The Writers Guild of America (WGA) and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) have reached a tentative agreement which finally ended a strike that lasted for almost 150 days.
Although WGA announced that more details are coming after the contract language is finalized, the association advanced that a three-year contract was proposed and described that deal as “exceptional.” Still pending to be ratified by the union’s 11.500 members, this new offer apparently represents “meaningful gains and protections for writers in every sector of the membership,” which means that it would boost pay rates and residual payments for streaming shows and impose new rules surrounding the use of artificial intelligence, which were the main reasons for the claim.
“What we have won in this contract – most particularly, everything we have gained since May 2 – 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. It is the leverage generated by your strike, in concert with the extraordinary support of our union siblings, that finally brought the companies back to the table to make a deal,” the WGA Negotiating Committee said.
Once the Memorandum of Agreement with the AMPTP is complete, WGA’s 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. If that authorization is approved, the Board and Council would also vote on whether to lift the restraining order and end the strike at a certain date and time (to be determined) pending ratification.
This would allow writers to return to work during the ratification vote, but would not affect the membership’s right to make a final determination on contract approval. Immediately after those leadership votes, which are tentatively scheduled for Tuesday if the language is settled, WGA will provide a comprehensive summary of the deal points and the Memorandum of Agreement. It will also convene meetings where members will have the opportunity to learn more about and assess the deal before voting on ratification.
“To be clear, no one is to return to work until specifically authorized to by the Guild. We are still on strike until then. But 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 WGA Negotiating Committee added.