In news that is, frankly, kind of shocking for long-time viewers of the conflict between these various industry groups, Variety reports today that the Writers Guild Of America West and Hollywood’s major studios have successfully completed a deal with each other for a new contract, fully a month before the current one is set to expire. The deal still has to be ratified by the union’s board and then its members, but if it does, it’ll be a genuine rarity in Hollywood over the last few years: Union negotiations wrapping up early, with no major drama, no ugly back-and-forths or recriminations or giant inflatable rats, and, most importantly, no strikes.
Admittedly, the negotiations were coming at a somewhat awkward time for the WGA West, which is itself in the midst of a strike from its staff, which would presumably make the extensive organizing and communication work involved in adopting a more aggressive posture toward the studios this time around a lot more daunting. But also, Hollywood is still reeling and exhausted from the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes of 2023, which massively disrupted the industry amidst a fight for things like better residuals for streaming work and the ever-more-looming question of protections against AI encroachment. The lack of appetite for another throwdown can be inferred from the fact that the WGA didn’t even ask its members for a strike authorization vote this time around.
Details about the new contract haven’t been made public yet, but industry reporter Matt Belloni did lay out a list of reported gains, including “Health plan/pension increases, SVOD bumps, protection to police licensing for AI training,” and more. Belloni also revealed that the contract is actually for four years, instead of the standard three; this is presumably a win for the studios, who would really like to get an extra year of making money in before they have to worry about another strike rearing its head. Now, all they have to do is get through negotiations with SAG-AFTRA, currently paused ahead of a June 30, 2026 expiration date, and they might actually get out of 2026 without a major work stoppage on their hands.
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