The Writers Guild of America (WGA) and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) remain at a stalemate in their negotiations to end the writers’ strike that has been going on since May 2, 2023. The WGA issued a statement on Friday, September 8, 2023, urging some of the legacy studios to break away from the AMPTP and negotiate individual deals with the writers. However, the AMPTP responded later that day, saying that the studios are “aligned and are negotiating together to reach a resolution.”
WGA Calls for Individual Negotiations
The WGA, which represents about 15,000 writers in film, television, and digital media, has been on strike for more than four months over issues such as artificial intelligence (AI), mandatory staffing, and streaming residuals. The WGA claims that the AMPTP, which represents about 350 production companies and studios, has not made sufficient offers to address the writers’ concerns.
On Friday, the WGA released a statement saying that it had been in contact with several of the legacy studios, such as Disney, Warner Bros., Universal, Sony, and Paramount, and that some of them had privately expressed “both the desire and willingness to negotiate an agreement that adequately addresses writers’ issues.” The WGA also suggested that some of the newer entrants to the industry, such as Netflix, Amazon, Apple, and Google, may be more resistant to the writers’ demands.
The WGA urged the legacy studios to “step up and make a deal” with the writers, saying that “the only thing standing in their way is the AMPTP.” The WGA also said that it was ready to resume talks with any individual company that was willing to negotiate separately from the AMPTP.
AMPTP Says Studios Are Aligned
The AMPTP, however, dismissed the WGA’s statement as “false,” saying that “the AMPTP member companies are aligned and are negotiating together to reach a resolution.” The AMPTP also said that it had repeatedly put forward offers that addressed major priorities of the WGA, including a last round of offers on August 17 and 18.
The AMPTP said that it had provided clear guarantees that the use of AI would not affect writers’ pay, credit, or separated rights. It also said that it had asked the WGA to identify any remaining holes in the AI offer and that it had not received a response. On the issue of mandatory staffing, the AMPTP said that the WGA had remained entrenched in its original position, except for a single modest change in its proposal on staffing in development rooms.
The AMPTP said that “every member company of the AMPTP wants a fair deal for writers and actors and an end to the strikes,” which are affecting not only the writers and actors, but also thousands of others across the industry. The AMPTP also said that it was eager to reach a resolution and that it was waiting for the WGA to respond to its latest offers on key issues.
Impact of the Strike
The writers’ strike has had a significant impact on the entertainment industry, as many film and TV projects have been delayed or canceled due to the lack of scripts. Some of the affected shows include Stranger Things, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, The Crown, The Handmaid’s Tale, Succession, and Westworld. Some of the affected films include Avatar 2, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Indiana Jones 5, Mission: Impossible 8, and Fantastic Beasts 3.
The strike has also affected other workers in the industry, such as directors, producers, actors, crew members, agents, managers, and assistants. According to a report by FilmLA, a nonprofit organization that tracks film production in Los Angeles County, the strike has resulted in a loss of more than $2 billion in direct spending and more than 25,000 jobs in LA alone.
The strike has also sparked solidarity actions from other unions and organizations in the industry. The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA), which represents about 160,000 actors and performers, announced on August 23 that it would honor the WGA’s picket lines. The Directors Guild of America (DGA), which represents about 18,000 directors and members of their teams, also issued a statement on August 25 supporting the WGA’s right to strike. Additionally, several prominent celebrities have voiced their support for the writers on social media platforms such as Twitter and Instagram.