WGA, AMPTP Reach Exceptional Tentative Agreement to End US Writers Strike

The Writers Guild of America (WGA) and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) have reached a tentative agreement to end the nearly five-month-long US writers' strike.

The Writers Guild of America (WGA) and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) have come to a tentative agreement to bring an end to the extensive five-month-long writers' strike in the United States.

In an announcement on Sunday night, the WGA stated that they had reached "an agreement in principle on all deal points" with the AMPTP for a new three-year deal, pending the finalization of contract language.

The WGA described the agreement as "exceptional," but it still needs to be ratified by the guild's members. The specific terms of the agreement have not yet been disclosed and will be revealed to members during the ratification process.

On Tuesday, the leadership teams at WGA East and WGA West will vote on whether to recommend the deal to their 11,000 members. If approved, a ratification vote will be conducted among the entire WGA membership, although a date for this vote has not been determined.

The guild expressed their gratitude to their members for their solidarity and perseverance throughout the strike, stating that the gains made in this contract were a result of the membership's willingness to exercise their power and demonstrate unity.

While the details of the agreement have not been disclosed, the WGA assured its members that their staff is working diligently to ensure that everything agreed upon is properly documented in the final contract language. They emphasized that they are eager to share the achievements with their members, but will only do so once all the details have been finalized.

The strike has had a significant impact on the Californian economy, with estimates suggesting a loss of around $5 billion. The resolution of the WGA-AMPTP dispute brings hope for the industry's recovery.

Negotiations resumed on Wednesday, with studio heads personally participating in the bargaining process. Marathon negotiating sessions took place on Friday and Saturday before the agreement was reached on Sunday evening, bringing a sense of relief to the industry.

The use of artificial intelligence and minimum staffing were reportedly the primary sticking points during the negotiations. However, the finer details of how these issues were resolved have not been disclosed.

With the writers' strike resolved, the studios can now focus on negotiating with the actors' union, SAG-AFTRA, which has been on strike since July 14. Official negotiations between SAG-AFTRA and the AMPTP have not taken place since the actors initiated the strike.