Recently, it seemed that the months-long strike organized by the Writers Guild of America might finally be coming to an end. On Friday, August 11, the Alliance of Motion Picture, Television Producers (AMPTP) and the WGA, sat down at the negotiating table for the first time since May, and discussed the AMPTP’s counterproposal. According to the new compromise, TV and Hollywood writers would receive more consistent employment and improved job stability.
The WGA strike began in response to multiple studios — including Warner Bros., Netflix, Amazon, and Universal — pushing for increased usage of artificial intelligence for scriptwriting instead of human writers. The union also expressed concerns over short-staffed writers’ rooms, and inconsistent payment. Despite the massive popularity and profits of streaming services, AMPTP has been hesitant to lend more funds and resources to their writers.
“If the AMPTP gave us everything we asked for, it would only cost the studios two percent more each year. That’s one executive’s salary… It is, to quote a business-y friend of mine, ‘budget dust’,” Emmy-nominated screenwriter Kaitlin Fontana said, according to news analysis site Al Jazeera.
This is not the first time the WGA has taken to the picket lines. In 1960, the writers went on strike in demand of more creative liberty, and once again in 1988 for similar reasons. The 1988 strike remains the longest in the WGA’s history, spanning exactly four months, but the 2023 standoff could soon surpass it. With the writers out in front of studios rather than inside of them, several upcoming TV shows, and movies have become delayed indefinitely. For example, Dune: Part Two, The Last of Us’s second season, and Stranger Things’s fifth season among them.
So, when the AMPTP reached out to the WGA with a proposal — more than 100 days since the first strike — strikers and cinephiles alike were hopeful that the union’s demands would finally be met. Alas, after some back and forth between the two organizations, the WGA ultimately denied the initial compromise. However, according to a recent update on WGA On Strike, the two organizations are continuing to discuss the issue productively and civilly.
“We met this week and continued to exchange proposals,” NGA Negotiating Committee said.
The update also warned readers to take third-party rumors regarding the strike with a grain of salt, and that the Guild itself will report anything newsworthy.
