The union representing Hollywood writers says it has reached a tentative agreement with the major film and television studios after being on strike for nearly 150 days.
The Writers Guild of America has announced that it has reached a preliminary labour deal with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which represents the Hollywood studios, following a strike that has lasted 146 days.
The studios involved in the new labour agreement with the writers include Disney (DIS), Paramount (PARA), and Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD), among others.
The television and film writers were seeking protections against the use of artificial intelligence, in addition to increases in the pay they receive from streaming services.
Specific details of the new contract have not been released. The deal still needs to be accepted by the Writers Guild’s membership in a vote.
The Writers Guild of America stressed though that none of its members are to return to work until that agreement is officially ratified.
Focus now turns to the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA), whose actors have been on strike since mid-July of this year and are also seeking contract updates similar to those sought by the writers.
Hollywood performers are looking to improve their wages and the compensation they get from streaming services, as well as boost their health and pension benefits.
The film and TV studios faced the prospect of losing a year of production and new content had they not reached an agreement with the writers’ union before October.
It is not clear when the Writers Guild will hold its ratification vote with its members.
