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After 148 days, the Writers Guild of America strike finally came to an end on Wednesday.
The WGA strike started in May, as a fight for better job conditions. The fight was against the Alliance of Motion Pictures and Television Productions, the association that represents several production companies and is also responsible for negotiations with other entertainment industries.
Some of the requirements made by the labor union include protection against Artificial Intelligence, more residual pay and more writers in the writer's room.
On Sep. 24, WGA and AMPTP finally reached a tentative agreement. Barry Sandler, associate professor of film and mass media and member of the WGA, said that the board approved unanimously and now it goes to the membership, for the ratification vote that will happen early next year.
“I didn't think this would happen that quickly, but once the board approved it, they gave the approval to writers to get back to work,” Sandler said.
According to the WGA website, the contract is valid until May 2026 and it will increase health and pension contribution rate, improve terms for screenwriters' employment and protection against AI. The material generated by AI will not be considered source material and the writer can also choose to use it or not, according to the contract.
Sandler said that the deal is really good and he is very happy about it.
“We got more than we expected, we got a lot of important things. We didn’t get everything, but you know, we never do,” Sandler said. “We got hired minimums, ability to see the data viewership from the streaming companies.
”Although the strike ended for the writers, the Screen Actors Guild and American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, who joined the strike on July 14, are still on strike. SAG-AFTRA also had their own demands, including increase in wage and protection of image to prevent AI replacement.
Thomas Finn, junior theater studies major, has been following the strike since it started. He said that it is good for people to stand up for what they believe in and try to get good compensation for the work they do, especially when it's their careers on the line and the way they make their wages.
“It is always good for people to fight for what they think, their careers and what they want to do from a young age,” Finn said. “And so, to be able to make it a livable wage with something they put their heart and soul, it is a very competitive market, so not getting paid for such a hard market to get into, must be a really bummer, so I think the strike is very necessary in order to get things done and to have people treated fairly.
”Finn said he thinks that one of the negative impacts of the strike is there are not a lot of original forms of media coming out, including indie films that have also been impacted by the strike. He said that there is a delay and restrictions on original ideas and people trying to make their own dreams come to life.
“It is also necessary because if people want to keep having these dreams, they need to be able to make a certain amount of money to support that and to make it worthwhile,” Finn said.
Finn said that there is an impact on what is being made: a lot of people are not getting work and corporations are not making money because they can’t get actors to act.
“But I think the benefits outweigh the negatives: people getting treated fairly for the work they do,” Finn said.
Sandler said that the writers from the WGA heavily support the SAG-AFTRA strike and he thinks they will get an agreement soon. He said that shows and movies will continue like they are being made, the only difference is the industry will face a delay, but he is satisfied.
“Everything turned out well,” Sandler said. “And I must say it really proves the power of the strike. And how important that is in terms of ‘We have writers to manage, we have workers to manage.’
