Summary

  • The Writers Guild of America strike has reached a turning point with the arrival of a tentative deal, bringing hope for better wages and streaming residuals.
  • After months of negotiations, the WGA and AMPTP have finally reached an agreement on a new deal, although the specific details are yet to be confirmed.
  • The strike is not over; the deal will now be sent to the WGA for a ratification vote, leaving the final outcome uncertain.

The ongoing Writers Guild of America strike has reached a turning point with the arrival of a tentative deal. Writers across Hollywood have been on strike since May, waging war against the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) in favor of better wages, stronger streaming residuals, and protections against AI, among other things. This historic period has seen the Screen Actors Guild go on strike as well. After months of halting negotiations, the WGA and AMPTP have been in serious talks for the past several days, hinting a deal could be imminent.

Now, The Hollywood Reporter confirms the WGA and AMPTP have reached an agreement on a new deal, the details of which have not been confirmed. The Writers Guild of America West also put out this statement:

This does not mean the strike is over; the deal will be sent to the of the WGA for a ratification vote. Nevertheless, this is an incredibly encouraging sign that the writers strike, which has been nearing a record-breaking length and has led to numerous productions being put on hold, could finally come to a close very soon.

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The WGA and AMPTP picked up talks on Wednesday, September 20 and continued on through Saturday. At that time, reports swirled that the AMPTP had issued their "best and final" offer to the WGA, a statement that was met with mockery and defiance online as many pointed out that the power remained with the writers. The two groups met again Sunday afternoon, and despite what the AMPTP claimed with their deal, the WGA had more last-minute conditions. Once the deal was made, the WGA reached out to their to inform them of the news.

Now, the writers within the union will get to vote on whether they approve of the deal. A date for the vote hasn't been set yet, but it will presumably take place as soon as possible to bring the strike to a close. Picketing will be halted, though writers still cannot resume the work they suspended in the spring. With no details regarding the deal being revealed as of this writing, it is hard to say whether the writers will approve of its content; however, it's very promising that negotiations have reached this point.

Despite this development, SAG-AFTRA remains on strike, and that union has not yet resumed talks with the AMPTP. However, should the writers strike draw to a close soon, it may not be long before the actors follow suit. More details will likely emerge in the coming days, but for the time being, things are truly looking up for the WGA.

Source: THR, Writers Guild of America West/Twitter