The Writers Guild of America West has reached a four-year tentative agreement with the major Hollywood studios, averting a work stoppage.
On social media, the screenwriters union said that its negotiating committee unanimously approved a tentative agreement with The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which represents studios such as Walt Disney (DIS) and Paramount Skydance (PSKY).
Terms of the deal have not been made public but it is expected to include several writers’ priorities such as better healthcare and more protections against artificial intelligence (A.I.).
The new agreement, which is a year longer than a typical three-year deal, must be approved by the guild’s board and members before it is officially accepted and ratified.
The new labour pact has been reached after only a few weeks of negotiation. That’s much different that the contentious contract negotiation three years ago that led to Hollywood writers going on strike for several months.
The screenwriters’ previous contract provided them with more compensation, length of employment, and control over A.I. The current contract was set to expire in May of this year.
The studios now turn their attention to the unions representing actors and directors, whose contracts are set to expire at the end of June.
Sean Astin, president of the SAG-AFTRA actor’s union, said in a recent media interview that he has seen signs that the studios want “to work as partners again.”
Hollywood actors also walked off their jobs for months in 2023 demanding a better labour deal.
