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Writers Guild of America and Hollywood studios reach tentative contract agreement
The Writers Guild of America West building.
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Valerie Macon
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Getty Images
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Topline:
The Writers Guild of America has announced a tentative four-year contract agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which represents Hollywood studios, television networks and streaming services.
Why it matters: The new agreement spans four years, as opposed to the typical three-year deal. In a social media post, the WGA said the deal "protects writers’ health plan and puts it on a sustainable path, builds on gains from 2023, and helps address free work challenges."
In a statement posted on its website, AMPTP said, "We look forward to building on this progress as we continue working toward agreements that support long-term industry stability."
Why now: AMPTP and the WGA have been in negotiations since March. The announcement yesterday came a little under a month before the union's current contract was set to expire on May 1.
The backstory: In 2023, contract negotiations broke down between writers and producers, which led to a historic five-month writers strike. That strike ended with the WGA notching huge gains in compensation, streaming residuals and AI protections.
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What's next: The tentative agreement still needs to be ratified by the full WGA membership. The union's negotiating committee said union members will receive detailed information in the coming days.
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