WGA & AMPTP tentatively agree to end writers strike

After a five-month strike that saw a halt in film production and led to picketing by the Writers Guild of America (WGA), the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) struck a tentative agreement to end hostilities between the organizations.

A statement issued by the WGA Sunday night affirmed to its members, “We have reached a tentative agreement on a new 2023 MBA, which is to say an agreement in principle on all deal points, subject to drafting final contract language.”

While the details of the agreement are currently unknown, the primary matters in the origin of the strike included residuals from content placed on streaming services, staffing in writers’ rooms and the implementation of artificial intelligence in the film writing sphere.

The root of all these issues is the rise of streaming in the time since the last updated agreement between the two groups.

With the vast amount of services looking for content, more shows are being created on a smaller budget which has led to writers being underpaid, working on short staff, facing unfair labor practices and not earning residuals the same way they have on prior media.

Residuals are a payment given to actors and writers every time their show or movie is aired on television or other outlets. However, these have not been provided to writers for shows continuously viewed on streaming platforms.

The writers claim an increase of writers working for minimum basic agreements and a lack of protections offered for writers working for streaming shows.

The AMPTP originally offered a pay increase that was unsuitable to the WGA, while also refusing commitment on AI and residuals.

While the WGA is still on strike until the deal is approved, it has agreed to immediately end its picketing campaign.

The next step comes in a vote by the WGA negotiating committee, tentatively scheduled for Tuesday, to decide whether or not to recommend the agreement to the Writers Guild of America West (WGAW) Board and Writers Guild of America East (WGAE) Council for approval.

Following approval of the agreement, these boards could then vote to lift the strike “restraining order” and allow writers to return to work during the ratification process. However, the Guild is likely to continue to hold out until the AMPTP also constructs an agreement with SAG-AFTRA in an act of solidarity with the actors continuing to strike.

If the deal is finalized this week, the first noteworthy event can be the imminent return of late-night television, as the SAG-AFTRA strike holds no bearing on these productions.

This news will also bode well for the economy, as the strike has reportedly cost the state of California around $5 billion dollars over the past five months.

Evan Smith is a third-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email ers5828@psu.edu.