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More than 100 days into their strike, the Writers Guild of America are still striving to get its members back to work soon. The union told its members Thursday that it intends to resume negotiations with major studios and streaming services on Friday, according to The Associated Press.
Carol Lombardini, president of the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), contacted the WGA’s chief negotiator, Ellen Stutzman, last week to set up a meeting. “Our committee returns to the bargaining table ready to make a fair deal, knowing the unified WGA membership stands behind us and buoyed by the ongoing support of our union allies,” WGA’s message to its members said on Thursday.
The WGA began its strike on May 2, forcing many productions, including late-night talk shows and awards presentations, to cease operations. Another strike, led by SAG-AFTRA, which represents actors, began on July 14, further exasperating Hollywood execs. Writers and actors subsequently formed picket lines side by side. It’s the first time both writers and actors have stopped work at the same time since 1960. Both the writers’ and the actor’s unions have expressed worries about the role artificial intelligence could play in their respective jobs, as well as the amount of money they make from streaming services.
President Joe Biden has supported both groups’ right to strike. “Nights like these are a reminder of the power of stories, and the importance of treating storytellers with dignity, respect and the value they deserve,” he said in May at a screening of the TV series American Born Chinese. “I sincerely hope the writers’ strike in Hollywood gets resolved, and the writers are given a fair deal that they deserve as soon as possible. This is an iconic, meaningful American industry, and we need the writers and all the workers and everyone involved to tell the stories of our nation, the stories of all of us.” A White House spokesperson also relayed Biden’s support of the SAG-AFTRA strike in July.
