The Writers Guild of America has reached a tentative four-year agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers group that represents studios and streamers. Hollywood Reporter I’ve learned.
On Saturday, Bucs reporter Matt Bellone reported on the agreement, saying it adds another year to the WGA’s usual three-year deal, and that it includes “health/pension plan increases, SVOD bumps.” [and] Protect police licensing for AI training. THR It is understood from a source close to the discussions that these details are accurate.
The initial deal is still subject to a ratification vote by members.
Before the talks began, the union outlined its negotiating priorities for a new contract, including strengthening the union’s health plan, increasing AI protections, and improving compensation.
like THR I previously reported that the WGA’s health fund cumulatively lost $122 million in 2023 and 2024, according to tax filings, as a decline in Hollywood work and general health care inflation took their toll.
The union also sought to secure more protection against artificial intelligence. Although the protections laid out in the WGA’s contract in 2023 were generally considered strong, the federation wanted to expand them as technology developed.
Like all unions, the CWA was intent on increasing compensation for its members. The WGA sought to increase minimum compensation rates, raise minimums for “front page” rewrites and residuals for live reuse and focus pay rates for writers in post-production as well as comedy/variety, competition, and audience writers.
The WGA followed performers union SAG-AFTRA in its negotiations with AMPTP, with SAG-AFTRA beginning negotiations on February 9. However, SAG-AFTRA failed to reach a new deal with the studios, and it was announced on March 15, shortly after the Academy Awards. Negotiations on the union’s next deal covering the film and television business are scheduled to continue into the spring before the contract expires on June 30.
The WGA deal also comes as the WGA West employee union remains on strike, with striking employees losing their health coverage last week.
The WGA’s recent negotiations with the AMPTP mark the first time the guild has been at the negotiating table with major companies — including Netflix and Warner Bros. , Universal and Paramount, among others – since launching a 148-day strike over issues including compensation in the streaming age and generative artificial intelligence in 2023. SAG-AFTRA later joined striking writers in the first double strike of writers and actors in more than 60 years.
Since then, the industry has experienced a painful downturn that has squeezed hiring at all levels of the business. In 2024, one year after the WGA strike, employment of writers was down 9.4 percent from the previous year (the year of the strike, which de facto restricts employment) and 24.3 percent lower than in 2022, according to the union’s annual financial report.
Union negotiations were led by Chief Negotiator Ellen Stutzman along with Negotiating Committee Co-Chairs John Auguste and Daniel Sanchez-Witzel. AMPTP is led by new president Gregory Hessinger, who succeeds longtime president Carole Lombardini in 2025.
More to come.