The Star Trek Picket of the Writers’ Strike showed solidarity between generations

Last Friday, May 19, a group of WGA writers were able to pull off an incredible act of solidarity between generations. For the offices of Paramount, a Star TrekThematic picket convened, distributed by word of mouth and through invitation-only channels. Over the course of the four-hour picket block, actors, crew members, and of course writers, and plenty Star Trek fans came out in a show of solidarity. Carlos Cisco, one of the writers on Star Trek: Discovery and a strike leader, took a moment to talk to me on the phone about what it took to put on the strike that day, and why Star Trek is a emblematic franchise for this movement.

Cisco first explained that during the 2007-2008 WGA strike, there were a few themed pickets, including one Star Trek picket, but that was before the JJ Abrams movies, and march had completely abandoned TV with the closure of Company two years earlier. This year, “Kiley Rossetter [a Story Editor on Star Trek: Picard] had seen a lot Star Trek writers on the line,” Cisco explainedand from there it seemed natural to get people on board with a Star Trek themed picket. It was huge in 2007, and Cisco was sure it would get even bigger now. “All these people are still there and working. What an event it would be to bring together all these writers from different generations.”

And it was. In addition to the massive emergence of writers and actors from across the franchise, with the crowd inclusive people like David Weddle, Jeri Ryan, Scott Bakula, John Billingsley, Jonathan DeLuca, and Michael Okuda. Support came from everywhere. “We wanted to get the message out that we are all standing here courageously, united. All these different artists in different disciplines, writers, actors, you know, production designers, artisans, all these things and we just wanted to keep the worker solidarity in focus,” Cisco said.

Star Trek has, according to Cisco, one of the most pro-union episodes of television out there-“The Bar Association” by Deep Space Nine, written by Robert Wilson. “Star Trek, like a kind of philosophical concept, represents where we want to be in terms of a more equal and egalitarian society. Even in its own universe, the characters are imperfect and society is always being challenged, which I think is a good reminder that even if we think we’re living in good times, we shouldn’t get complacent. As a series, it has always pushed the boundaries of representation and diversity throughout its history. Not always good by historical standards, but I think when it’s current, it always pushes those boundaries. And so I think for me that’s what makes the franchise so powerful.

When asked what people can do to help as the strike continues, Cisco said sending water to the picket lines — especially as the strikes seem to extend into the summer months — would be one of the best ways to directly support those on the line. He also said that donations to the Entertainment community fund, which supports non-WGA entertainment workers out of their jobs while the WGA strikes. “If you want to support the writers, support the people who support us all.”

“None of us want to do this, but it is necessary. And when I see the solidarity we have from all the other guilds, from people in the community, from those who are pre-WGA aspiring writers, and even just people who just love television… This fight right now is the same battle that everyone else is fighting during childbirth,” said Cisco. “In many ways [this action] will kind of be a precursor to a lot of other things that other unions are dealing with. I think this [strike] will have major consequences for that.”

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