In response to the Writers Guild of America (WGA) revealing earlier in the day that it had held private conversations with some individual studios, the AMPTP issued a statement reaffirming its unity and commitment to reaching a resolution and addressing the strikes that have impacted the entertainment industry. The SAG-AFTRA strike has reached 56 days.
“The AMPTP member companies are aligned and are negotiating together to reach a resolution. Any suggestion to the contrary is false,” the alliance asserted.
The organization, led by Carol Lombardini, emphasized its unified approach, attempting to dispell any notion of disarray within its member companies. It reiterated the collective desire for a fair deal that benefits writers and actors while bringing an end to the ongoing strikes, which have affected not only industry professionals but also thousands of others.
“That is why the AMPTP has repeatedly put forward offers that address major priorities of the WGA, including a last round of offers on August 17th and 18th,” the statement noted.
The AMPTP underlined its commitment to addressing key concerns raised by the WGA, highlighting a recent series of offers presented to the WGA on important issues, including Artificial Intelligence (AI).
“On many issues, AI among them, we are close,” the alliance reported.
Regarding the use of AI in content creation, the AMPTP proposed clear guarantees that AI adoption would not adversely affect writers’ compensation, credit, or separated rights. They noted their readiness to address any remaining concerns raised by the WGA on this front.
“The WGA has achieved substantial gains for its members during this negotiation process,” the AMPTP acknowledged.
REELated:
Recognizing the progress made during negotiations, the AMPTP indicated that the WGA holds the power to advance the negotiation process further by responding to the the alliance’s most recent offers on key issues.
TIMELINE OF PROPOSALS:
- April 14, 2023: AMPTP presented WGA with its Comprehensive Package Proposal, a 31-page document.
- April 26, 2023: AMPTP presented WGA with its Revised Comprehensive Package Proposal, a 40-page document.
- April 30, 2023: AMPTP presented WGA with its Second Revised Comprehensive Package Proposal, a 41-page document that addressed all items in negotiations.
- August 11, 2023: AMPTP presented WGA with its Third Revised Comprehensive Package Proposal, a 69-page document that addressed all items in negotiations.
- August 15, 2023: WGA responded with a 4-page document with limited moves in a handful of areas.
- August 16, 2023: WGA provided details of its revised written proposal on A.I.
- August 17, 2023: AMPTP provided WGA a revised AI counterproposal, which focused on the key concerns that the WGA had expressed during discussion the previous day.
- August 18, 2023: AMPTP offered further compromises to WGA’s August 15th response. WGA indicated it would respond the following week. AMPTP has not heard from the Guild since that time.
The timeline of proposals offers insight into the negotiation process and its efforts to engage with the WGA on various fronts.
The statement underscores its commitment to achieving a fair and equitable resolution while urging the WGA to respond to their recent offers, in hopes of ending the strikes and advancing the negotiation process.
For Reel 360 News’ full strike coverage, click here.
Follow us on Facebook and Instagram
