United States: The screenwriters union and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers have stated that Hollywood writers have reached a tentative deal with studios, which could lead to the end of their nearly five-month strike.
The deal came after five days of renewed talks by negotiators for the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and an alliance of studios, streaming services, and production companies and must be approved by the guild’s board and members before the strike officially ends. The terms of the deal were not immediately announced, but the WGA called the deal “exceptional, with meaningful gains and protections for writers in every sector of the membership.”
The WGA and AMPTP have reached a tentative agreement. This was made possible by the enduring solidarity of WGA members and extraordinary support of our union siblings who stood with us for over 146 days. More details coming after contract language is finalized. #WGAStrike pic.twitter.com/GBg2wZBwGB
— Writers Guild of America West (@WGAWest) September 25, 2023
Four top industry executives, including Mr. RobertIger, Warner Bros. Discovery CEO Mr. David Zaslav, Netflix co-CEO Mr. Ted Sarandos and NBCUniversal Studio Group Chair Ms. Donna Langley, joined negotiations to break the months-long impasse.
California Governor Mr. Gavin Newsom supported the striking workers by stating that writers “went on strike over existential threats to their careers and livelihoods – expressing real concerns over the stress and anxiety workers are feeling. I am grateful that the two sides have come together.”
The agreement comes just five days before the strike would have broken the record of the union’s 1988 strike to become the longest in the guild’s history and the longest Hollywood strike in decades.
According to the union’s email to members, which was posted on social media, union leaders are expected to vote on the full terms of the new three-year contract. The 146-day writers’ strike was driven by Hollywood workers’ frustrations with their share of the profits in an online-streaming era and spotlighted artists’ concerns about the threats artificial intelligence might pose to their industry.
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