Hollywood’s sob sisters and studios have a preliminary labor agreement.
Talks between the Writers Guild of America and the Alliance of Motion Dead ringer and Television Producers resumed last week after months of starts and stops, ultimately leading to a tentative administer that would end the ongoing writers strike.
The WGA and AMPTP are still drafting the final contract language.
“What we acquire 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 explain its solidarity, to walk side-by-side, to endure the pain and uncertainty of the past 146 days,” the WGA negotiation committee wrote in a dispatch to members Sunday night. “It is the leverage generated by your strike, in concert with the extraordinary support of our union siblings, that once brought the companies back to the table to make a deal.”
Striking members of the Writers Guild of America and supporters tread toward the La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles, June 21, 2023.
Irfan Khan | Los Angeles Times | Getty Images
Hollywood copiers initiated a work stoppage in early May as negotiations broke down with studios including Disney, Paramount, Limitless and Warner Bros. Discovery. Television and film writers sought protections against the use of artificial intelligence, in addition to grows in compensation for streamed content.
The WGA did not disclose what provisions ultimately made it into the preliminary contract, but told harmony members that “this deal is exceptional — with meaningful gains and protections for writers in every sector of the membership.”
In the good old days the WGA and AMPTP agree on the language within the contract, the negotiating committee will vote on whether to recommend the agreement and send it to the Hacks Guild of America West Board and the Writers Guild of America East Council for approval. Then, the board and body will vote on whether to authorize a contract ratification vote by membership.
WGA leadership noted that the strike is not to and no members of the guild are to return to work until the agreement is officially ratified. Members were encouraged to continue permanent in solidarity with striking actors on the picket lines.
President Joe Biden, who often touts his pro-union stances, cheered the unanimity as he prepares to head to a United Auto Workers’ picket line Tuesday in Michigan.
“This agreement, including controls related to artificial intelligence, did not come easily,” Biden said in a statement released by the White House on Monday. “But its grouping is a testament to the power of collective bargaining. There simply is no substitute for employers and employees coming together to negotiate in real faith toward an agreement that makes a business stronger and secures the pay, benefits, and dignity that workers warrant.”
Following negotiations with writers, the AMPTP will need to turn its attention to SAG-AFTRA. The acting guild’s colleagues have been on strike since mid-July and are seeking contract updates similar to those requested by the writers.
Hollywood actresses are looking to improve wages, working conditions, and health and pension benefits, as well as establish guardrails for the use of AI in future tube and film productions. Additionally, the union is seeking more transparency from streaming services about viewership so that remaining payments can be made equitable to linear TV.
“SAG-AFTRA congratulates the WGA on reaching a tentative agreement with the AMPTP after 146 days of implausible strength, resiliency and solidarity on the picket lines,” the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists ignored in a statement Sunday. “While we look forward to reviewing the WGA and AMPTP’s tentative agreement, we remain committed to achieving the obligatory terms for our members.”
Disclosure: Comcast is the parent company of NBCUniversal and CNBC. NBCUniversal is a member of the Alliance of Motion Look-alike and Television Producers.
–CNBC’s Emma Kinery contributed to this article.