The Writers Guild of America (WGA) has reached a tentative agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) to end the Writers Strike after nearly five months. Both the organisations have finalised the terms of the deal on Sunday, meaning, the final agreement is yet to be announced.
The WGA has been on strike since 2 May 2023. Two major reasons for writers to go on strike are: the prevalence of streaming services and the challenge posed by AI. Writers hence, are struggling to survive. SAG-AFTRA has similar reasons to go on a strike as the WGA. While the production of TV shows and films has been affected, the ripple effects have been felt on the post-production and the VFX industry as well.
“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,” WGA told its members in a statement. MBA stands for “minimum basic agreement,” a contract that WGA enters into with AMPTP to cover the basic benefits and rights of the guild members. “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,” the WGA statement said.
After the Memorandum of Agreement with the AMPTP is complete, WGA’s negotiating committee on Tuesday “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 authorise a contract ratification vote by the membership.”
Will the writers be able to return to work if the WGA board and council vote on whether to lift the restraining order and end the strike at a certain date and time pending ratification? The WGA, however, told its members: “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.”
Now, we are to see whether AMPTP and SAG-AFTRA get on a table to work out an agreement to end the actors’ strike. The WGA and SAG-AFTRA strike has already affected USA’s entertainment industry, costing California’s economy billions of dollars according to reports.