The Young and the Restless has been number one in the ratings for as long as anyone can remember, but the show has now taken another top spot: It is the main battleground in a war of words between striking Writers Guild of America members and a trade publication that claims the show's writers are crossing the picket lines to continue working on the top-rated CBS soap.
With the WGA strike moving into a second month, many soap fans have wondered how their favorite soaps are going to be able to continue with no one at the writing helm. A recent article in Variety, an entertainment industry trade publication, questioned whether or not soap scribes were really on strike.
According to an article published in Variety last month, "According to several people with knowledge of the situation, a high-ranking writer-producer on CBS's The Young and the Restless has informed the WGA that he plans to go financial core -- that is, give up full membership in the guild and withhold the dues spent on political activities in order to continue writing during the strike."
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The article brought a strong response from Y&R's writing team, which almost immediately issued a statement refuting the article.
"Our entire writing staff of 18 is united and we fully support our union. Not a single person who was writing for Y&R when we struck has gone [financial] core. Not one. We stand united with sore feet from picketing. Well, some of us sit. But we all do our part, and we cannot be parted." Variety issued a statement indicating that it stands firmly by its original report. Meanwhile, more than 100 soap opera writers have signed their name to a pledge of solidarity with the rest of the Writers Guild of America. At issue is how television writers are paid when their work is sold for a format other than broadcast television, such as streaming internet video.
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