Hollywood Writers Return to Work as WGA, AMPTP Finalize Deal
By Movieguide® Contributor
The writers’ strike officially ended on Wednesday as union members returned to work following the ratification of the proposed contract.
The WGA and AMPTP came to an “exceptional” deal on Sunday, addressing the concerns of writers across every sector of the union’s membership. With the negotiation committee’s enthusiastic support, the deal was approved by the WGA West Board and WGA East Council before being sent to the union’s over 11,000 members for ratification.
CNBC reports that the deal will go into effect Jan. 1 and last until May 2024.
The agreement increases the minimum pay for most members by 5%, followed by a 4% increase next year and a 3.5% increase the year after, per NBC News.
New terms for streaming services will also increase the writer’s pay, adding a bonus for hours streamed and a flat acquisition fee. The deal further breaks down pay between subscription-based streaming and ad-supported streaming.
To protect job security, the deal introduced a minimum writer requirement ranging from 3-6 writers, depending on the duration of the project. To promote writers rising through the ranks in production, the deal also requires that at least three writers are brought beyond the writers’ room into the production stage of the project.
As for AI, the technology will be readily available to writers—with consent from the production company they are under—at no detriment to their pay or credit. Furthermore, companies cannot force writers to use AI tools, and they have to be transparent if they are giving writers materials generated by AI.
This landmark deal covers all of the issues that caused the writers to strike in the first place. Questions of pay and job security were both addressed, as was the hot topic of AI. The allowance for AI to be used in the writer’s room is notable because, for a majority of the strike, the WGA claimed this would be impossible to allow.
With writers back to work, the AMPTP now shifts its focus to the actors who are striking under many of the same concerns as the writers. Their deal, however, might yet be a ways off as their concerns with AI are not as easily solved.
Movieguide® previously reported:
Deadline reported, “SAG-AFTRA might see the WGA deal, if not as a ‘pattern’ to follow, then at least as a template to build upon. This could be the case for many, but certainly not all, of SAG-AFTRA’s demands for better wages, a whole new way of calculating streaming residuals and safeguards against potential abuses arising from the use of artificial intelligence.”
Former television executive and film producer Tom Nunan believes that the WGA agreement will make studios more open to negotiations with SAG-AFTRA. He points out that the strikes benefited studios financially, but that benefit is about to come to an end. So, SAG-AFTRA negotiations will become necessary.
Studios “were really in the red, and they needed to pull back and contract. So in many ways the strike played right in the media companies hands because they were able to incur tremendous savings,” Nunan said. “They knew if they could sweat out a strike they would make Wall Street very happy.”
Other sources also agree that the AMPTP will be more receptive to discussions due to the WGA accord and that SAG-AFTRA negotiations will start soon. After SAG-AFTRA, next up will be IETSE and AFM.
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Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.
What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.
You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.
Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.
