Hollywood writers have voted overwhelmingly in favor of the contract agreement proposed by their union leaders, effectively ending a nearly five-month-long strike. Meanwhile, actors continue their negotiations to resolve their ongoing strike.
Quick Facts
- Vote Outcome: The Writers Guild of America announced a 99% approval rate from the 8,525 members who participated in the vote.
- Contract Highlights: The agreement includes significant improvements in payment, show staff sizes, and control over artificial intelligence in scripts.
- Actors’ Strike: The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists remains in contract negotiations with studios, three months into their strike.
The ratified agreement has been lauded by union leaders and members alike, marking significant advancements in writers’ rights and benefits. “Together we were able to accomplish what many said was impossible only six months ago,” stated Meredith Stiehm, president of the WGA-East.
On the other hand, the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists is still in the midst of negotiations with studios. Their discussions have been more deliberate compared to the writers’ negotiations, and the progress remains uncertain. Writers guild leaders have expressed solidarity with the actors, pledging to picket alongside them until an agreement is reached.
The newly approved writers’ contract will remain in effect until May 1, 2026. Following direct negotiations involving top executives from Disney, Netflix, and Warner Bros. Discovery, a preliminary agreement was reached on September 24. The strike officially concluded two days later, allowing writers to return to work. This swift transition saw late-night talk shows resuming broadcasts within a week and other programs, including “Saturday Night Live,” following suit shortly after.
The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, representing various studios, streaming services, and production companies, commended the writers on their vote. Their statement highlighted the contract’s “meaningful gains and protections for writers” and celebrated the writers’ return to work as a significant step forward for the industry.
Original article source: DNYUZ
