Alliance of movie and tv producers seeks to renew negotiations with the Writers Guild of America, precisely three months after the strike vote
The group representing main Hollywood studios in union negotiations has known as for a gathering with the Writers Guild of America to finish a strike that has lasted practically 100 days.
The president of the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers wrote to the writers’ guild to counsel a gathering to proceed discussions, in line with a observe the union distributed to its members Tuesday night.
The writers have been on strike since May 2 after their guild mentioned producers had failed to handle a lot of their key issues, together with the specter of AI to their jobs and the rising prevalence of short-term contracts.
“The AMPTP has contacted the WGA through Carol Lombardini today requesting a meeting this Friday to discuss negotiations,” learn a message from the WGA to its members.
“We will contact you with more information some time after the meeting,” it added. “As we said before, beware of rumours. If there is important news to report, you will hear it directly from us.’
A group representing major Hollywood studios in union negotiations has called for a meeting with the Writers Guild of America to end a strike that has lasted nearly 100 days. Strikers march past the WGA Building during the 2023 Writers Guild Of America strike
Carol Lombardini (pictured) is the president and chief negotiator of the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which represents companies such as Netflix, Amazon, Apple, Disney, Discovery-Warner, NBC Universal, Paramount and Sony
Writers Guild of America chief negotiator Ellen Stutzman (pictured) speaks outside Amazon Studios in Culver City, California, on July 19
Lombardini is the president and chief negotiator of the AMPTP, representing companies including Netflix, Amazon, Apple, Disney, Discovery-Warner, NBC Universal, Paramount and Sony. Her counterpart in the WGA is Ellen Stutzman.
It is the first significant progress since the strike began and could lead to the end of one of the two strikes that paralyzed Hollywood.
The writer’s strike coincided with a separate strike by actors, which began on July 13 and remains in a stalemate.
It is the first time that both groups have not been on strike simultaneously since 1960. The last writers’ strike started in 2007, lasted 100 days and cost the entertainment industry $2.1 billion.
It was not immediately known whether the AMPTP has made a similar attempt to reach a settlement with the actors, who are represented by a separate union, SAG-AFTRA.
Asked about the prospect of talks with either guild, an AMPTP spokesperson said in an email only that “we remain committed to working towards mutually beneficial deals with both unions.”
Talks between screenwriters and their employers broke down on May 1.
Issues behind the strike embrace wage charges amid inflation, the usage of smaller writers for shorter seasons of tv reveals, and management over AI within the screenwriting course of.
“I would have hoped we would have had some sort of discussions with the industry by now,” SAG-AFTRA government director Duncan Crabtree-Ireland informed The Associated Press earlier on Tuesday, earlier than emailing the writers. was despatched.
“Obviously that hasn’t happened yet, but I’m optimistic,” he added.
Despite the assembly, the WGA and AMPTP stay far aside on a variety of points. Among different issues, the studio group rejected the guild’s proposals for minimal TV employees and viewer-based residuals.
The WGA introduced on May 1 that it had not reached an settlement with the studios and streamers. Al Franken and Cynthia Nixon attend the Writers Guild of America strike outdoors the NBC Building on May 23
The Writers Guild of America West workplaces are on show in Los Angeles as Hollywood movie and TV writers start a strike on Tuesday
Alysia Reiner attends the Writers Guild of America strike outdoors the NBC Building in New York on May 23
The WGA introduced on May 1 that it had not reached an settlement with the studios and streamers, accusing the businesses of “busting this business.”
“We explained how the companies’ business practices have reduced our fees and residuals and undermined our working conditions,” it mentioned.
Guild leaders have argued that they’re making an attempt to make it simpler for middle-class writers to make a residing within the risky enterprise.
Specifically, the group accused the studios of turning their occupation right into a gig economic system, which means writers work nearly freelance and don’t have the steadiness of long-term employment.
The modifications within the trade have been largely pushed by the arrival of on-line streaming. Residual charges had been beforehand negotiated by the WGA and paid to writers for reruns of TV reveals, however these charges declined within the streaming period.
Another problem that led to the strike is surge safety. Streaming has dramatically shortened TV seasons. Shows now run about eight to 10 episodes per season, versus the previous mannequin of about 22 to 24 episodes.
Writers can nonetheless spend longer hours engaged on shorter reveals, successfully reducing their pay per episode. Span protections restrict how lengthy writers can work on an episode earlier than the studio is pressured to spend extra money.
Writers are actually seeking to broaden span protections to use them to extra members.
In addition, the guild is looking for to boost minimal pay charges for writers consistent with rising inflation charges and cost-of-living changes.
Each cycle, the WGA usually negotiates a 3 p.c enhance within the minimal fee proportion. But some board members have known as this cycle for doubling minimums, which can be a nonstarter for studios.
