Television studios and film studios across Hollywood reached a tentative agreement on September 24 after a marathon of negotiations, paving the way for ending the strike that has left Hollywood’s activities ground to a halt.
The terms of the new agreement however are still unknown and it still needs to be ratified by the Writers Guild Association (WGA). The WGA represents more than 11,000 writers.
The WGA said that the deal was an exceptional one with gains and protections fro writers in every sector of the membership.
“To be clear, no one is to return to work until specifically authorized by the guild. We are still on strike until then. But we are as of today, suspending the WGA picketing.” Writers are expected to return to work within this week.
The Hollywood strikes have made a huge impact on the economy with a loss of more than $5 billion.
The bone of contention for WGA have been the loss of income for writers as traditional revenue streams decline due to streaming services and the advent of AI.
Writers have said that they cannot afford to live under the current pay structure and fewer job opportunities. Many successful and even award-winning writers have found themselves unable to make a paycheck and the rise of artificial intelligence has also left them more vulnerable.
SAG-AFTRA, which is the union that represents actors, has also been on strike since July. SAG-AFTRA represents about 160,000 actors.
Biden’s support
President Joe Biden also commended the tentative agreement saying that employers should compensate workers fairly.
Biden said that the writers agreement is a testament to the power of collective bargaining. “I urge all employers to remember that all workers – including writers, actors and autoworkers – deserve a fair share of the value their labor helped create.”
Biden is also scheduled to travel to Michigan on September 27 to support the United Auto Workers who are currently on strike.
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