WGA Reaches Tentative Deal with Studios and Streamers
The Writers Guild of America (WGA) has reached a tentative deal with the major studios and streamers. This deal follows a labor strike that has lasted 146 days.
Strike captains for the WGA emailed the media Sunday evening (September 24) confirming the news. They said in a statement, “We have reached a tentative agreement on a new 2023 MBA, which is to say an agreement in principle on all deal points, subject to drafting final contract language.”
The statement noted, “We can say, with great pride, that this deal is exceptional – with meaningful gains and protections for writers in every sector of the membership.”
As of publishing, the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), which represents the major studios and streamers, has yet to comment on the agreement.
Exact details about the deal haven’t been shared with the media. However, the deal won’t be made official until the WGA members participate in a ratification vote to accept the deal. The date of that vote is currently unknown.
The WGA strike began on May 2. The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) began its strike on July 14. (SAG-AFTRA is the union representing striking actors.) Both unions have many of the same reasons for striking. Those reasons include a more liveable wage via receiving a fair cut of streaming royalties. (An explanation on the growth of streaming compared to royalties is available below.) Additionally, both unions want regulations related to AI to prevent studios from exploiting the technology that would negatively impact writers and actors.
In July, Deadline caused a lot of stir with an exclusive where the outlet quoted an anonymous studio executive. This executive said regarding the WGA strike, “The endgame is to allow things to drag on until union members start losing their apartments and losing their houses.”
Understandably, this has rejuvenated the WGA’s energy around the strike. The Hollywood Reporter has been running a featured title “Anonymous Strike Diary,” written by an anonymous WGA member. This writer wrote, in part, ” … Thank you, whoever you are. Because those quotes turbocharged us. They reminded every writer why we’re doing this.”
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