The Writers Guild of Hollywood (WGA) and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) reached an agreement in principle for the creation of a new collective bargaining agreement that opens the door to the possibility of ending the strike. The WGA said in an official statement that the potential agreement addresses all the key bargaining issues, but it is still pending final wording.
The Agreement to End the Hollywood Strike
The historic resolution provides a glimpse of the light at the end of the tunnel for Hollywood after a strike that has held up most of its productions. However, the studios still had to negotiate with the actors’ union, which also went on strike (SAG-AFTRA).
According to the digital media IndieWire, although no screenwriter should return to work until the contract is ratified, the strike could officially end in the next few days. The WGA noted that what was won in the new contract, which was not specified, has been the result of the willingness of all its members to exercise their power, demonstrate solidarity, and endure the uncertainty and “pain” of these past 146 days.
The Hollywood Screenwriters Guild acknowledged that what has been achieved is “exceptional” and thanked its members that the echo of their strike and the support of other unions has brought the studios back to the negotiating table.
What are the Screenwriters Asking For?
The WGA began its strike on May 2 with the demand for better working conditions, regulation of artificial intelligence, and fair payments every time any of its work is reissued, the so-called residual rights. On July 14, actors joined the strike for similar causes.
Throughout this time, screenwriters and actors have gathered in front of the headquarters of the major studios. The joint work of both unions has been fundamental for the industry to comply with their demands. A few months ago, in another episode that stood out on social media, Cillian Murphy and Emily Blunt walked out of Oppenheimer‘s London premiere as a show of support.
The fact that neither actors nor writers could promote the projects in which they had participated delayed premieres of expected titles such as Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part Two or Luca Guadagnino’s Challengers, both scheduled for the second half of 2023 and now awaiting release in 2024.
However, the actors’ guild has not had any rapprochement with the AMPTP since last July 12, when negotiations for their collective bargaining agreement ended abruptly and without any consensus. For more than four months, Hollywood screenwriters have been demanding from the studios minimum staffing for the so-called “mini rooms,” the name was given to the rooms where scripts are written for series that have not yet been approved.
They also asked for an increase in the residual rights fee and for it to be subject to the actual number of reproductions accumulated. Another key point was the writers’ demand that studios not allow artificial intelligence systems to train on the scripts of other professionals and that they ensure the protection of their salary and their credit as original creators.
The Hollywood writers’ strike, which began on May 2, has cost the U.S. economy about $5 billion. As noted above, in addition to salary-related issues, writers fear the impact of artificial intelligence that could come to replace their talents.
Negotiations also broke down over staffing levels and royalty payments writers receive for streaming programs. They complain that those royalties are only a fraction of the earnings they would get if it were a TV show. Traditionally, writers received additional payments when their shows were repeated on a television network. However, this model was disrupted with the advent of streaming.
As a result, part of the payments writers receive today generally include a certain amount of money intended to offset the royalties they are not receiving for reruns on television.
This story was written in Spanish by Miguel Fernández in Cultura Colectiva
