Thousands of film and television writers will be able to return to work starting Wednesday morning following the conclusion of the Writers Guild of America, East and West a preliminary agreement with the film and television industry after a strike that lasted almost five months.
Once secured, the WGA declared an end to the strike overwhelming victories which largely met many of the guild’s requirements. The deal – which still needs to be ratified by union members – contains strict rules for the use of artificial intelligence on covered projects, including stipulations that AI will not write or rewrite literary material.
Most salary minimums will increase by 5% upon ratification, with further increases in the following two years, and there will be a dramatic increase in residuals from streaming services.
“This allows authors to resume work during the ratification process, but does not affect members’ right to make a final decision on contract approval,” the union said in a statement, calling the deal “extraordinary, with benefits and protections for the members”. every area of the company.”
The WGA initially told members that it had reached a tentative agreement with studio executives on Sunday. The strike brought the film and television industry to a standstill and meant a months-long shutdown of almost all production studios probably cost Hundreds of millions of dollars.
Writers on both coasts had demonstrated almost daily in front of major studios and corporate headquarters, expressed their anger in New York and Los Angeles, and won the support of the White House. The union had portrayed the strike as a way to reclaim some of the company’s huge profits at the expense of the writers who bring shows to life.
The U.S. entertainment industry faced a reckoning this summer as actors represented by the Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists – have also been on strike since July. The studios must enter into a separate contract with SAG-AFTRA.