Actors remain on strike, but the deal with writers might help them find a resolution soon as well.
The
The pact “was made possible by the enduring solidarity of WGA members and extraordinary support of our union siblings who joined us on the picket lines for over 146 days,” the guild said in an email to members.
In a longer message from the guild shared by members on social media, the writers were told the strike is not over and no one was to return to work until hearing otherwise, but picketing was to be suspended immediately.
The three-year contract agreement emerged after five marathon days of renewed talks by WGA and AMPTP negotiators, who were joined at times by studio executives. The terms were not immediately announced. The deal to end the last writers strike, in 2008, was approved by more than 90% of union members.
Media and entertainment companies got a small boost from the news. Shares in
The agreement came just five days before the strike would have become the longest in the guild's history and the longest
As a result of the deal, nightly network shows including NBC’s “The Tonight Show Starring
But as writers prepare to potentially crack open their laptops again, it’s far from business as usual in
“While we look forward to reviewing the WGA and AMPTP’s tentative agreement, we remain committed to achieving the necessary terms for our members,” the actors union said in a statement.
The statement said the guild continues to urge executives "to return to the table and make the fair deal that our members deserve and demand.”
Talks aimed at ending the writers strike resumed Wednesday for the first time in a month. Chief executives including
The deal was reached without the intervention of federal mediators or other government officials, which had been necessary in previous strikes.
President
“There simply is no substitute for employers and employees coming together to negotiate in good faith toward an agreement that makes a business stronger and secures the pay, benefits and dignity that workers deserve," Biden said Monday in a statement.
About 11,500 members of the
The writers strike immediately sent late-night talk shows and “Saturday Night Live” on hiatus. Dozens of scripted shows and other productions have been in limbo, including forthcoming seasons of
More recently, writers had been targeting talk shows that were working around strike rules to return to air, including “ The Drew Barrymore Show,” “ Real Time With
The combined strikes made for a pivotal moment in
Screenwriters have traditionally gone on strike more than any other segment of the industry, but they enjoyed a relatively long stretch of labor peace until last spring, when negotiations for a new contract fell apart. The walkout was their first since 2007 and their longest since 1988.
On
It was the first time the two groups had been on strike together since 1960. In that walkout, the writers strike started first and ended second. This time, studios opted to deal with the writers first.
The AMPTP first reached out to suggest renewing negotiations in August. The meetings were short, infrequent and not productive, and talks went silent for another month.
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