The Writers Guild of America met Friday with the foremost studios for the primary negotiating session since May, and acquired a brand new package deal of proposals.
The WGA advised members in an e mail that it will reply to the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers subsequent week.
“We will consider their supply and, after deliberation, return to them with the WGA’s response subsequent week,” the guild advised members. “Sometimes extra progress could be made in negotiations when they’re performed with out a blow-by-blow description of the strikes on both sides and a subsequent public dissection of the which means of the strikes. That shall be our method, a minimum of in the intervening time, till there’s something of significance to report, or until administration makes use of the media or business surrogates to attempt to affect the narrative.”
The WGA had beforehand sought to downplay expectations, saying the studios have given each indication of sticking to their “anti-union playbook.”
Guild leaders met final Friday with Carol Lombardini, the CEO of the AMPTP, in an effort to restart the talks. In the assembly, Lombardini confused that “People simply wish to get again to work.”
“We agree, with the caveat that these circumstances which have made writers’ jobs more and more untenable should first be addressed,” the union mentioned in a message to members final week.
There has been no signal that the AMPTP intends to relent on the WGA demand for a minimal workers measurement for TV writers rooms or a viewership-based streaming residual. The WGA has confused that the AMPTP has refused to counter on a minimum of 5 – 6 points, and that the studios should handle the union’s complete agenda earlier than the strike is resolved.
The strike crossed the 100-day mark on Wednesday, surpassing the size of the final writers strike in 2007-08. The 2023 strike is now the fourth-longest in WGA historical past, trailing solely the strikes in 1988, 1960 and 1973. The longest, in 1988, lasted 153 days.
The strike has compelled the networks to provide you with fall schedules that rely closely on sports activities, unscripted exhibits and international imports, plus just a few exhibits that initially aired on streaming. It has additionally compelled the postponement of the Emmy Awards.
The SAG-AFTRA strike, which started on July 14, has additionally had a significant impression on the movie business, shutting down manufacturing, forcing launch delays, and stopping studios from utilizing actors to advertise their initiatives.
The WGA additionally notified the AMPTP final week that it needs a further provision in its contract permitting members to respect different unions’ picket strains. The union can be looking for to make sure that the well being plan and members’ eligibility for well being protection just isn’t impacted by the strike.
