Exactly 101 days since the 11,500 film and television writers of the Writers Guild of America East and West began striking for fairer wages and working conditions, Hollywood leaders are finally returning to the negotiating table, the WGA told its members Thursday.
Since May, the authors have heard very little from studio and streaming executives, who are represented by the industry body Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, while urging them to return to the negotiating table to reach a fair deal.
However, in a potentially encouraging sign, the WGA announced Thursday that AMPTP negotiator Carol Lombardini “has asked the WGA negotiating committee to meet with AMPTP negotiators on Friday.” suggestions,” the union said in an email update to members. “Our committee returns to the negotiating table ready to negotiate a fair deal, knowing that the united WGA membership is behind us and backed by the continued support of our union allies. We’ll get back to you.”
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The authors are on strike because of important existential problems in the entertainment industry, such as increasing their share of streaming revenues and setting guidelines for the use of artificial intelligence. (HuffPost’s unionized workers are also represented by the WGA East.) Wednesday marked the 100th day of the strike, WGA executives proclaimed a “shameful” milestone and “a day of shame”.
Last month, more than 160,000 actors, represented by the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, began striking over similar issues. Together, the two unions have shut down virtually all film and television production by holding back their workers.
Friday’s negotiation session comes a week after an inaugural meeting between the WGA and AMPTP. Last Friday, both sides discussed a possible resumption of negotiations. According to the WGA, the meeting did not result in any major developments as Lombardini told the union it would need to consult with studio managers afterwards.
In an update after the meeting, the WGA told members that Lombardini had repeatedly stressed that “people just want to get back to work.”
“We agree, with the caveat that the conditions that have made writers’ jobs increasingly unsustainable must first be addressed,” the union said, adding that it “would not just strike a gradual deal to end this strike finish”.
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Studio executives’ continued refusal to sign agreements with both unions has left countless entertainment industry workers out of work and in dire financial straits. On the picket line, writers and actors have stressed the huge wealth gap between the studio executives and the workers who make the shows and films that rake in huge profits. You also pointed this out the relatively low cost of their requestscompared to the salaries and budgets of studio and streaming executives.
The strikes are also having far-reaching repercussions that go beyond entertainment. Many dubbed this summer “Hot working summer” Workers in many industries across the country are organizing and conducting labor actions such as protests and walkouts. Additionally, the issues underlying both writers’ and actors’ strikes, including corporate greed and AI intrusion into creative work, are present across many industries.
