More than four-and-a-half months after they first went on strike, Hollywood writers have reached a tentative deal with studios on a new labor contract.
The agreement between the Writers Guild of America and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers — the group that represents all major Hollywood studios — was announced Sunday following several marathon bargaining sessions this week in Los Angeles.
Terms of the deal, which were not immediately made public, must still be ratified by the WGA's approximately 11,000 members.
"We can say, with great pride, that this deal is exceptional – with meaningful gains and protections for writers in every sector of the membership," the WGA negotiating committee said in an email to its members Sunday night. "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."
Disney CEO Bob Iger and Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos were among several studio chiefs who took part in negotiations Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, according to the Hollywood Reporter, before the AMPTP on Saturday presented the WGA with its newest proposal.
The two sides then met again on Sunday before the agreement was finalized.
Leadership votes on the agreement were tentatively scheduled for Tuesday, the WGA said. After the new contract is agreed to by leadership, the details will be made available to members and a full vote will be scheduled. Leadership must also still vote to officially end the strike.
"To be clear, no one is to return to work until specifically authorized to by the Guild. We are still on strike until then," the negotiating team said Sunday. "But we are, as of today, suspending WGA picketing."
The AMPTP will likely now turn its attention to resuming talks with the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists. The approximately 65,000 actors in SAG-AFTRA joined the WGA on the picket lines beginning in mid-July, effectively shutting down all scripted production in Hollywood.
It marked the first time the two unions have been on strike simultaneously since 1960, a move that has had a major impact on California's economy. Film and television production accounts for more than 700,000 jobs and nearly $70 billion a year in wages in the state, according to the California Film Commission.
Issues shared by both unions have included increasing residual payments from streaming services and the use of artificial intelligence.