Labor negotiations between the striking Writers Guild of America (WGA) and Hollywood studios resumed on Tuesday. However, despite some concessions on both sides, it appears that the stalemate is far from over.
As of late Tuesday afternoon, neither side had publicly commented on the status of the talks. Last Friday, negotiators for the WGA and Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) met for the first time since the writers went on strike on May 2. During this meeting, the AMPTP provided counterproposals to the union’s demands.
According to Deadline, the sides met again on Tuesday afternoon, with the session ending with “mixed results.” Variety reported that the WGA softened its stance on certain issues, such as reducing its demand for a minimum writing staff size for TV productions. However, they remain far apart on other key areas.
The WGA was not impressed with the AMPTP’s offer to give showrunners more authority over the size of writing staffs. The studios have also not agreed to the union’s demand for higher compensation for writers on streaming programs with higher viewership. While the studios have agreed to provide the union with more data on the number of hours streaming programs are viewed, they have not agreed to tie that number to compensation.
In addition, Bloomberg reported on Monday that the studios’ offer included an agreement that only humans would be credited as writers on screenplays, not artificial intelligence bots. This move aligns with the union’s effort to ensure that AI does not undermine writers’ compensation or credit.
It is unclear when the two sides plan to meet again. While many observers are optimistic that the union and studios returned to the bargaining table, it is evident that more discussions are necessary to reach an agreement.
Meanwhile, writers continued to picket on Tuesday, including a march outside the “Jeopardy!” studio in Culver City. The WGA organized the picket to protest the game show, which began filming with recycled questions. According to Polygon, the show invited some previous contestants to participate in a “Second Chance” tournament. However, this offer forced contestants to cross the WGA picket line.
The WGA strike reached its 100th day last Wednesday, matching the duration of the union’s last walkout in 2007-08. The previous strike cost the local economy between $2 billion and $3 billion. The current strike is expected to have an even greater impact, as it marks the first double-barreled strike in Hollywood in 63 years, with the SAG-AFTRA actors union also on strike since July 14.
The WGA is pushing for improvements in various areas, including higher residual pay for streaming programs with larger viewership and industry standards on the number of writers assigned to each show. They also seek increased foreign streaming residuals and regulations against using artificial intelligence technology for writing or rewriting literary material.
The AMPTP has pushed back against some of the WGA’s demands, particularly around mandatory staffing and employment guarantees. They also disagree with the WGA’s proposal for streaming residuals, claiming it would increase rates by 200%.
The studios generally want the WGA and SAG-AFTRA to agree to terms similar to those approved by the Directors Guild of America, which includes a roughly 12.5% salary increase and an estimated 21% increase in streaming residuals. Additionally, they want assurances that artificial intelligence will not replace human roles.
Overall, negotiations between the WGA and Hollywood studios are ongoing, with both sides needing to bridge the gap on several key issues.
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