Screenwriters and Hollywood studios reach pay deal
· Michael West
The screenwriters union and Hollywood studios have reached a surprise four-year tentative agreement after roughly three weeks of negotiation.
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The Writers Guild of America West said on X that its negotiating committee unanimously approved a tentative agreement with The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which represents studios. The alliance confirmed the deal in a separate statement on its website Saturday.
“We look forward to building on this progress as we continue working toward agreements that support long-term industry stability,” read the alliance statement.
The precise terms of the deals were not immediately announced, but it is expected to include several writers’ priorities such as better health care plans and more protections against artificial intelligence.
The union said on X that the deal protects the writers’ health plan builds on gains from 2023 and “helps address free work challenges.”
The contract agreement, a year longer than a typical three-year deal, must be approved by the guild’s board and members before it is ratified.
The surprise agreement came within weeks of negotiations — a stark contrast to the contentious contract dispute three years ago when Hollywood writers went on a historic strike that partially brought the industry to a standstill.
The screenwriters voted almost unanimously to approve that agreement, which provided them with more compensation, length of employment and control of artificial intelligence. The current contract was set to expire in May.
The studios were also working on new deals with union leaders representing actors and directors, whose contracts are set to expire at the end of June.