The Writers Guild of America (WGA) and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) came to a last-minute agreement early Tuesday morning that managed to avert a writers’ strike that could have had disastrous implications for Hollywood.
The two sides struck a three-year deal, and released a statement to that end, saying: “The Writers Guilds of America, West and East and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers have concluded negotiations and have reached a tentative agreement on terms for a new three-year collective bargaining agreement.”
Not all details of the have emerged yet, nor has the deal been solidified, but the WGA sent a letter to guild members outlining some of the gains. Among them, the guild and the studios agreed that writers would be paid for 2.4 weeks of work per episode of television, with any work beyond that requiring an additional fee. The trend of shorter seasons of television has cut into the pay of writers who don’t have overall deals with studios and was one of the main points the guild was looking to address this time around.
The deal also includes a 15 percent increase in residuals for shows that air on pay-TV. It also provides “job protection on parental leave,” according to the letter.
“Did we get everything we wanted? No. Everything we deserve? Certainly not,” said the letter. “But because we had the near-unanimous backing of you and your fellow writers, we were able to achieve a deal that will net this Guild’s members $130 million more, over the life of the contract, than the pattern we were expected to accept. That result, and that resolve, is a testament to you, your courage, and your faith in us as your representatives.”
READ MORE: The Hollywood Reporter, Variety
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