Hollywood’s writers and studios have reached a preliminary labor agreement, potentially bringing an end to the ongoing writers strike that began in early May. The talks between the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) resumed after months of negotiations, resulting in a tentative deal.
While the final contract language is still being drafted, the WGA and AMPTP have not disclosed the specific provisions of the preliminary contract. However, the WGA stated that the deal includes “meaningful gains and protections for writers in every sector of the membership.”
Once the contract language is finalized, the negotiating committee will vote on whether to recommend the agreement and send it to the WGAW Board and WGAE Council for approval. Afterward, the board and council will vote on whether to authorize a contract ratification vote by the membership.
It’s important to note that the strike is not officially over, and no members of the guild are to return to work until the agreement is ratified. The WGA urged its members to continue standing in solidarity with striking actors on the picket lines.
The strike, initiated by Hollywood writers, began over concerns about the use of artificial intelligence and compensation for streamed content. The writers sought protections against the use of AI and increased compensation for content distributed through streaming platforms.
Following negotiations with writers, the AMPTP will need to address similar contract updates with the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA). SAG-AFTRA members have been on strike since mid-July, seeking improvements in wages, working conditions, health and pension benefits, AI usage guidelines, and transparency in streaming viewership data for equitable residual payments.
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