Agreement reached: US writers’ strike ends after five months

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The WGA announced on Tuesday afternoon (local time) that the writers’ strike, which has been going on for almost five months, will end at midnight (West Coast time/9am CEST on Wednesday).

Board members unanimously approved the deal Tuesday. More than 11,000 members now still need to vote on the new labor agreement. This approval process is scheduled to take place between October 2-9.

According to the WGA, the new agreement is valid until May 2026. The preliminary agreement includes, among other things, wage increases, regulations on the use of artificial intelligence (AI), and higher subsidies for pensions and healthcare.

The WGA board’s vote Tuesday came in the 148th day of labor disputes. If a majority of union members refuse to approve, the strike can continue. But industry observers think this is unlikely.

After several days of marathon meetings, writers’ union negotiators negotiated an “interim agreement” with representatives of major studios and streaming providers on Sunday. “We can say with great pride that this agreement is extraordinary, providing significant gains and protections for writers in every sector of our membership,” the WGA said.

But the labor dispute in Hollywood wasn’t over yet as writers ended their strike. Approximately 160,000 actors affiliated with the SAG-AFTRA union are still on strike. They joined the writers’ strike in mid-July. Fronts between the producers and the actors’ union hardened; There have been no meetings since the strike began in July.

The first double strike by actors and screenwriters in the United States in more than 60 years has brought Hollywood to a standstill. Due to the labor dispute, almost no movies or TV series could be shot. Due to the strike, actors are not allowed to advertise their films. Movie releases were postponed and awards season was also affected.

The world’s most important television award, the Emmy, which was originally scheduled to be awarded in mid-September, will now not be awarded until January 2024. The “Governor’s Awards” gala, where honorary Oscar awards were given, planned to be held in November, was also postponed to January.

(SDA)

Source :Blick