WGA And Studios Reach Tentative Agreement To End Strike
After 146 days, the ongoing Writers Guild of America strike may be coming to an end.
According to an official statement released by the WGA, the guild has reached a tentative agreement with the AMPTP, the group representing the Hollywood studios in the negotiations. However, there are still several steps in the process: the WGA Negotiating Committee still need to officially vote on whether to send this deal to the WGAW Board and WGAE Council, who will then decide whether or not to authorize a vote among the striking members to ratify the agreement. Until then, the strike will continue, but picketing has been suspended. Anything can still happen, and the writers may choose to reject this deal if it does not satisfy their demands.
We here at /Film have not been shy about our support for the striking writers, and we're hopeful and eager for them to receive a fair deal that allows them to continue creating the stories that fuel the shows and movies we have literally dedicated our lives to covering. In the age of streaming and AI, any potential deal needs to safeguard the industry and those who work in it for generations to come. A proper deal will need to be one of historic proportions, and we can only hope that the studios have finally made the decision to do the right thing and properly compensate the storytellers whose work makes this industry function at its most basic level.
Even if the WGA strike concludes in the coming days, the Screen Actors Guild strike will continue. As with the writers, we hope they fight for every penny they've earned, and will earn, as the industry sprints into a new age.
We have included the complete statement from the WGA below, and will further cover this story as more details emerge.
The complete WGA statement
Dear Members,
We have reached a tentative agreement on a new 2023 MBA, which is to say an agreement in principle on all deal points, subject to drafting final contract language.
What we have won in this contract—most particularly, everything we have gained since May 2nd—is due to the willingness of this membership to exercise its power, to demonstrate its solidarity, to walk side-by-side, to endure the pain and uncertainty of the past 146 days. It is the leverage generated by your strike, in concert with the extraordinary support of our union siblings, that finally brought the companies back to the table to make a deal.
We can say, with great pride, that this deal is exceptional—with meaningful gains and protections for writers in every sector of the membership.
What remains now is for our staff to make sure everything we have agreed to is codified in final contract language. And though we are eager to share the details of what has been achieved with you, we cannot do that until the last "i" is dotted. To do so would complicate our ability to finish the job. So, as you have been patient with us before, we ask you to be patient again—one last time.
Once the Memorandum of Agreement with the AMPTP is complete, the Negotiating Committee will vote on whether to recommend the agreement and send it on to the WGAW Board and WGAE Council for approval. The Board and Council will then vote on whether to authorize a contract ratification vote by the membership.
If that authorization is approved, the Board and Council would also vote on whether to lift the restraining order and end the strike at a certain date and time (to be determined) pending ratification. This would allow writers to return to work during the ratification vote, but would not affect the membership's right to make a final determination on contract approval.
Immediately after those leadership votes, which are tentatively scheduled for Tuesday if the language is settled, we will provide a comprehensive summary of the deal points and the Memorandum of Agreement. We will also convene meetings where members will have the opportunity to learn more about and assess the deal before voting on ratification.
To be clear, no one is to return to work until specifically authorized to by the Guild. We are still on strike until then. But we are, as of today, suspending WGA picketing. Instead, if you are able, we encourage you to join the SAG-AFTRA picket lines this week.
Finally, we appreciated your patience as you waited for news from us—and had to fend off rumors—during the last few days of the negotiation. Please wait for further information from the Guild. We will have more to share with you in the coming days, as we finalize the contract language and go through our unions' processes.
As always, thank you for your support. You will hear from us again very soon.
In solidarity,
WGA Negotiating Committee