The Writers Guild of America (WGA) and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) are back at the negotiating table. The last time both parties sat down to negotiate was on August 25, when the WGA members described AMPTP’s counteroffer as “neither nothing, nor nearly enough.”
Last week, the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers communicated that on Wednesday, September 13, the WGA had reached out to the AMPTP and asked for a meeting to move negotiations forward. “Every member company of the AMPTP is committed and eager to reach a fair deal, and to working together with the WGA to end the strike,” the AMPTP said in a statement.
However, insiders from the studios have told TheWrap that the AMPTP side believes the Writers Guild of America “is not showing enough willingness to compromise,” with one insider feeling like the studios – Netflix, Amazon, Apple, Disney, Warner Bros. Discovery, NBCUniversal, Paramount, and Sony – are “negotiating against themselves.”
On the other hand, the WGA is holding steadfast in its position that it cannot entirely give up any of the core demands of its contract proposal as “the whole package is necessary to protect writers from exploitative practices and trends that threaten the financial sustainability of their profession.”
The key issues WGA members are claiming for include streaming residuals, which are payments writers receive when their work is streamed on streaming platforms; pension and health benefits; and staffing levels for TV writers. The WGA has argued that writers are not receiving their fair share of profits from streaming, which has become an increasingly important part of the entertainment business in recent years. Moreover, writers want to make sure that AI is not used to replace their creative output
The association, which represents around 11.500 screenwriters, is on strike since May 2, 2023. The claim is supported by the actors, represented by SAG-AFTRA, who went on strike in July 13, resulting in dual Hollywood strikes that have halted many productions and hurt the finances of entertainment-related businesses.
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