Hollywood Strike Could End Soon As WGA And AMPTP Reach Tentative Deal
Following five marathon days of renewed discussions by negotiators, the 146-day Hollywood Strike could end soon as the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) have reached a tentative agreement.
The WGA called the deal “exceptional – with meaningful gains and protections for writers in every sector of the membership,” in an email to members. Nonetheless, the agreement must be approved by the guild’s board and members before the strike officially ends.
The tentative deal announced Sunday night comes just five days before the industrial action would have broken the record of the union’s 1988 strike to become the longest in the guild’s history and the longest Hollywood strike in decades.
Four top industry executives – Disney CEO Bob Iger, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos, Warner Bros Discovery CEO David Zaslav and NBCUniversal Studio Group Chair Donna Langley – were part of negotiations. Union leaders could vote on the full terms of the new contract on Tuesday.
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The latest developments suggest late-night television shows could resume production shortly. However, scores of Hollywood actors involved in the industry’s historic “double strike” remain on picket lines, meaning many new projects are expected to stay on hold.
The ongoing work stoppages have taken a toll on crew members as well as small businesses that support film and television production. But unions for other workers affected by the double strike stood in solidarity with the writers and actors’ union throughout the action.
The 146-day writers’ strike highlighted artists’ concerns about the threats artificial intelligence might pose to their industry. It was driven by Hollywood workers’ frustrations with their share of the profits in an online-streaming era. It was a fight about “disrespect” and “power”.
A-list Hollywood actors started backing the strikes even before the actors’ union had authorised an action. Some wealthy directors and producers announced staggering donations to strike funds, while other stars auctioned off Zoom meetings to raise money for a crew healthcare fund.
