ISTANBUL (AA) - Hollywood writers have reached a tentative deal with major studios, including streamer services, expected to end a nearly five-month strike.
The Writers Guild of America (WGA) and Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) which represents studios, streaming services, and producers "have reached a tentative agreement," the WGA said Sunday on X.
"This was made possible by the enduring solidarity of WGA members and the extraordinary support of our union siblings who stood with us for over 146 days. More details coming after contract language is finalized," it added.
In an email to its 11,500 members who write and produce television and films, the WGA said the deal was for a new minimum basic agreement "in principle on all deal points." It added that the provisions in the accord would be "subject to drafting final contract language."
"What we have won in this contract — most particularly, everything we have gained since May 2nd — is due to the willingness of this membership to exercise its power, to demonstrate its solidarity, to walk side-by-side, to endure the pain and uncertainty of the past 146 days," it added.
The union described the deal as "exceptional — with meaningful gains and protections for writers in every sector of the membership."
It brings the long-continuing strike a step closer to ending, but does not mark its final conclusion, with the WGA stressing that "no one is to return to work until specifically authorized to by the Guild."
"We are still on strike until then. But we are, as of today, suspending WGA picketing," it added, urging members to join picket lines of the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, a US labor union representing around 160,000 media professionals around the world.
According to the statement, once the Memorandum of Agreement with the AMPTP is complete, the negotiating committee will vote on whether to recommend the agreement and send it on to its constituent Writers Guild of America, West (WGAW) board and Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE) council for approval. The board and council are then expected to vote on whether to authorize a contract ratification vote by the membership.
Once approved, they will also vote on whether to lift the restraining order and end the strike at a certain date and time. "This would allow writers to return to work during the ratification vote, but would not affect the membership's right to make a final determination on contract approval."
Meanwhile, the SAG-AFTRA which has been picketing since July 14, congratulated the WGA on the tentative agreement.
"While we look forward to reviewing the WGA and AMPTP's tentative agreement, we remain committed to achieving the necessary terms for our members," it added.
Noting that since the day the WGA strike began, the SAG-AFTRA members have stood alongside writers on the picket lines, the union said: "We remain on strike in our TV/Theatrical contract and continue to urge the studio and streamer CEOs and the AMPTP to return to the table and make the fair deal that our members deserve and demand."
On May 2, the WGA announced that its 11,500 members would go on strike after wage talks with studio companies fell through.
The WGA said negotiations with production companies, which lasted about six weeks, offered no solution to the crisis faced by screenwriters amid record-high inflation.
The last time Hollywood screenwriters went on strike was in 2007, with the 100-day layoff of employees causing about $2 billion in losses.