After a historic nearly 150-day strike, the WGA and AMPTP have come to a tentative contract.
The leadership for the Writers Guild of America on Tuesday “voted unanimously to lift the restraining order and end the strike as of 12:01 am PT/3:01 am ET on Wednesday, September 27th,” notes the WGA.
Starting Wednesday, more than 11,500 writers are eligible to return to work, though shows that require actors will likely remain on pause.
Some key takeaways include that this new deal will last until May 2026, which consists of a 5% minimum pay increase upon the contract’s ratification. The WGA will also see additional bumps in 2024 and 2025. Writers also saw an increased health and pension contribution rate.
One hotly contested issue during these negotiations was the use of artificial intelligence in Hollywood writing. That was addressed as, according to the tentative deal, AI cannot write or rewrite literary material, and AI-generated material will not be considered source material. Added that “AI-generated material “can’t be used to undermine a writer’s credit or separated rights.”
Another issue addressed was television and film in the streaming era and what happens with residuals. The new deal states there will be a new payout structure for writers based on the viewership of streaming shows instead of a flat fee, beginning for projects released on or after January 1st, 2024. The critical point is that streamers will now offer the WGA guild the total number of hours streamed domestically and internationally for self-produced high-budget streaming programs.
In the immediate future, this deal will help shape the SAG-AFTRA strikes and negotiations, especially since both parties faced similar issues with AI, streaming, and benefits.
Reports that the actors and the studios will begin negotiations next week as the WGA strike came before. With writers starting and the actors presumably set to begin working sometime soon, Hollywood is looking to start its new era.
