Former President Barack Obama opened Netflix’s livestream event for its new documentaries, Working: What We Do All Day, on Thursday with a more aggressive statement of support for the Writers Guild of America (WGA) than what he originally said in solidarity with the progress writers strike.

Before the panel discussion began, which aired on LinkedIn at 5:00 p.m. ET/2:00 p.m. PT, moderator Ira Glass announced that Obama had prepared comments he intended to make about the WGA’s work stoppage, which is currently in the fourth week.

“Part of what this show ‘Working’ is about is how constant certain things are in the work experience. “People trying to find a satisfying job, people trying to pay their bills,” Obama said. “Unfortunately, there is still a struggle people have to make sure their employers treat them fairly and that they get their fair share of the pie. I think what we’ve seen throughout American history is that unions and workers’ organizations have had to make demands from their employers, who control the industry they operate in, to ensure they are treated fairly and entertainment is there is no exception. My hope would be that in a time of great technological change, where there are big mega corporations that are doing really well, they keep an eye on the creative people who are actually making the product that consumers appreciate and that are exported to all the World.

“I know there are a lot of studios and streamers that are feeling a little squeezed and there’s a little too much product glut and they’re looking at their bottom line and they’re seeing the pressure from shareholders and so on,” he continued. “But the fact of the matter is, if there weren’t writers writing the stories that matter, they wouldn’t exist. I hope that as someone who genuinely supports the Writers Guild and simply believes in storytelling and their craft, I hope that they will be compensated and that the importance of their work will be reflected in the settlement reached at. I strongly support the writers and the strike and hope they get their fair share of the fruits of their labour.”

Obama made his first statement on the writers’ strike on May 16th long Instagram post promoting the May 17 launch of Working, writing in the fourth paragraph of the headline, “This series is also about making sure we respect everyone’s work – because we all deserve to be valued and treated with respect.” to become.” That includes the friends I’ve made on this show and everyone else fighting for fair pay and new protections that reflect the changing workplace — including members of the WGA who are currently on strike.”

Also participating in the panel was docuseries director Caroline Suh and protagonists Randi Williams, Luke Starcher and Karthik Lakshmanan.

Barack and former First Lady Michelle Obama are producing Working: What We Do All Day for Netflix through their banner, Higher Ground Productions, which has a deal with Netflix.

Suh also serves as executive producer alongside Barack Obama, Michelle Obama, Priya Swaminathan, Nicole Stott, Jonathan Silberberg, Tonia Davis, Davis Guggenheim and Laurene Powell Jobs. Emelia Brown serves as Co-Executive Producer:

The series was inspired by Studs Terkel’s 1974 book Working, which revolutionized the conversation around work by asking ordinary people what they did all day.

Marc Malkin contributed to this story.