Hollywood studios and striking screenwriters may resume contract negotiations next week, according to a statement released by the studios on Thursday. This development could potentially mark a turning point in the strike, which is now in its fifth month.
The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, representing entertainment companies, and the Writers Guild of America, representing over 11,000 television and film writers, have been engaged in disputes over procedure. Last month, the studios made an improved offer for a new three-year contract and, in an unprecedented move, publicly disclosed the details in hopes of appeasing guild members and pressuring their leaders to reach an agreement.
Union leaders, who criticized the disclosure, have maintained that it is up to the studios to further improve their offer. The studios have rejected this demand, arguing that they would essentially be negotiating against themselves.
According to a statement from the studio alliance, the Writers Guild made a move on Wednesday.
“The W.G.A. reached out to the A.M.P.T.P. and asked for a meeting to move negotiations forward,” the alliance said. “We have agreed and are working to schedule a meeting for next week.” The alliance expressed an eagerness to reach an agreement and expressed its commitment to working together with the Writers Guild to end the strike.
The Writers Guild has not immediately responded to a request for comment.
Amidst frustration from prominent members such as Ryan Murphy (“American Horror Story”), Kenya Barris (“black-ish”), Noah Hawley (“Fargo”), and Dan Fogelman (“This Is Us”), the union reached out to the studios. Some of these members have raised pointed questions, urging union leaders to negotiate with studio representatives until an agreement is reached. Others have requested a meeting to understand the union’s strategy for ending the strike.
The strike has had a devastating financial impact on individuals within the entertainment industry. Showrunners like Mr. Murphy employ thousands of crew members and are constantly questioned about when work will resume, despite having no answers.
At 136 days, this strike is one of the longest in the history of the Writers Guild, surpassed only by the 153-day strike in 1988. The union considers this moment to be “existential,” arguing that the streaming era has negatively affected their members’ working conditions and compensation.
Studios have defended their proposal, claiming to offer the highest wage increase for writers in over three decades. They have also shown willingness to address concerns about artificial intelligence and discuss minimum staffing requirements in television writers’ rooms.
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