After a five-month strike that disrupted the film and television industry, Hollywood writers have overwhelmingly voted to end their walkout. The Writers Guild of America (WGA) reported that 99% of the 8,525 voting members approved the agreement that offers significant improvements in compensation, staffing on shows, and control over artificial intelligence in scripts.
Meredith Stiehm, president of WGA West, celebrated the achievement stating, “Together we were able to accomplish what many said was impossible only six months ago.” The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), representing studios, streaming services, and production companies during strike discussions, acknowledged that the deal symbolized “meaningful gains and protections for writers,” adding that it’s important for the industry that writers are back to work.
Meanwhile, the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) continues negotiating with studios almost three months after their strike began. These talks are progressing more slowly compared to those of the writers’ union. Despite this, guild leaders have encouraged studios to meet actors’ demands and promised to stand with them on picket lines until an agreement is reached.
The new contract for the writers will be effective until May 1st, 2026 marking three years from the end of their previous contract and commencing from the date when the strike started. This conclusion came after negotiations involving high-level executives from Disney, Netflix and Warner Bros. Discovery. Following a tentative agreement on September 24th, board members approved it two days later which officially ended the strike releasing writers back to work. This quick resolution led to late-night talk shows returning on air within a week with other shows like Saturday Night Live following closely behind.
However, many film and TV productions are still uncertain as actors remain on strike. SAG-AFTRA is also advocating for increased pay, AI protections along with better working conditions. These dual strikes have reportedly cost the California economy nearly $6bn in lost output and left many crew members in financial distress.