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Hollywood Ending: Writers Reach Tentative Deal With Studios After Nearly 150-Day Strike

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The Writers Guild of America and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers have reached a deal.

The tentative three-year agreement, which took place Sept. 24 and still needs to be ratified, sets forth protections for television and film writers from AI, a gradual wage increase over the life of the contract, and a viewership-based residual model. 

According to the Hollywood Reporter, one of the biggest improvements is the creation of minimum writers’ room size requirements and a guaranteed length of time that writers work on a show. 

These specific gains however, do not take effect until Dec. 1, 2023, so anything written before that date is not bound by those terms. Originally, the WGA was looking to get a 16% increase in residuals but ended up getting 12.5%. Even if the agreement is not ratified, it can still go into effect if a majority of members vote to adopt it.

“What we have won in this contract—most particularly, everything we have gained since May 2nd—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,” the WGA said in a statement.

According to Rolling Stone, had the strike lasted another week, it would have broken a record set in 1988 for the longest writers work stoppage in American history.

In August, the WGA received a counter offer from the studios that it said was designed to get the writers to stop short of gains they desired. Because they did not take a deal that would have been friendly to the studios and streaming services, the writers secured an 18% increase in wages for shows and films that run at least 96 minutes as well as a 26% increase in residuals for television and film projects that have reruns.

The writers strike may have concluded, but SAG-AFTRA is still on their work stoppage. Deadline reports that strike could end as soon as next Friday if an expected meeting with the AMPTP goes well.

The actors union has been on strike since July 14 after joining the striking writers in solidarity, which created the nation’s first joint strike since President John F. Kennedy was in office.

SAG-AFTRA’s spokesperson released a statement on Sept 26 saying, “We have no confirmed dates scheduled and there will not be meetings with the AMPTP this week. When we do have dates confirmed, we will inform our members. No one should rely on speculation.”

RELATED CONTENT: Writers Guild of America Reaches Tentative Deal With Studios After Months-long Strike

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