Hollywood Writers and Studios Reach Deal to End Strike

On Sunday, Hollywood writers and major studios reached a tentative agreement that would bring an end to a strike that has lasted nearly five months.

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The Writers Guild of America (WGA), which represents over 11,000 screenwriters, said that the labor union has reached a tentative agreement on a new 2023 Minimum Basic Agreement, "an agreement in principle on all deal points, subject to drafting final contract language."

"What we have won in this contract -- most particularly, everything we have gained since May 2nd -- is due to the willingness of this membership to exercise its power, to demonstrate its solidarity, to walk side-by-side, to endure the pain and uncertainty of the past 146 days," the WGA said.

"It is the leverage generated by your strike, in concert with the extraordinary support of our union siblings, that finally brought the companies back to the table to make a deal. We can say, with great pride, that this deal is exceptional -- with meaningful gains and protections for writers in every sector of the membership," the union noted.

Television and movie writers with the WGA began their strike on May 2 for the first time in 15 years to protest pay and working conditions in the era of streaming TV, bringing much of Hollywood production to a halt. The proposed contract would still have to be ratified by the union's members.

Once the memorandum of agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), which represents major Hollywood studios and streamers, is complete, the WGA negotiating committee will vote on whether to recommend the agreement and send it on to the WGA West board and WGA East council for approval.

The board and council will then vote on whether to authorize a contract ratification vote by the membership. Movie and TV productions in Hollywood have come to a nearly complete stop after two of the industry's most powerful labor unions are striking simultaneously for the first time in over 60 years.

In July, over 160,000 members of the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) went on strike, joining the members of the WGA who have been on strike since May.

SAG-AFTRA said that it "congratulates the WGA on reaching a tentative agreement with the AMPTP after 146 days of incredible strength, resiliency, and solidarity on the picket lines."

"While we look forward to reviewing the WGA and AMPTP's tentative agreement, we remain committed to achieving the necessary terms for our members," said the union.

"After a nearly five-month long strike, I am grateful that the Writers Guild of America and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers have reached a fair agreement and I'm hopeful that the same can happen soon with the Screen Actors Guild," Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said, adding that the historic strike impacted so many across the nation.

"Now, we must focus on getting the entertainment industry, and all the small businesses that depend on it, back on their feet and stronger than ever before," she noted.