Report by Prashasti Kulkarni
In May, the Writers Guild of America (WGA) went on a strike. In June, they were joined by the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (Sag-Aftra).
The strike was mainly against the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), who were paying the actors and writers less, and were trying to use AI in place of what the writers and actors do. The writers and actors did not agree, so they went on strike, because they believed the studios would suffer losses without them. (To learn more about the strike, click here.)
The negotiations between AMPTP and WGA joint with Sag-Aftra lasted a long time.
Then, on September 27th, after nearly 150 days of the strike (2nd longest strike to ever happen in Hollywood), the WGA and AMPTP announced that they had drawn a contract and reached an agreement. On September 26th, WGA announced that they had voted to end the strike, and by September 27th, it was over. The Sag-Aftra and other organizations showed support for WGA but Sag-Aftra is continuing to strike until an agreement is struck.
The agreement between the WGA and the AMPTP was negotiated during a five-day period and included a contract which allows regulation of content written by AI. This means that while studios are allowed to continue the use of AI, they cannot use the writers’ work to train the AI. The writers are still permitted to use AI, but cannot be forced to do so by the studios. The studios are also required to inform the writers if any AI generated material is being used. Additionally, the contract allows for bonuses based on streaming platform’s viewership (they get special access to watch their movies/tv shows on streaming platforms like Netflix, etc), and a raise in writers’ payment (reportedly $233 million per year).
This contract will last until May 1st, 2026. Writers found this to be a good deal and 99% of the WGA voted on 9th October that they would take the deal.
So now, the strike has officially ended between WGA and AMPTP, but Sag-Aftra continues to strike.