Lost in the discussion of the Hollywood Writer’s strike is an untold number of people whose livelihood depends on jobs related to television and films. The Motion Picture Association writes that more than 2 million Americans work in jobs related to this industry. The most recognized employees are actors, writers, camera operators, costume designers, and stunt doubles. Still, there are many more behind these primary film operations, like catering companies, chauffeurs, accountants, and assistants.

The New York Times writes that “the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, for example, which represents 170,000 crew members in North America, estimated that its West Coast members alone lost $1.4 billion in wages between May and Sept. 16, the most recent date for which data were available. The extreme loss of hours worked, in turn, hurts funding for pension and health care plans.”

In addition to providing financial assistance, the entertainment community foundations and non-profits provide workshops and seminars on how to “navigate eviction notices.”

With gas prices hovering near $6 a gallon and inflation up 18 percent since January 2020, the economic situation is difficult for the hundreds of thousands of employees out of work while the crossfire between the writers, actors, and studios continues.