Members of the Writers Guild of America East are joined by SAG-AFTRA members as they picket at the Warner Bros. Discovery NYC office on July 13, 2023 in New York City.
Michael M. Santiago | Getty Images
The Writers Guild of America announced today that it will resume negotiations with Hollywood studios on Wednesday in an effort to end the ongoing strike that has halted productions across the TV and movie industry.
This development comes as the strike enters its 139th day, which has had a significant impact on the entertainment industry since it began on May 2. The union has urged its members to continue participating in picket lines as the talks resume, emphasizing their commitment to securing a fair deal for writers as soon as possible.
A spokesperson for the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, the organization representing the companies, confirmed the resumption of negotiations but provided no additional comments at this time.
The dual strikes led by writers and actors have resulted in the suspension of production for several high-profile shows and films, including “Stranger Things,” Disney and Marvel’s “Blade,” AppleTV+’s “Severance,” and Paramount’s “Evil.” Production companies have suffered financially due to the strikes, with Warner Bros. Discovery warning investors last week of an estimated $300 million to $500 million negative impact on its earnings.
The labor unrest in Hollywood may continue to escalate as visual effects workers also seek better working conditions. Marvel Studios VFX artists, in a groundbreaking move, unanimously voted to join the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees union. The newly formed union is now pursuing negotiations with Marvel, a subsidiary of Disney, to establish a contract.
In recent developments, actors Drew Barrymore and Bill Maher faced widespread criticism when they initially announced the resumption of their talk shows despite the ongoing WGA strike. However, both Barrymore and Maher reversed their decisions this week following the public backlash.
This strike is reminiscent of the 2007 WGA strike, which lasted 100 days and extended into February 2008 before an agreement was reached. The union represents 11,500 screenwriters for film and television and is advocating for standardized compensation and residuals for streaming and theatrical releases. Additionally, they are calling for increased contributions to the pension plan and health fund, as well as the regulation of AI-generated content by the AMPTP.
As negotiations between the Writers Guild of America and the AMPTP show signs of progress, the Screen Actors Guild and American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) continue their strike, which began on July 14. SAG-AFTRA represents around 160,000 actors, media presenters, dancers, and other media professionals. While the WGA resumes talks, SAG-AFTRA has not indicated a specific timeframe for returning to the bargaining table.
However, SAG-AFTRA has granted some independent projects in the U.S. the ability to commence production under an interim agreement. The willingness of SAG-AFTRA to negotiate with the AMPTP may depend on the outcome of negotiations with the WGA.
In a statement issued in August, SAG-AFTRA’s negotiating team affirmed their readiness to resume negotiations and secure a fair deal. They expressed disappointment with the AMPTP’s unwillingness to make necessary concessions to end the strikes, citing the lack of progress in the WGA negotiations as evidence.
Disclosure: Comcast is the parent company of NBCUniversal and CNBC. NBCUniversal is a member of the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. The AMPTP is currently negotiating with striking writers and actors in Hollywood.
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