Hallejuah! The Writers Guild of America (WGA) has officially ratified a three-year contract, effectively ending the second-longest strike in the union’s history.
An overwhelming majority of union members voted in favor of the contract, with 99% of votes supporting the agreement. Of the 8,525 valid votes cast, 8,435 were in favor, while 90 were opposed, constituting just 1% of the total.
The newly ratified contract spans from September 25, 2023, through May 1, 2026, and marks a significant milestone in the WGA’s efforts to secure better terms and protections for its members across various sectors.
WGAW president Meredith Stiehm expressed her gratitude, “Through solidarity and determination, we have ratified a contract with meaningful gains and protections for writers in every sector of our combined membership.” Stiehm also acknowledged the collaborative efforts of key figures in the negotiations, including WGA chief negotiator Ellen Stutzman, committee co-chairs Chris Keyser and David A. Goodman, the entire WGA negotiating committee, strike captains, lot coordinators, and supportive staff.
The ratification brings an end to the tumultuous 2023 bargaining cycle, marked by a historic 148-day strike. The strike, which began on May 2, involved around 11,500 screenwriters and significantly disrupted Hollywood’s day-to-day operations. WGA members ceased their writing work and organized picket lines, urging crew members and other workers to join them in solidarity.
During the strike, food insecurity among industry workers rose, and some faced eviction due to lost wages. The involvement of industry leaders, including Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos, Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav, Disney CEO Bob Iger, and NBCUniversal Studio Group chairman and chief content officer Donna Langley, played a pivotal role in breaking the impasse.
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Lisa Takeuchi Cullen, president of WGAE, emphasized the importance of negotiating fair contracts for performers, stating, “Now it’s time for the AMPTP to put the rest of the town back to work by negotiating a fair contract with our SAG-AFTRA siblings, who have supported writers throughout our negotiations. Until the studios make a deal that addresses the needs of performers, WGA members will be on the picket lines, walking side-by-side with SAG-AFTRA in solidarity.”
The ratified contract includes significant gains, such as minimum staffing requirements for television work, success-based residuals for streaming titles, regulations on AI use in writing work, a new foreign residuals formula, and more. The WGA’s successful negotiations serve as a testament to the power of organized labor in addressing the concerns of its members.
As the industry returns to normalcy, the enduring legacy of the 2023 negotiations is expected to revolve around labor empowerment and the commitment to achieving equitable conditions for all workers within the entertainment sector.
For Reel 360 News’ full strike coverage, click here.
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