Deal comes following months of negotiations over improved salary, residuals for streaming programs, and protections against the threat of AI.
The nearly five-month Hollywood writers strike was declared over on Sept. 26 after board members of the Writers Guild of America (WGA) approved a new contract with studios.
The tentative deal came after union bosses said earlier this week that their roughly 11,500 writers had reached an agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) following months of back-and-forth negotiations over improved salary, residuals for streaming programs, and protections against the threat of artificial intelligence (AI) in the film industry.
In a statement, union leaders said the Negotiating Committee, the WGA West (WGAW) Board, and the WGA East (WGAE) Council all voted unanimously to recommend the “three-year minimum basic agreement” on Sept. 26. The deal still needs to be ratified by the union’s members.
“Eligible voters will be able to vote from October 2nd through October 9th, and will receive ballot and ratification materials when the vote opens,” union leaders said.
Union leaders also voted unanimously to authorize its members to return to work, according to the statement.
“The WGAW Board and WGAE Council also voted to lift the restraining order and end the strike as of 12:01 am PT/3:01 am ET on Wednesday, September 27th,” the WGA wrote. “This allows writers to return to work during the ratification process, but does not affect the membership’s right to make a final determination on contract approval.”
Movie Productions Halted
The announcement is welcome relief to industry leaders following a 148-day work stoppage that effectively paralyzed productions across the industry, affecting everything from streaming services to movie production.
WGAW has been on strike since May 2, while another union, the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA), which represents more than 160,000 actors, began striking on July 14.
Under the three-year contract (pdf), WGA members’ minimum pay will increase by 5 percent immediately, then by another 4 percent in May 2024 and another 3.5 percent in May 2025, while the Health Fund contributions on reportable earnings will also increase by a half percentage point, to 12 percent, in the second year of the agreement.
