Sixth graders write letters to motivate and support the writers on strike: 'Keep going'

For the first time in 15 years, members of the Writers Guild of America are on strike. When talks about pay and streaming residuals, among other issues fell through the day after the previous contract expired, the strike began. It had an immediate impact, with late-night talk shows screening repeats and the "MTV Movie & TV Awards" canceling the live portion of their show after host Drew Barrymore and other presenters walked out in solidarity, reports My Modern Met. It is not just famous celebrities who are supporting the writers on strike but also a bunch of 6-year-olds who decided to write them heartfelt letters.

Strikes in Hollywood are not uncommon, and this is the eighth WGA strike since the 1950s. The rapid change in how we consume media is also at the heart of this strike, as streaming residuals have been a major sticking point. The strike has made headlines across the country and has even made its way into the classroom. According to Tyler Ruggieri, a film and television writer, one sixth-grade class in Los Angeles learned about the strike and wanted to express their solidarity. 

Ruggieri shared letters of encouragement from sixth-grade students at St. Timothy's private school in Century City, which he and other writers attended. The letters were delivered to the picket line outside of Fox and they successfully helped everyone on strike feel motivated to not give up. One letter read, "Stay safe. Don't get run over. The strike will end soon. Keep going." Another read, "You deserve more money after all the great movies you made."

"You are doing the right thing. We're supporting you from school," wrote another sixth-grader. Adding to the words of encouragement, another child expressed, "Sad that you have no job due to A.I. but you guys will persevere. I like movies. Hope you get your money back." We often think the youth of a country isn't meant to have a place in politics and that the 'adults' know better. What we don't realize is that the youth is the 'future' of a country and children as young as these sixth-graders know the side of justice.

As the strike enters its third week, the number of productions affected by the lack of writers on set continues to grow. "Stranger Things" final season will not begin filming until the strike ends, as the creators stated that "writing does not stop when filming begins." Other popular shows such as "Abbott Elementary," "Unstable" and "Yellowjackets" have either closed their writers' rooms or ceased production.

Network late-night shows, including ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" and CBS' "The Late Show With Stephen Colbert," have also halted their productions, reports Los Angeles Times. The 2007-2008 strike cost the California economy $2 billion, so there's an expectation that everyone can come to the table soon to reach a fair agreement.