A screenwriters’ strike has been paralyzing operations in Hollywood for months. Now a new offer is on the table. But can work resume immediately if an agreement is reached?
According to US media, a new proposal for arbitration has been submitted after four days of negotiations in the dispute between film producers and the screenwriters’ union in Hollywood. The studios had submitted their “best and final offer,” CNN reported on Saturday evening, citing a source familiar with the negotiations. The authors’ union Writers Guild (WGA) will now examine this, it was said.
The talks should continue on Sunday, both negotiating parties announced on the X platform, formerly Twitter. In the US screenwriters’ strike, which has been ongoing since the beginning of May, representatives of the writers’ union and the film and television producers’ union (AMPTP) sat down at the table again for the first time last Wednesday after a week-long standstill. However, so far the negotiations have ended without an agreement.
Strike for more than four months
The tough struggle is about a new, three-year employment contract for the authors, who have been on strike since the beginning of May. In mid-July, around 160,000 actors from the SAG-AFTRA union also joined the writers. It is the first double strike by actors and screenwriters in the US in more than 60 years. Among other things, the strikers are demanding rules for the use of artificial intelligence. Other demands revolve around salary increases, better working conditions and higher subsidies for health and pension benefits.
As US media reported, Disney boss Bob Iger, David Zaslav from media giant Warner Bros. Discovery, Ted Sarandos from Netflix and Donna Langley, chairwoman of the Universal Pictures studio, had taken part in the talks since Wednesday. The studio bosses were no longer on site on Saturday afternoon, CNN reported. This could indicate that “almost all of the important points of contention have been resolved.”
And if an agreement is reached?
If an agreement is reached on Sunday, production in Hollywood cannot resume immediately, according to the Los Angeles Times. First, the approximately 11,500 members of the WGA would have to ratify the proposal. A new contract also had to be negotiated with the actors’ union, it was said. However, the fronts between the producers and the actors’ union have hardened. After contract negotiations collapsed and the strike began in July, there have been no further discussions so far.
The strike has virtually paralyzed Hollywood for months. Virtually no films and series can currently be filmed in the USA. Writing for future programs is also largely on hold. Due to the strike, actors are not allowed to advertise their films, they stay away from festivals, and film releases are postponed. A few productions are exempt from the strike requirements through special interim agreements. For example, smaller independent companies can continue to work with special permits. But you must support the strike demands. Actors who are not members of SAG-AFTRA are still allowed to film.
Source: Stern
I am an author and journalist who has worked in the entertainment industry for over a decade. I currently work as a news editor at a major news website, and my focus is on covering the latest trends in entertainment. I also write occasional pieces for other outlets, and have authored two books about the entertainment industry.
