The second-longest in history by the Writers Guild of America (WGA) against the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) has finally come to an end. WGA East President Lisa Takeuchi Cullen and WGA West President Meredith Stiehm announced this week that the members of the guild have voted to ratify the new Minimum Basic Agreement (MBA), bringing an official end to the guild’s strike.
WGA MEMBERS OVERWHELMINGLY VOTE TO RATIFY THE 2023 MBA BRINGING AN OFFICIAL END TO THE STRIKE
According to WGA’s announcement, guild members voted overwhelmingly in favor of ratifying the 2023 MBA. 8,525 votes cast “yes” in favor of the MBA, with only 90 voting “no” against the agreement. That amounts to 99% of the voting members voting yes and only 1% voting no. You can read more of the specifics of the new agreement the guild negotiated with the AMPTP HERE.
The new MBA will run from Sept. 25, 2023 through May 1, 2026. This at least partially brings an end to the longest entertainment work industry stoppage since the COVID-19 pandemic, along with the second-longest WGA strike ever, the longest being the strike from 1988. The WGA leadership also issued the following statement on the MBA’s ratification by its members:
“We would not have been able to achieve this industry-changing contract without WGA Chief Negotiator Ellen Stutzman, Negotiating Committee Cochairs Chris Keyser and David Goodman, the entire WGA Negotiating Committee, strike captains, lot coordinators, and the staff that supported every part of the negotiation and strike action.
As our negotiations come to an end, we won’t forget our SAG-AFTRA siblings who have supported writers every step of the way. We call upon the AMPTP to negotiate a deal that addresses the needs of performers and, until they do, we ask WGA members who can to continue to show up on their picket lines in solidarity.”
– Meredith Stiehm, WGAW President; Lisa Takeuchi Cullen, WGAE President
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The boards for both WGA West and East voted to submit the tentative agreement to its members for ratification on Sept. 27, with the voting period opening on Oct. 2. It finally closed at 1:00 p.m. PST on Monday (Oct. 9).
With the strike over, writers are now able to return to daytime and late-night talk shows, some of which have already begun producing new episodes again. Comedy Central recently announced that The Daily Show will be back with new episodes starting Oct. 16. Late Night With Seth Meyers and Last Week Tonight With John Oliver have already returned to the airwaves after the WGA reached a new deal and members were given the green light to return to work.
Besides an increase in residuals, as noted by Variety, the new contract will provide writers with a bonus for top-performing shows on streaming platforms. The contract also establishes staffing minimums for writers’ rooms. Studios had previously resisted both of those terms, claiming they’d be “non-starters.”
Another major argument during the strikes was the protection for workers regarding generative AI. The new agreement reportedly has a framework for the use of AI, which will allow the writers to make use of the technology without undermining their credit or compensation. Variety reports that the guild was not able to get one of their key demands on AI, which is a provision forbidding studios from training AI systems on screenwriters’ work. It’s also noted that the issue may have to be resolved by arbitration or court decisions.
This currently leaves the actors union, SAG-AFTRA, still on strike against the AMPTP. SAG-AFTRA declared its own labor strike against the organization representing the studios and major streamers on July 14. It brought a halt to many major productions and shows, including Marvel’s Deadpool 3, Beetlejuice 2, Gladiator 2, Venom 3, and Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part 2.
SAG-AFTRA and the AMPTP recently started up negotiations once again and announced that they would continue them today (Oct. 11). SAG-AFTRA is seeking many similar changes as the writers, including an increase in wages and residuals, along with protections against generative AI.
What do you think of the news? Are you happy that the WGA strike has finally been resolved? Do you think the SAG-AFTRA strike will finally come to an end soon? How do you think the AMPTP handled the negotiations? Let us know your thoughts about the news on The Illuminerdi’s social media.
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