The Writers Guild will picket Amazon’s upcoming “Prime Day,” the retail giant’s biggest sales event of the year. Recasting it as “Crime Day,” the guild says it will take to social media to let the company know, “We won’t let Amazon turn Hollywood into a gig economy with its Silicon Valley business practices.” The guild, whose strike is now in its 68th day, will also picket Amazon Culver City Studios on Wednesday.
“Big Tech companies like Amazon have taken advantage of changes in the industry business model to hollow out the middle class of our profession in pursuit of growing profits,” the WGA’s negotiating committee told members on Saturday. “With the rise of streaming, writers are asked to do more work in less time for less money.”
The guild says its contract demands seek “reasonable protections that will guarantee that writing remains a sustainable career for current and future writers. For Amazon, the cost of our proposals is just $32 million per year, 0.006% of the conglomerate’s annual revenue.”
“Amazon has gained a sizeable footprint in media in a short time by using the same anticompetitive playbook critical to its rise as a tech company,” the negotiating committee said in its latest communique. “It is positioning itself to be a new industry gatekeeper, growing through acquisitions and using its power to disadvantage competitors, raise prices for consumers, and to push down wages for writers. Unfortunately, our situation is not unique. Across the country, Big Tech has invaded nearly every industry, building gig economies where there were once sustainable careers. We are not alone in this fight.”
Speakers at Wednesday’s picket will include WGA West leaders, members, and a striking Amazon delivery driver.
Deadline has reached out to Amazon Studios for comment and will update when they respond.