Title: Writers Guild of America’s Response to Latest Proposal from Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers Fails to Bring Resolution in 106-Day Strike
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The Writers Guild of America (WGA) responded on Tuesday to the latest proposal from the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), but hopes for an easy resolution of the 106-day strike were quickly dispelled.
Sources familiar with the talks revealed that the WGA did make some concessions, albeit minor ones. However, the union negotiators did not offer the significant concessions sought by the studio side in response to its own offer.
One of the main points of contention is the WGA’s proposal for a minimum staff size for TV writers. Although the union offered to lower the minimum by one writer, it was unimpressed with the AMPTP’s offer to give showrunners the authority to hire up to a certain minimum, which would increase based on the production budget.
The disagreement between the two sides extends beyond the issue of minimum staff size. They also remain at odds on streaming residuals and a higher minimum tier for TV writer-producers, among other items.
While multiple studio sources were optimistic that the AMPTP’s latest offer would lead to a breakthrough in the negotiations, WGA negotiators advised caution, warning members not to trust studio leaks suggesting that a deal was imminent.
The two sides returned to the bargaining table last Friday for the first time since the strike began on May 2.
Notably, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos and Disney CEO Bob Iger have taken a personal interest in seeking an end to the strike, as reported by Bloomberg.
One of the major sticking points is the WGA’s desire to tie streaming residuals to the popularity of a show. However, streamers have adamantly refused to share viewership data. The AMPTP’s latest offer included a proposal to share the number of hours each show is viewed, although writers’ compensation would not be tied to that figure. The WGA, however, continues to stand by its original proposal, raising questions about the appropriate metric to use in assessing popularity.
It was widely understood that hard bargaining remained to be done before a deal could be reached, so the WGA was not expected to readily accept the AMPTP’s latest offer. Nevertheless, the studio side had hoped for stronger progress towards an agreement.
The WGA is also seeking a provision that would allow its members to honor other union picket lines. This provision would likely mean that many writers would not return to work until the SAG-AFTRA (Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists) strike is resolved, as both unions have expressed mutual solidarity.
The AMPTP appears unwilling to accept this proposal, which was first made on August 4.
Another concern for the WGA is ensuring that the union health plan maintains funding despite the strike and that members do not lose health coverage because of it.
It remains to be seen how the negotiations will progress and if the two sides can find a resolution to the ongoing strike.
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