Triumph of the Pen: The screenwriters' strike ended in victory - how the guild reached a historic agreement after 146 days of struggle and what it means for Hollywood and audiences

After 146 days on strike, it seems that the Writers Guild (WGA) has finally struck a deal with the executives of the Hollywood studios. What does this new agreement mean and how will it affect the industry and viewers in the future?

Here's What We Know

After the previous contract expired (1 May 2023) between the screenwriters' union and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), which represents Hollywood Studios, the parties were unable to agree on decent fees. Unsatisfactory salaries were the main reason for the strike, which began as early as 2 May 2023.

The average wage for screenwriters has not been increased since 2018 and has actually fallen by 14 per cent when inflation is taken into account, while the average weekly wage for writer-producers has fallen by 23 per cent over the last decade when inflation is taken into account. Guild members also had demands to regulate "the use of material created using artificial intelligence or similar technology".

Negotiations between the Screenwriters Guild and AMPTP (represented by four executives, Bob Iger of Disney, Donna Langley of NBCUniversal, Ted Sarandos of Netflix and David Zaslav of Warner Bros. Discovery) were either resumed or paused. Since 20 September, the parties have again tried to reach a common denominator, in the course of which, a tentative three-year contract was reached, which the union announced to its members on 24 September.

"We can say, with great pride, that this deal is exceptional – with meaningful gains and protections for writers in every sector of the membership." according to Variety, that's what a letter from the guild's negotiating committee said.

The exact details of the agreement remain confidential at this time. The committee wants to make sure that all of the agreed-upon items are enshrined in the final contract. After that, the formal agreement with AMPTP will be sent to the Writers Guild negotiating committee for a vote and submitted to the two branches of the union - the Los Angeles-based Western and New York-based Eastern - for approval. Only after that will the details be made public. As of now, this stage of the management vote is scheduled for 26 September.

When will film production resume?

Screenwriting rooms will reopen once the strike is officially over, but preparations are already underway to resume the process as soon as possible.

It is worth noting that the actors' union SAG-AFTRA is still on strike, so the film and television industries are not yet back to normal. The Screenwriters Guild and the actors' union SAG-AFTRA are different unions, so their strikes are not officially linked. However, their demands overlap in many ways, given that both groups are part of the same industry.

If the Screenwriters Guild has reached an agreement with the AMPTP, it seems likely that SAG-AFTRA may soon get a satisfactory agreement with the film studios as well.

It's important to realise that even after the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes are finalised, it will take some time for things to get back to normal in Hollywood after a five month hiatus.

Source: Total Film