The Latest on the Hollywood Strikes

Back on May 2 of this year, the Writers Guild of America (WGA) went on strike against the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), otherwise known as the studios.

A few months later, on July 14, the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) joined the picket lines against the AMPTP.

As I mentioned in my August 15th column The Strikes Just Keep Rolling On, this is the first time since the 1980’s that actors have gone on strike, and it’s also the first time that both groups have been on picket lines at the same time since 1960.

Thankfully, the WGA and AMPTP were finally able to come to an agreement, ratifying their contract on September 25; an agreement that will last through May 1, 2026.

Among the more salient points of the agreement are:

•  A 26% increase to residuals
• Minimum staffing requirements; and,
• Guaranteed protections on artificial intelligence (AI), specifically that studios aren’t allowed to require writers to us AI as a tool in their writing and must disclose if they give any AI-generated material to writers during the process.

Another key component is that streaming titles – with a budget of more than $30 million that are viewed by 20% or more of the service’s domestic subscribers in the first 90 days of release – get a bonus equal to 50% of the fixed domestic and foreign residuals.

While the WGA certainly made strides in their agreement with the AMPTP, the actors have not fared as well because they are still on strike; and talks have stalled between the two groups. According to recent reports, talks are not even on the table right now with both sides at an impasse.

With the strike for the actors now reaching beyond the 3-month mark, it doesn’t make a difference that the writers are back to work – even though I’m sure it is a blessing to all those in the WGA to have a paycheck again and that a part of the industry can get back to a semblance of normal – because without actors, production cannot take place.

At this point, it’s impossible to say when the actors’ strike could come to an end – especially given that each side is standing firm on their demands; but it’s been my opinion since the very beginning that we could be waiting until next year before an agreement can be made. And, at the very least I am not alone in that thought process as an entertainment attorney was interviewed on the local news here in Los Angeles yesterday, and he basically said that with the holidays fast approaching, there is a good possibility that an agreement may not be reached until then.