The Writers Guild of America (WGA) resumed negotiations this Wednesday It demands an end to the strike that has paralyzed the American entertainment industry for 142 days by signing a new collective agreement with Hollywood studios (AMPTP).
The meeting between the parties took place in the Sherman Oaks neighborhood (Los Angeles, California) and included Disney’s Bob Iger; Netflix’s Ted Sarandos; NBCUniversal’s Donna Langley; and Warner Bros. Discovery’s David Zaslav with AMPTP president Carol Lombardini and WGA chief negotiator Ellen Stutzman, according to exclusive media. Senior officials of the companies represented by AMPTP were not part of the initial negotiations, but the urgency of resolving the dispute led them to participate more actively in the discussions.
Close sources of the American portal Deadline gave details of the talks that took place this Wednesday. it was “very encouraging” and they had made “great progress” However, no official statement has been made by either organization so far. The WGA and AMPTP are expected to sit down again tomorrow and try to resolve their differences.
The WGA went on strike on May 2, demanding better working conditions from studios, specific regulation of the use of artificial intelligence, and fair payments known as “residual rights,” among other demands. Weeks later, industry players (SAG-AFTRA) joined the strike for similar reasons, making it the first joint strike in 60 years.
On August 11, AMPTP submitted a new proposal to the WGA that was not accepted by its members, and before this Wednesday the parties involved had not met to negotiate the new collective agreement since August 18.
The strike affected the production of numerous series and television programs, delaying anticipated releases such as the second episode of ‘Dune’ and postponing events such as the Emmy Awards to 2024.