Hollywood Writers and Studios Reach Proposal to End Strike

The Writers Guild of America and the major Hollywood studios and streamers reached a tentative deal Sunday night that would end a months-long strike.

The WGA issued a statement announcing a contract proposal had been reached after 146 days.

“What we have won in this contract — most particularly, everything we have gained since May 2nd — is due to the willingness of this membership to exercise its power, to demonstrate its solidarity, to walk side-by-side, to endure the pain and uncertainty of the past 146 days,” the guild said.

The WGA called off picketing, but urged writers to join actors on the picket line, as the SAG-AFTRA strike continues.

“We are, as of today, suspending WGA picketing. Instead, if you are able, we encourage you to join the SAG-AFTRA picket lines this week,” the guild said.

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The tentative deal would boost pay and residual payments for streaming shows, and includes new rules limiting the use of artificial intelligence in the writing process, according to the Los Angeles Times.

The three-year agreement still has to be approved by the WGA’s 11,500 WGA members.

“Once the Memorandum of Agreement with the AMPTP is complete, the Negotiating Committee will vote on whether to recommend the agreement and send it on to the WGAW Board and WGAE Council for approval. The Board and Council will then vote on whether to authorize a contract ratification vote by the membership,” the guild explained.

Actors represented by SAG-AFTRA have been walking the picket line since July 14.

Both unions are calling for the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP ), which represents the studios and streaming services, to increase residuals from streaming and set new rules limiting the use of artificial intelligence technology in production. The WGA additionally asked for industry standards on the number of writers assigned to each TV show.