Writers strike deal explained—three key takeaways

The Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike is set to end after almost five months, after a tentative agreement was reached with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP).

Both parties outlined a deal on Sunday, after they were able to come to an agreement regarding such contentious issues as writing room staff levels. The industrial action has seen a number of shows taken off the air until resolution.

Members of the WGA hit the picket lines at the start of May after negotiations over contractual terms, including pay, broke down. The studios’ refusal to rule out artificial intelligence one day replacing human workers escalated the tensions. The AMPTP comprises the major studios: Netflix, Amazon, Apple, Disney, Warner Bros., NBC Universal, Sony and Paramount.

There have also been issues with actors and screenwriters’ compensation not correlating with the billions of streams that shows and films now often draw.

In July, the Screen Actors Guild—American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) announced that its 160,000 members would also go on strike, amid issues including pay structure. This has essentially shut down Hollywood for months, marking the first time in more than 60 years that both groups had staged a walkout.

In a statement shared with Newsweek at the time, representatives of AMPTP said that the trade association “presented a deal that offered historic pay and residual increases, substantially higher caps on pension and health contributions, audition protections, shortened series option periods, and a groundbreaking AI proposal that protects actors’ digital likenesses for SAG-AFTRA members.”

“A strike is certainly not the outcome we hoped for as studios cannot operate without the performers that bring our TV shows and films to life,” the statement continued. “The Union has regrettably chosen a path that will lead to financial hardship for countless thousands of people who depend on the industry.”

After months of what appeared to be a stalemate between writers and the AMPTP, it was announced on Sunday that an agreement has been struck.

Three Key Takeaways

There are three key takeaways from the WGA’s statement shared with its members. WGA writers will not be returning to work immediately (the last WGA strike in 2007-2008 saw a tentative agreement reached on the 96th day, but the walkout wasn’t over until it rolled over into its 100th day).

Secondly, while picketing has been suspended, WGA members have been encouraged to continue supporting the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike. In a statement shared on X, formerly Twitter, SAG-AFTRA said that it is willing to resume negotiations with the AMPTP.

The third takeaway is that whatever is agreed and ironed out between the WGA and the AMPTP is not an immediate given. Once factors within the deal have been settled upon, members will be required to ratify them through a vote.

The full statement shared with WGA members on Sunday is below.

Dear Members,

We have reached a tentative agreement on a new 2023 MBA [minimum basic agreement], which is to say an agreement in principle on all deal points, subject to drafting final contract language.

What we have won in this contract—most particularly, everything we have gained since May 2nd—is due to the willingness of this membership to exercise its power, to demonstrate its solidarity, to walk side-by-side, to endure the pain and uncertainty of the past 146 days. It is the leverage generated by your strike, in concert with the extraordinary support of our union siblings, that finally brought the companies back to the table to make a deal.

We can say, with great pride, that this deal is exceptional—with meaningful gains and protections for writers in every sector of the membership.

What remains now is for our staff to make sure everything we have agreed to is codified in final contract language. And though we are eager to share the details of what has been achieved with you, we cannot do that until the last “i” is dotted. To do so would complicate our ability to finish the job. So, as you have been patient with us before, we ask you to be patient again—one last time.

Once the Memorandum of Agreement with the AMPTP is complete, the Negotiating Committee will vote on whether to recommend the agreement and send it on to the WGAW Board and WGAE Council for approval. The Board and Council will then vote on whether to authorize a contract ratification vote by the membership.

If that authorization is approved, the Board and Council would also vote on whether to lift the restraining order and end the strike at a certain date and time (to be determined) pending ratification. This would allow writers to return to work during the ratification vote, but would not affect the membership’s right to make a final determination on contract approval.

Immediately after those leadership votes, which are tentatively scheduled for Tuesday if the language is settled, we will provide a comprehensive summary of the deal points and the Memorandum of Agreement. We will also convene meetings where members will have the opportunity to learn more about and assess the deal before voting on ratification.

To be clear, no one is to return to work until specifically authorized to by the Guild. We are still on strike until then. But we are, as of today, suspending WGA picketing. Instead, if you are able, we encourage you to join the SAG-AFTRA picket lines this week.

Finally, we appreciated your patience as you waited for news from us—and had to fend off rumors—during the last few days of the negotiation. Please wait for further information from the Guild. We will have more to share with you in the coming days, as we finalize the contract language and go through our unions’ processes.

As always, thank you for your support. You will hear from us again very soon.

In solidarity,

WGA Negotiating Committee