intersection.]
Jackie Penn works the picket line at Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times) âIf you can get a writer who is more experienced than me for the same rate, youâre not going to hire someone at my level, youâre going to hire the upper-level writer who has more years of experience. ... Itâs hard when youâre not even being read because of where you are.â Penn, 40, spent years in low-paying assistant roles before getting her shot as a staff writer in early 2020. That was followed by another show stint in 2021, but she hasnât had work since. She supplements her income by working as an English and Spanish tutor as her husband works to become a licensed therapist. âWe canât plan at all,â she said. âWe havenât even thought about buying a home, because itâs not even something thatâs feasible right now.â Bill Diamond [A man holds a picket sign as fellow picketers move behind him in blurred motion.]
Writer and producer Bill Diamond at Sony Studios in Culver City. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times) âIâm sure over the next weeks and months, there will be moments where you lose all hope that this is ever going to end. But if we donât get what we need out of these negotiations, I donât see myself recommending this career to anybody.â Diamond, 61, came to Hollywood at an opportune time, when network TV comedies were booming, and ran nearly two dozen episodes a season. He was able to learn the ropes and become a successful showrunner but noted that thatâs a dwindling path for writers today as studios continue to devalue their work. âI know how fortunate I was. I wish everyone could experience what I experienced,â Diamond said. âUnfortunately, weâve improved the diversity in the guild at a time when finding work is hardest.â You can read more about these and other striking writers in Josh and Jessicaâs [latest story](. And now, hereâs whatâs happening across California. Note: Some of the sites we link to may limit the number of stories you can access without subscribing. ADVERTISEMENT
L.A. STORIES A couple of guests at Sasha Obamaâs USC graduation caused a stir. Former President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama joined fellow parents Friday to cheer on their youngest daughter, who earned a degree in sociology. The buzz about their presence spread as people rushed to get a glimpse of the couple and post to social media. [Los Angeles Times]( [Former President Obama attends daughter Sasha's graduation ceremony Friday at USC.]
Former President Obama attends daughter Sashaâs graduation ceremony Friday at USC. (Grace Toohey / Los Angeles Times)
POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT Sen. Dianne Feinstein has returned to Washington as she continues to recover from shingles. An increasingly vocal contingent of Democrats remain concerned about the 89-year-oldâs ability to represent Californians. âI think she needs to take care of herself, and you canât take care of yourself with that intense responsibility,â one prominent fundraiser told The Times. [Los Angeles Times]( With math and science teachers in short supply, one San Jose school is turning back to Zoom. Students at Cindy Avitia High School are being instructed by educators as far away as Maryland and Alaska as the stateâs teacher shortage (an issue even before the pandemic) continues to worsen for some school districts. [The Mercury News]( ADVERTISEMENT
CRIME, COURTS AND POLICING Should the Chula Vista Police Department release footage captured by its aerial drones? A legal battle continues after the publisher of the bilingual news organization [La Prensa San Diego]( sued the city for refusing to turn over video. [San Diego Union-Tribune]( Support our journalism [Subscribe to the Los Angeles Times.]( HEALTH AND THE ENVIRONMENT The number of unhoused people dying in L.A. County skyrocketed by 70% between 2019 and 2021, according to a new report from the Department of Public Health. More than 2,000 people died in 2021 alone, the highest annual toll on record. [LAist]( The increasing risks of flooding from the stateâs epic snowmelt is unhappy news for hopeful Yosemite campers. Three campgrounds are closed as of today while a flood watch remains in effect through at least Friday. [Los Angeles Times]( [Officials have been rescuing hundreds of riparian brush rabbit]
Officials have been rescuing hundreds of riparian brush rabbits, which have been listed as endangered, from being stranded and trapped as a result of flooding in the San Joaquin River National Wildlife Refuge. (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is on a mission to save an endangered California rabbit species from rising floodwaters. The riparian brush rabbits live near the edges of rivers â not ideal for the prolonged flooding in recent months. [Los Angeles Times]( CALIFORNIA CULTURE Growing up in the high desert, Iâd heard of Llano and, more specifically, the remnants of the socialist commune that was founded there in the early 1900s. The failure of it and other experimental utopias in remote parts of California can be traced partly to water rights disputes. [Los Angeles Times]( Free online games Get our free daily crossword puzzle, sudoku, word search and arcade games in our new game center at [latimes.com/games](. AND FINALLY Todayâs California landmark is from Grant Hoag of Irvine: the âremote and undisturbedâ Lost Coast. [Backpackers walk along the Lost Coast in 2022.]
Backpackers walk along the Lost Coast in 2022. (Grant Hoag) Grant writes: Californiaâs Lost Coast stretches some 50 miles between Fort Bragg and Eureka. The terrain is so mountainous and remote that no roads interrupt the narrow ribbons of beach for up to 25 miles at a stretch. Itâs perfect for backpacking. What are Californiaâs essential landmarks? [Fill out this form to send us your photos of a special spot in California]( â natural or human-made. Tell us why itâs interesting and what makes it a symbol of life in the Golden State. Please be sure to include only photos taken directly by you. Your submission could be featured in a future edition of the newsletter. Please let us know what we can do to make this newsletter more useful to you. Send comments to essentialcalifornia@latimes.com. ADVERTISEMENT
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