Hollywood writers, studios enter 4th day of talks in bid to end strike

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
23 Sep 2023 11:52

The current strike is now approaching the record for the union's lengthiest industrial action, which lasted 154 days in 1988.

Demonstrators walk with signs during a rally outside the Paramount Picture Studio in Los Angeles, on Sept. 21, 2023. (AP)

Hollywood writers and studios are scheduled to meet for the fourth consecutive day of negotiations on Saturday, with the industry's aim to resolve the prolonged 145-day Writers Guild of America strike.

In a communication to its members on Friday evening, the WGA stated that both sides "met for bargaining on Friday and will meet again on Saturday," adding that they "continue to work toward a deal that writers deserve."

The WGA and AMPTP ended their meeting ten minutes ago.

The two sides made more progress and are expected to meet again as early as tomorrow.

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In early May, thousands of film and television writers ceased their work, advocating for various demands such as improved compensation, increased recognition for successful show creators, and safeguards against the impact of artificial intelligence.

For months, they've stood in solidarity on picket lines outside various industry offices, including Netflix and Disney. In mid-July, striking actors joined their cause, resulting in a costly halt to the entertainment industry.

Following an extensive negotiation session on Thursday, the WGA communicated to its members that discussions would resume the following day. They encouraged "as many of you as possible to come out to the picket lines" on Friday, with protest hours extended into the early afternoon.

According to Deadline, top executives from Netflix, Disney, Universal, and Warner Bros Discovery have made personal appearances at this week's discussions.

Among their demands, writers have emphasized that their salaries have failed to keep pace with inflation. Moreover, the growth of streaming platforms has reduced the "residuals" they receive when a project they contributed to becomes a major success.

While studios have offered greater transparency regarding streaming audience metrics, they have not proposed adjustments to the method of calculating residual payments.

Writers have also pushed for restrictions on the use of artificial intelligence, fearing it could be used to partially replace their role in generating future film or show scripts, thereby further harming their compensation.

This issue continues to be a primary point of contention between the two parties, as reported in Hollywood trade publications this week.

With the Writers Guild strike surpassing 145 days, it has already exceeded the duration of the writers' strike in 2007-08, which lasted 100 days and resulted in a $2.1 billion economic impact on California.

The current strike is now approaching the record for the union's lengthiest industrial action, which lasted 154 days in 1988.

Even if the writers reach a new agreement, the actors' strike is expected to continue, with no reported contract negotiations between the studios and the 160,000-member SAG-AFTRA guild since the actors' strike commenced.

However, both unions share numerous common demands, and industry insiders believe that a resolution to the WGA strike could potentially pave the way for a settlement in the actors' strike.