Contract talks between the striking Writers Guild of America (WGA) and studio representatives are set to continue on Sunday, moving closer to potentially ending a months-long strike that has greatly impacted the entertainment industry, according to multiple media reports.
The two parties met on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., accompanied by attorneys who reviewed the details of what is expected to be a three-year contract. Following the meeting, the WGA and AMPTP (Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers) released a joint statement announcing that they will meet again on Sunday, making it the fifth consecutive day of negotiations.
Representatives from the WGA and AMPTP previously met on Wednesday for the first time since mid-August. Since then, they have been meeting daily. In attendance during the negotiations on Friday were the major studio heads commonly referred to as the “Gang of Four” – Ted Sarandos from Netflix, Bob Iger from Disney, Donna Langley from Universal, and David Zaslav from Warner Bros/Discovery. Governor Gavin Newsom has also been participating via phone, according to Deadline.com.
CNN reported that by Saturday afternoon, the studio heads were no longer present in the negotiating room, indicating that significant issues may have been resolved.
The strike began on May 2 when the writers walked off the job. The SAG-AFTRA actors’ union joined them on the picket line in July. There have been no negotiations between the studios and SAG-AFTRA since the actors’ strike began.
Both unions are advocating for protections against the use of artificial intelligence and improvements in salary, including higher residuals for successful streaming programs.
Earlier this month, negotiations seemed to have reached a stalemate. The WGA negotiating team then suggested that some traditional Hollywood studios should break away from the AMPTP and negotiate directly with the writers’ union. The WGA claimed to have had discussions with certain studio executives who believed a quick deal was possible.
The AMPTP, however, issued a statement emphasizing that all of its members are committed to working together within the alliance to reach a fair deal for all studios.
The dispute over who should represent the studios appears to have paved the way for the current negotiations.
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