Exactly 101 days since the 11,500 film and TV writers in the Writers Guild of America East and West began striking for more equitable wages and working conditions, Hollywood executives are finally returning to the negotiating table, the WGA told members Thursday.
Since May, the writers have heard very little from studio and streaming executives, represented by the trade association Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, while calling on them to return to the bargaining table to move toward a fair deal.
But in a potentially encouraging sign, the WGA said Thursday that AMPTP negotiator Carol Lombardini “has asked the WGA Negotiating Committee to meet with AMPTP negotiators on Friday. We expect the AMPTP to provide responses to WGA proposals,” the union said in an email update to members. “Our committee returns to the bargaining table ready to make a fair deal, knowing the unified WGA membership stands behind us and buoyed by the ongoing support of our union allies. We will get back to you.”
The writers have been on strike over major existential issues facing the entertainment industry, such as increasing their share of streaming profits and establishing guardrails around the use of artificial intelligence. (HuffPost’s unionized staff members are also represented by the WGA East.) On Wednesday, the strike hit its 100th day, which WGA leaders called a “shameful” milestone and “a day of infamy.”
Last month, more than 160,000 actors represented by the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists began striking over similar issues. Together, the two unions have effectively shut down nearly all film and TV production by withholding their labor.
Friday’s negotiating session is happening a week after an opening meeting between the WGA and the AMPTP. Last Friday, the two sides discussed potentially resuming negotiations. According to the WGA, the meeting did not result in any major developments, as Lombardini told the union she had to consult with the studio executives afterward.
In an update following the meeting, the WGA told members that Lombardini had repeatedly stressed that “people just want to get back to work.”
“We agree, with the caveat that those conditions that have made writers’ jobs increasingly untenable must first be addressed,” the union said, adding that it would not “make merely an incremental deal to conclude this strike.”
The studio executives’ continued refusal to reach agreements with both unions has meant countless entertainment industry employees are out of work and facing dire financial straits. On the picket lines, writers and actors have emphasized the huge wealth gap between the studio executives and the workers who make the shows and movies that earn huge profits. They also have pointed out the relatively small cost of their asks, compared to studio and streaming executives’ salaries and budgets.
The strikes also have broad implications beyond entertainment. Many have dubbed this summer “Hot Labor Summer,” with workers in many industries across the country unionizing and conducting labor actions like protests and work stoppages. In addition, the issues at the heart of both the writers and actors strikes, including corporate greed and the encroachment of AI on creative work, are present in many types of industries.