After six weeks of negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) who represent the owners of Netflix, Amazon, Apple, Disney, Discovery-Warner, NBC Universal, Paramount and Sony, the workers of the Writers Guild of America (WGA) have laid down their pens demanding a fair contract. The strike which began on May 2nd, has culminated in pickets across New York City where writers and allies have come together in attempts to shut down production at filming locations across town. Present at a picket on the morning of May 4th outside of Silvercup Studios in Long Island City were El Hormiguero members as well as a wide coalition of allies such as Teamsters, Laborers International Local 78, Communication Workers of America, International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IASTE), Working Families Party, and NYC Democratic Socialists of America. Solidarity was in the air as Teamsters and IATSE crew hands involved in production at Silvercup refused work, and delivery drivers turned away at the loading docks of the studio in respect for the Writer’s Guild’s picket. The writers are demanding a stop to the “freelancification” of TV show writing as well as increased residual payments owed for views on streaming services, among other issues.