After months of strike: US screenwriters and film studios strike deal

In the US, screenwriters and film studios have reached a tentative agreement after a five-month strike. The WGA union is talking about an “extraordinary” settlement. No details were given.

After a nearly five-month strike, a “temporary agreement” is in place between the Screenwriters Guild and America’s major studios and streaming providers.

The Writers Guild of America (WGA) in Los Angeles announced that this is a tentative agreement, which has yet to be finalized.

Details of the deal are still pending

More than 11,000 screenwriters went on strike in early May. The authors called for higher wages, better working conditions, more subsidies for health and retirement benefits, and regulation of the use of artificial intelligence (AI).

“This agreement is exceptional – with significant gains and protections for teachers in every sector of our membership and we can be very proud to say,” the WGA said. However, details cannot be provided yet.

WGA representatives and representatives from the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) sat at the negotiating table for days – the first time in weeks. Disney boss Bob Iger and CEO David Zaslau from media giant Warner Bros. Discovery were said to be in talks.

However, the WGA made it clear that the strike would continue until a final agreement was reached – that WGA members would no longer take to the streets for themselves, but to support the striking actors and actresses as much as possible.

The actors’ strike continues

About 160,000 members of the actors’ union SAG-AFTRA joined the teachers with similar demands. The conflict between the producers and the actors’ union continues to intensify – there have been no talks since the strike began in July.

The first double strike by actors and screenwriters in America in more than 60 years has nearly brought Hollywood to a standstill. Due to labor disputes, practically no films or serials were shot.

Actors are banned from promoting their films due to the strike. Film releases have been postponed and award ceremonies have also been affected. The world’s most important television award, the Emmys – originally scheduled for mid-September – will now not be presented until January 2024.