Short answers, pulled from the story.
The Screen Writers Guild folded its operations and merged with other groups in 1954. This merger created two new guilds that established themselves on opposite coasts of the United States.
Membership eligibility depends entirely on where a writer works geographically relative to the Mississippi River. Jobs west of the river belong to the West division while jobs east of that line fall under the East division jurisdiction.
The most recent strike started the 2nd of May 2023 and ended the 27th of September 2023. This conflict addressed streaming residuals and artificial intelligence usage within the industry.
The first ceremony honoring film writers took place in 1949 to recognize work done during 1948. Both guilds now present awards simultaneously on opposite coasts every year.