The Writers Guild of America (WGA) and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) have reached a tentative agreement, signaling a possible end to a nearly five-month strike.
The framework agreement was solidified on Sunday, resolving the impasse over AI and staffing levels in the writers’ rooms.
“WGA and AMPTPT have reached a provisional agreement,” both entities announced in a collective statement, while the WBA told its members: “We have reached a provisional agreement on the new MBA 2023, which means an agreement in principle on all points of the agreement, depending on the language of the draft of the final contract.”
This long-awaited announcement came at the beginning of the Yom Kippur holiday after five extensive days of negotiations. Details of the agreement remain confidential, but will be released by the guild before voting on membership ratification.
© Getty Images The Writers Guild of America went on strike, their most significant since 2007-2008.
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Production on Blake Lively’s new project It Ends With Us has been halted due to the WGA strikeThe next stages of the process include the WGA’s negotiating committee, headed by Ellen Stutzman, deciding “whether to recommend an agreement and send it to the WGAW Board of Directors and the WGAE Council for approval,” in a vote likely to take place Tuesday .
The WGA has suspended all protests, although it has stressed that it technically remains on strike until these votes.
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The talks, which began in the afternoon, saw both committees fine-tune points of contention including AI, staffing and return-to-work protocols.
The studios were anxious to find out if the writers would quickly resume their assignments after the ratification of the framework agreement.
The guild initially advocated the return of its members to their typing duties only after SAG-AFTRA also entered into an agreement with AMPTP, emphasizing the inherent solidarity between the two unions, a sentiment reminiscent of their joint strike in 1960.
© MEGAGina is seen collecting with SAG-AFTRA and WGA members outside Fox Studios on July 24, 2023 in Los Angeles, California
The WGA notified its members that, subject to board approval, they could continue working during the ratification vote to end the strike.
It would take a few more days for the strike to officially end as both WGA West and WGA East move forward in the ratification process. The historical context is significant: during the last WGA strike in 2007-08, a tentative agreement was reached on day 96 and the strike concluded on day 100.
If a deal is reached, late-night comedy and daytime talk shows could potentially resume immediately, since they are not included in the productions affected by the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike.
© Getty Images SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher speaks with members of the media as he joins SAG-AFTRA and WGA members
However, movies and scripted TV shows that do not have interim agreements with SAG-AFTRA will remain on hold until the actors’ strike is resolved.
The focus now shifts to ratifying the WGA deal and continuing talks between SAG-AFTRA and AMPTP to resolve the actors’ strike, now 73 days old.
There is a visible sigh of relief in Hollywood and the wider entertainment sphere, but the economic consequences are significant. The simultaneous WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes are estimated to have cost the California economy a $5 billion hit.
This agreement is crucial because it illustrates the culmination of rigorous dialogue and a mutual desire to resolve fundamental issues. The entertainment industry, though relieved, remains cautious, awaiting resolutions to the ongoing disputes.
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Source: HIS Education