Writers strike to end at 12:01 a.m.
The ongoing Hollywood screenwriters strike is set to end on Wednesday morning at 12:01 a.m. The conclusion comes after almost five months since the strike began, as Guild leaders accept a deal.
On Tuesday, the Writers Guild of America voted unanimously to accept the tentative deal extended on Sunday by the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, per USA Today.
“Today, our Negotiating Committee, WGAW Board, and WGAE Council all voted unanimously to recommend the agreement,” the Writers Guild West announced on the X social media platform formerly known as Twitter, adding, “The strike ends at 12:01 am.”
The WGA reached a tentative agreement with the AMPTP. Today, our Negotiating Committee, WGAW Board, and WGAE Council all voted unanimously to recommend the agreement. The strike ends at 12:01 am. Check out our deal at https://t.co/c0ULMXhPL7. #WGAStrong pic.twitter.com/7z8kw9xI1p
— Writers Guild of America West (@WGAWest) September 27, 2023
The agreed contract extension covers a three-year period, but it still has to be voted by all the members of the guild, for ratification. In the meantime the restraining order that didn’t allow writers to work has been lifted during the ratification process.
The agreement is a result of a five-day, renewed negotiation effort between the guild and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers that ended with the announcement of the tentative deal on Sunday evening. The writers’ picketing ended then, but the deal needed confirmation from Writers Guild of America to officially end the strikes, per USA Today.
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In the case that members of Writers Guild of America reject the agreement, the strike would start again. So far, the strike has lasted 148 days, just days short of becoming the guild’s longest strike ever. In 1988, the strike lasted 153 days, per Deadline.
Writers are seeking better compensation, higher residuals and minimum requirements for staffing, along with protection from artificial intelligence technology, one of the main points of the negotiations.
The deal in the writers strike doesn’t end a strike by members of the Screen Actors Guild, but it could help push those efforts with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. As of Tuesday night, there were no talks scheduled between the two sides, per USA Today.
