The writers strike which has dragged on for 148 days has come to an end as the WGA (Writers Guild of America) agreed to a deal.
Governing boards for the union voted to accept a new contract on Tuesday, effectively ending the strike and allowing writers to get back to work beginning at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday.
“The WGAW Board and WGAE Council also voted to lift the restraining order and end the strike as of 12:01 am PT/3:01 am ET on Wednesday, September 27th. This allows writers to return to work during the ratification process, but does not affect the membership’s right to make a final determination on contract approval,” the WGA wrote in a statement.
The three-year agreement addresses the main areas of concern for the union, including increased compensation, guaranteed length of employment, mandated writer’s room staff minimums, and protections against the use of AI (artificial intelligence).
The contract won’t be officially accepted until it’s ratified by union members following a voting period from October 2 until October 9. If certain portions aren’t passed, the strike could resume.
Specifically, the contract guarantees 5% raises in the first year, 4% raises in the second year, and 3.5% in the third. Health fund contributions will increase to 12% of the companies’ reportable earnings, per CNN, and writers working on the same script will no longer need to split pension and health contributions.
The outlet noted that for big streaming projects, including feature-length productions with a budget of at least $30 million, writer compensation will increase 18% to $100,000 minimum. Writers will also receive an increased percentage of residual pay for streaming projects they’ve worked on, and companies agreed to be more transparent about reporting viewership numbers.
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As for the AI concerns, the document states that “AI can’t write or rewrite literary material.”
Despite the agreement, Hollywood can’t get back up and running like normal until the SAG-AFTRA strike is also resolved. That union went on strike beginning July 14.
A SAG-AFTRA spokesperson said the union is “reviewing the WGA’s tentative agreement and are committed to achieving a fair and just deal for our members.”
“We remain on strike in our TV/Theatrical/Streaming contract and will inform our members when there is negotiations news to share. We will not speculate regarding schedule or next steps,” the spokesperson told CNN.