Thousands of members of the Writers Guild of America have been on strike since May 2 after negotiations with Hollywood studios fell through.

Union leaders have called the issues behind the labor dispute an "existential crisis," with tension brought on primarily by streaming and its ripple effects. 

On this week's "In Focus SoCal," host Tanya McRae meets with a WGA member who has been on the picket line every day. Emmylou Diaz got her first writer's assistant job in 2014 on the television series "Jane The Virgin" and soon became a writer.

"We're fighting for streaming residuals. It's huge," Diaz said. "We don't have a piece of that the way we do with network TV. We're also fighting to regulate AI, which has become a really huge issue."

Residuals were a foundational way for writers to make money, but streaming has upended those payouts. The WGA is seeking more upfront fees to make up for that. The union also wants TV shows to staff a certain number of writers for a period of time, with a rising practice of "mini rooms" where only a handful of writers are working on a series. 

Los Angeles City Council member Hugo Soto-Martinez, who represents most of Hollywood, is in support of the strike and has been out on the picket line supporting WGA members.

"The writers are fighting for some of the basic needs of every worker in the city of Los Angeles," he said. "They want to have a living wage and have health insurance and a pension and know that they can retire with dignity."

Diaz also emphasized that the WGA strike isn't just affecting writers, but impacting every sector of the entertainment industry and businesses that rely on Hollywood productions.

"In Focus" reached out to the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers for a statement. A representative responded with the following statement: "The AMPTP member companies remain united in their desire to reach a deal that is mutually beneficial to writers and the health and longevity of the industry, and to avoid hardship to the thousands of employees who depend upon the industry for their livelihoods.”

Katie Kilkenny from The Hollywood Reporter also joins McRae on "In Focus SoCal" to discuss the latest in the strike. She estimates the strike will last until late August or September, possibly into October. She also emphasize that the WGA strike has been successful because of the support and solidarity from other unions in the entertainment industry. SAG-AFTRA, the union that represents actors, voted to authorize a strike if leaders don't reach a deal with studio by June 30. 

"If the actors go on strike, any sort of physical production that's left over would really shut down because you can't really have scripted entertainment without actors," said Kilkenny.

"In Focus SoCal" also celebrates Father's Day on this week's show with Rep. Jimmy Gomez, who represents California's 34th District. He is the leader of the Congressional Dads Caucus, which is giving members of Congress a space to advocate for legislation that supports working families. Gomez gained attention earlier this year when he brought his infant son to work during the House speaker vote.

"Child care is a big issue," Gomez said. "It's now eating up anywhere from 21-26% of families' income across the country."

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