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After Almost Five Months, A Deal Is Reached In The Historic Hollywood Writers Strike
Members of the Writer's Guild of America went on their first day of strike on May 2, 2023, picketing in front of Walt Disney Studios in Burbank.
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Brian Feinzimer
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The Writers Guild of America and the Association of Motion Picture and Television Producers announced Sunday night that they have reached an agreement in the historic Hollywood writers strike.
The WGA and AMPTP have reached a tentative agreement. This was made possible by the enduring solidarity of WGA members and extraordinary support of our union siblings who stood with us for over 146 days. More details coming after contract language is finalized. #WGAStrike pic.twitter.com/GBg2wZBwGB
— Writers Guild of America West (@WGAWest) September 25, 2023
A vote by WGA leadership is scheduled to take place as soon as Tuesday. If approved, a ratification vote by Hollywood writers will take place. Only then would the strike end officially.
WGA sent an email on Sunday to its roughly 11,000 members with news of the tentative deal. While the email doesn't disclose specifics — it says details and language of the agreement need to be finalized before they could be share with members — it describes the agreement as "exceptional."
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"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 email reads.
The union has called for the immediate suspension of WGA picketing, which has lasted 146 days — nearly five months. The writers guild also urged its members to continue supporting the actors union, SAG-AFTRA, which remains on strike.
In a statement on Sunday night, SAG-AFTRA congratulated the WGA on its deal. "While we look forward to reviewing the WGA and AMPTP’s tentative agreement, we remain committed to achieving the necessary terms for our members," the statement said.
In a statement issued Sunday night, Mayor Karen Bass said,
"This historic strike impacted so many across Los Angeles and 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.”
The strike's economic impact
The historic strike saw sometimes contentious back and forth between writers and studios. For months, writers were joined by striking actors and below-the-line Hollywood workers on the picket lines in front of studios all over L.A.
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On Sept. 13, thousands of striking actors and writers marched from Netflix on Sunset to Paramount studios.
Meanwhile countless Angelenos struggled as L.A.'s dream factory ground to a halt. Strikers and below the line workers told LAist they had to sell off precious possessions, drive for rideshares, take on roommates and go into thousands of dollars in debt to make ends meet.
Over the coming weeks and months, it will likely become clearer just how much the dual strikes cost the local economy, but some estimates put the drain between $3-$5 billion.
The 2023 writers strike lasted significantly longer than the previous one in late 2007, which went on for some 100 days.
Timeline of 2023 WGA strike
- April 18: 98% of WGA members vote to go on strike if the contract talks fail.
- May 1: WGA contract expires with no agreement between sides.
- May 2: WGA strike begins.
- Aug. 4: Both sides meet for first time since strike announced.
- Aug. 11: After another meeting, WGA receives a proposal from AMPTP.
- Aug. 23: AMPTP publicly releases details of its proposal to WGA.
- Sept. 20: After weeks of stalled talks, negotiations resume.
- Sept. 24: The WGA and the AMTMP announce that a deal was reached.
This is a developing story. Check back for further details.
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