The TV and movie dry spell is finally on its way to a happy ending. The Writer’s Guild of America finally reached a fair contract with the Alliance of Motion Picture, and Television Producers.
When concerns arose regarding inadequate writer’s wages, and the replacement of human writers by AI tools, the Writer’s Guild of America (WGA), went on strike, refusing to create new scripts for movies, and TV shows, until their demands were met. The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) held out for a long time, but after 148 days, and a previous failed attempt at a compromise, the two parties have reached an agreement that has put an end to the strike.
“Through solidarity and determination, we have ratified a contract with meaningful gains and protections for writers in every sector of our combined membership,” WGA West president Meredith Stiehm said according to WGA On Strike.
Massive studios such as Marvel, are already implementing the policies introduced in the new contract. Previously, the company received criticism for overworking their writers, or not allowing resources, or funding for proper writers rooms. Now, Marvel, and other such studios, vow to give their writers the support they need, to create the best possible products.
However, production of movies and television will not return to normal until the AMPTP can reach an agreement with the Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA), who have been on strike since July 14, 2023.
“As our negotiations come to an end, we won’t forget our SAG-AFRA siblings, who have supported writers every step of the way. We call upon the AMPTP to negotiate a deal that addresses the needs of performers and, until they do, we ask WGA who can to continue to show up on their picket lines in solidarity,” Stiehm said.
Speculations say that the Animation Guild of America, will take to the picket lines next year. Clearly, a lot of progress remains to be made in the realm of the entertainment industry, but the end of the WGA is a good sign, that studios are not immovable, and that due change for TV and movie workers is on its way.
