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My name is Bradley Gammel, and I'm an avid gamer and lover of cinema. My academic background features an English degree from Oklahoma State, and I am attending Pittsburgh State University as an MBA student.
The summer-long stalemate between the writers and the studios that took the industry by storm over this year’s summer season finally agrees to resume negotiations. Earlier this Thursday, writers began their 101st day by announcing that leaders would continue negotiating on the next day, Friday, August 11th. The new contract is estimated to contain a three-year duration.
The Writers Guild of America (WGA) negotiating committee said in the following statement, “Our committee returns to the bargaining table ready to make a fair deal, knowing the unified W.G.A. membership stands behind us and is buoyed by the ongoing support of our union allies.” The renegotiation is set to take place in Los Angeles, California.
At the time of writing, the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), the organization speaking on behalf of the studios during negotiations, has yet to comment. However, the alliance’s president, Carol Lombardini, contacted the WGA on Wednesday to pitch a formal negotiation meeting idea. The news also follows after last week’s informal sidebar conversion, the renegotiation.
What We Know So Far
Previously, a message was received by the 11,500 active WGA members. The statement claimed that the two sides had agreed to sit down and heavily discuss several topics. One of the primary topics is the use of artificial intelligence. Unfortunately, the note claimed that the studios did not wish to discuss residuals from streaming services. The message included that there would not be any active negotiations until all demands were open to discussions with studios.
This announcement marks the WGA’s first wave of positive news since May. Hopefully, we can see the WGA and AMPTP come to an agreement soon. If the two sides can agree on the two vital topics of A.I. and streaming residuals, we could see a possible end for the SAG-AFTRA strike or at least a beginning to an end.
Aug. 11 Update
After the WGA and AMPTP renegotiation concluded on August 11th, members received an update with the following statement:
Your Negotiating Committee received a counterproposal from the AMPTP today. We will evaluate their offer and, after deliberation, go back to them with the WGA’s response next week.
Sometimes more progress can be made in negotiations when they are conducted without a blow-by-blow description of the moves on each side and a subsequent public dissection of the meaning of the moves. That will be our approach, at least for the time being, until there is something of significance to report, or unless management uses the media or industry surrogates to try to influence the narrative.
WGA Negotiation Commity
Nothing is significant to announce, and the strike will continue next week.
Remember to support those on the picket line as they fight for their careers and livelihoods. The WGA strike is the third longest in the guild’s history. It has officially surpassed the duration of the 2007-08 writers’ strike, which lasted 100 days. If this round of renegotiation does not end in a successful conclusion, the current strike could potentially last longer than the two most extended strikes the guild has faced.
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Stay tuned to The Cinema Spot for updates on the WGA and AMPTP renegotiations.
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Source: Deadline
My name is Bradley Gammel, and I'm an avid gamer and lover of cinema. My academic background features an English degree from Oklahoma State, and I am attending Pittsburgh State University as an MBA student.
This article was edited by John Tangalin.