For the first time in almost five months, the WGA and AMPTP have reached tentative agreement to end the strike. The writers strike began on May 2 and a joint statement released by the WGA and AMPTP via Deadline reads, “The Writers Guild has reached tentative agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers to end its strike after nearly five months. The parties finalized the framework of the deal Sunday when they were able to untangle their stalemate over AI and writing room staffing levels.”
The meeting between the WGA and AMPTP Sunday, was not the first one since the start of the strike. There have been multiple attempts to reach an agreement that resulted in stalemate and continuation of the strike. Details on the tentative agreement have not been disclosed. The WGA negotiating committee, led by Ellen Stutzman, will vote on if they recommend the agreement and if it will be forwarded to the WGAE Council and WGAW Board to be approved. This vote is scheduled for Tuesday. According to Deadline, “Pending those votes, the WGA told its members that it is still on strike, but that all picketing is hereby suspended.”
SAG-AFTRA has been on strike alongside writers for more than two months, starting July 14. The WGA has made the request not to return to writing until an agreement has also been reached between SAG-AFTRA and the AMPTP, via Deadline, “…reflective of the WGA’s feeling of solidarity between the two unions that has characterized their first mutual strike since 1960.” WGA members were told that if they choose so, they could return to work during the ratification vote if it is voted by the boards that the strike for writers is over; if the vote is to end the strike, it will take several days before it is official.
With this positive progress for writers, attention now turns to SAG-AFTRA members who are still on strike and if an agreement between them and the AMPTP is in the foreseeable future.