The Writers Guild of America is set to resume negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers on Friday, marking the first official negotiating session since the strike began on May 2. In an email to its members, the WGA negotiating committee revealed that AMPTP President Carol Lombardini requested a meeting with AMPTP negotiators. The committee expressed their readiness to make a fair deal and emphasized their confidence in the support of the unified WGA membership and their union allies.
There has been no official statement from the AMPTP regarding the resumption of labor talks. The strike, now reaching its 100th day, has matched the duration of the WGA’s previous walkout in 2007-08. Despite a meeting between WGA and AMPTP leaders last Friday to discuss a possible resumption of talks, the two sides remain far apart on key issues such as success-based residuals for streaming content.
Negotiators informed WGA members that the studios appear willing to increase some compensation levels and are open to discussing the use of artificial intelligence. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass expressed optimism about reaching a resolution and acknowledged the significant impact the strike is having on the entertainment industry and the wider economy.
The previous WGA strike in 2007-08 reportedly cost the local economy between $2 to $3 billion. The current strike is expected to have an even more severe impact as actors from SAG-AFTRA have also joined the picket lines, resulting in the first double-barreled strike in Hollywood in 63 years.
Last Thursday, the WGA negotiating committee challenged the studios to offer writers a fair deal and abandon their “anti-union playbook.” The studios responded by dismissing the union’s rhetoric and emphasizing their commitment to getting people back to work. The committee reiterated the writers’ resolve and dismissed suggestions that the strike was having limited impact on studios due to content stockpiles held by streaming services.
The negotiating committee warned the AMPTP against using tactics employed during the 2007-08 strike to spread dissent through the media. The AMPTP responded by stating that their intention in discussing with the WGA was to determine whether there was a willing bargaining partner and expressed their concern over the negative impact the strike has had on the industry.
The WGA is pushing for improvements in various areas, including higher residual pay for streaming programs based on viewership, industry standards for the number of writers assigned to each show, increased foreign streaming residuals, and regulations against the use of artificial intelligence in writing or rewriting literary material.
The AMPTP has pushed back against some of the WGA’s demands, particularly around mandatory staffing and employment guarantees, as well as streaming residuals. They argue that the WGA’s proposal would result in a 200% increase in rates. The use of artificial intelligence has also emerged as a major topic, with the WGA calling for a ban and the AMPTP expressing the need for further discussion due to the creative and legal questions it raises.
Overall, the resumption of contract talks between the WGA and the AMPTP brings hope for a possible resolution to the ongoing strike, although significant differences on key issues still need to be addressed.
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