WGA releases details of new MBA contract, puts end to labor strike.

After nearly five months, the Writers Guild of America strike reached a conclusion Tuesday night after members of the organization's board voted to accept a new MBA contract.

As of 12:01 a.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2023, writers are free to return to work.

While the deal is not official until the ratification vote is completed in the week of Oct. 9, the WGAW and WGAE voted to end the restraining order and strike in order to allow writers to immediately return to work without risking their voting rights.

This means that certain shows, such as late-night and daytime interview shows could return to production by the start of next week.

The approval of the deal means details were revealed by the WGA.

The MBA will be in effect until May 1, 2026, and much of the deal will carry over from the 2020 agreement.

A minimum yearly 3% wage increase is the first point of the contract, with an immediate 5% increase upon the ratification of the deal.

A 0.5% increase in the union’s health fund is also applied during the three-year term.

Other changes were made to screenwriter employment, largely in favor of the writers.

Any writer hired to write a first draft of a screenplay is now guaranteed a “second step” for 200% of the minimum contract. This means production companies can no longer boot writers after taking in their ideas.

There is also an accelerated payment structure for flat payment deals, now requiring 50% of the payment to be due at signing.

Further increases for staff paid weekly of at least 3.5% will also begin to be implemented,

One of the sticking points to the strike was an ask for regulations on the use of artificial intelligence in the writing process. This was heavily addressed in the contract.

Producers cannot use artificial intelligence to write scripts or rewrite a script in order to take away a writer’s credit for a film. Companies may not force writers to use AI, but writers can use the services if approved by their bosses.

Companies must also disclose to writers when any materials provided to them are a product of artificial intelligence.

Lastly, the WGA is given the right to disallow writers’ work to be used to train an artificial intelligence system.

These terms offer protection from production companies implementing AI to take jobs away from WGA members or limit the payments made to writing staff.

The final main issue addressed in the new agreement is residuals and compensation for streaming productions.

Residuals are increased across the board for any program sold to a foreign streaming service, as well as prorated increases depending on the size of the service.

Writers will also now be paid viewership-based residuals on streaming services and production companies are required to share viewership data with the WGA.

All of these terms amount to a favorable deal for the Writers Guild of America and a deal that should remain past the 2026 end date and avoid another strike.

Currently, the SAG-AFTRA actors’ strike continues without a deal in place.

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