Hollywood writers call off strike: Details of tentative deal out
Almost after five months, the Writers Guild of America (WGA) has decided to call off its strike at midnight on Wednesday (September 27, Pacific Time). The guild worked out a tentative agreement on Sunday with the studios and streamers. "Today, your Negotiating Committee, the WGAW Board, and WGAE Council all voted unanimously to recommend the agreement," said the guild.
Why does this story matter?
Hollywood was brought to a standstill when the guild decided to go on an indefinite strike in May. Following them, the Screen Actors Guild - American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) joined the writers in July. Work on all major films and web series including the next installment of Mission: Impossible franchise and Stranger Things, was put on hold.
Guild members to resume work
As per the guild, all writers can resume work until the ratification vote is cast in October. "It will now go to both Guilds's memberships for a ratification vote. Eligible voters will receive ballot and materials for the vote which will take place from October 2nd to October 9th." The tentative agreement will be applicable from September 25, 2023, to May 1, 2026.
What does the tentative agreement hold?
It's reported the deal has many provisions, including data transparency for scribes, safety net regarding AI usage, and residuals. These conditions could be transplanted next week in the upcoming negotiations between the SAG-AFTRA and producers. The companies will also share information on the total streaming hours of domestic/international content so that writers can get accurate residuals. The Guild got annual pay raises of 5%-4%-3.5%.
New bonus structure
High-Budget Subscription Video on Demand (HBSVOD) series and films that are watched by 20%/more of the platform's domestic subscribers in the first 90 days of release/in the first 90 days in any subsequent year, will get a bonus amounting to 50% of the fixed domestic and foreign residual. Here, the views will be calculated as hours streamed domestically divided by its runtime.
Can the strike become Hollywood's longest ever?
It's to be seen if the members would accept or reject the tentative agreement. The strike has been going on for 148 days now, and if the members reject the agreement during the ratification vote process, it will start again. The last strike that Hollywood witnessed was in 1988 which lasted for about 153 days. The present strike is short of a few days.
Why did WGA go on a strike?
The writers argued that in the online streaming era, they were receiving less work and worse pay. They also demanded their rights to be protected from artificial intelligence (AI) use. After failed negotiations with the streamers and major studios, the guild authorized its 11,500 members to go on strike. With the strike now off, the industry is partially back on track.
