EXCLUSIVE: With shutdowns impacting TV and film productions from coast to coast due to the ongoing Writers Guild strike, daytime soap operas have been relatively immune to picketing outside of their studios. That changed this week when picketers targeted ABC’s “General Hospital” after word began to spread that the daytime drama series not only has continued production since the strike began, but it has allegedly installed “Fi-Core” or “Financial Core” writers to take over writing duties.

To find out what is happening on the ground, on Thursday, Soap Opera Network went to the Prospect Studios, where the series is taped, and spoke outside with strike captain Emilio Aldrich, a WGA member whose writing credits include “Arrow” and “Supergirl,” among others.

“We heard that ‘General Hospital’ is still filming in there and that they are also using Fi-Core writers (scab writers) in order to make the new episodes of ‘General Hospital.’ So, we are looking to shut down production,” said Aldrich when asked what brought the WGA members to the show’s Los Angeles-based studio.

Thus far, production has continued on the series without interruption, but that won’t deter the group from continuing to picket outside. “We have not seen any studio trucks coming in or out since we’ve been here – we’ve been here for a few days now – and we intend to be here for as long as we need to be,” Aldrich noted when asked how much of an impact they’ve made thus far.

Although there hasn’t been any recorded engagement between anyone associated with “General Hospital,” picketers want to make one thing clear: they are in it for the long haul.

“We’re just looking to show all the studios, whether that may be ‘General Hospital’ and all the other [soaps] included, that we are going to be out here for as long as it takes and that we think what we’ve asked for at the bargaining table is completely reasonable, considering the amount of money that they make, especially with regards to streamers and residuals, and myself and the other people that are here today are very focused and very determined that we’ll be out here as long as necessary in order to get what we’re looking for.”

In a May 12, 2023 article by Vulture, “Days of our Lives” head writer Ron Carlivati said, “Our unique circumstance is our show’s on every day of the year.” Noting the use of “Fi-Core” writers, he added, “So unlike a lot of these shows that aren’t in production, our show is in production right now. And the shows don’t stop. They replaced us in 2007 when I worked at ‘One Life to Live,’ and I can only assume they’re replacing us right now. I’m being replaced on day one by other people.”

WGA writers opting to go “Fi-Core” revoke their union status while choosing to take advantage of the benefits of the WGA contract. Essentially, they can’t vote in WGA elections, run for Guild office, attend Guild meetings and other events, or participate in the Writers Guild Awards. The WGA, however, continues providing services such as health insurance, pension and residuals. Of the 28 writers who went “Fi-Core” during the last WGA strike, a majority of them were writers for daytime soap operas, including Josh Griffith, the current head writer and executive producer of “The Young and the Restless.”

According to Deadline, days after the strike began, the WGA launched a reporting website for strikebreakers, wherein members “must inform the Guild of the name of any writer you have reason to believe is engaged in scab writing or other strikebreaking activity,” according to the guild’s Strike Rule #9. “To the extent possible, you should be specific about the nature of the violation, including the date and place of the violation, the name of the struck company involved, and the name of the project, if any.”

Members added to the Fi-Core list this year includes Sheri Anderson, a former head writer and current story consultant at “Days of our Lives,” Mark Pinciotti, a producer at “The Bold and the Beautiful,” and Michael Minnis, the co-head writer of “The Bold and the Beautiful.”

When reached for comment on this story by Soap Opera Network, ABC said, “We have no comment and do not have anything to provide.”