Hollywood Writers Strike Nears The End As Members Prepare To Vote On New Contract
After five months, the Hollywood writers strike may be coming to an end following the Writers Guild of America (WGA) reaching a tentative agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP).
The Negotiating Committee, the Writers Guild of America West (WGAW) Board and the Writers Guild of America East (WGAE) Council voted unanimously to recommend the agreement, which will now go to the guilds members to be voted on. The voting is set to occur between the 2nd and 9th of October on the new three year contract that could put an end to the 147-day strike that has halted work on many popular shows.
Ahead of the vote, the WGA has also agreed to lift the restraining order and allow writers to return to work as of 12:01 am PT / 3:01 am ET on Wednesday 27th September 2023. This will not impact the members rights to vote on the contract.
Who Are The WGA and Why Are They Striking?
The Writers Guild of America is made up of two unions, WGA East and WGA West. These represent writers for both TV and film and work together to negotiate with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. The AMPTP represents large production and streaming companies such as Paramount, Disney and Netflix.
The strike has come as a result of the WGA and AMPTP being unable to agree to a new contract before its expiry on 1st May 2023. The strike demands address the payment of residual to writers with the increasing usage of streaming services, the use of “mini rooms” rather than regular writers rooms, and the use of artificial intelligence in script writing. However, an agreement has now been made following 5 days of negotiations, the full summary of which can be seen on the WGA Contract 2023 website. In the email that has been sent out to their members, the Guild has described the agreement as “exceptional” with “meaningful gains and protection for writers”.
Which Shows Will Be Returning To Screens?
The new contract will likely see late-night talk shows be the first programs returning to our television screens, including The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and Jimmy Kimmel Live. Television shows and films will also return to work including Netflix’s Stranger Things and Deadpool 3, however shows and films are likely to still experience delays as the Screen Actors Guild - American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) strike that started in July 2023 is still ongoing. SAG-AFTRA praised the WGA in a statement for their strength and solidarity, but have made it clear that their strike will be continuing.
For details of the WGA Contract 2023 view https://www.wgacontract2023.org/the-campaign/tentative-agreement
