“We have managed to reach a preliminary agreement,” reads a joint statement from the WGA (Writers’ Guild of America) and AMPTP (Association of American Motion Picture and Television Producers). After five days of long negotiations, the filmmakers reached a compromise on all points of the dispute. Details of the agreement have not yet been disclosed, but the writers emphasize that after 146 days of strikes, they managed to obtain “significant benefits and protection for creators.”
No more screenwriters’ strikes. The filmmakers signed an agreement
The next step in a settlement between the parties is a vote by the WGA negotiating committee, chaired by Ellen Stutzman. Voting on “recommending the contract and submitting it for approval to the WGAW management board and the WGAE council” is scheduled for Tuesday, September 26. The trade union represents 11,500 screenwriters working in film and television productions.
Due to the agreement, the WGA suspended all pickets, but did not officially end the strike, this will only be possible after the vote. One of the important points over which long negotiations took place was the schedule and conditions for the return of filmmakers to work.
The writers’ strike lasted almost five months
According to Deadline, the Writers’ Guild has urged the creators not to return to work for now. We will have to wait a few more days for official approval of the end of the strikes. During the last WGA strike at the turn of 2007 and 2008, the agreement was signed on the 96th day of the protests, and the strike officially ended four days later.
The WGA strike began on May 2, 2023. Filmmakers demanded permanent employment and stable contracts instead of cooperation that would ensure their security even during the crisis. In addition, they negotiated wages, which decreased significantly due to inflation. However, the scriptwriters demanded not only higher salaries, but also increased contributions to health and pension funds. Additionally, the creators called for the introduction of streaming royalties, which currently do not cover them, and an agreement on the participation of artificial intelligence in the creation of new productions
Source: Gazeta
Bruce is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment . He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the industry.
