(Los Angeles) Contract negotiations that could end Hollywood’s screenwriters’ strike are expected to resume next week, the studios announced Thursday.
The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which represents studios, streaming services and production companies in negotiations, said in a statement that it contacted the writers’ union on Wednesday and that both parties had agreed to resume negotiations next week.
Executives are still working out the details, the statement said, and no further details were provided.
“Each member company of the Alliance is engaged in negotiations and wishes to reach a fair agreement to end the strike,” the statement read.
No date for resuming negotiations is yet planned in the case of the actors’ strike.
The writers have been on strike for four and a half months. The dispute focuses on issues such as wages, job security and regulations surrounding the use of artificial intelligence.
A previous attempt to restart negotiations had failed. The two sides had a handful of meetings in mid-August, including one attended by executives from Disney, Netflix, Warner Bros and Discovery.
But the writers lamented that after exchanging a few proposals, “they heard a lecture about the quality of the only counter-offer” presented to them, which caused the discussions to be interrupted.
California lawmakers voted Thursday to allow striking workers to claim unemployment benefits.
If signed by state Governor Gavin Newsom, the bill would benefit Southern California hotel workers as well as striking actors and writers.
But it is unclear whether Mr. Newsom will sign it, since the fund California uses to pay unemployment benefits is insolvent.
Business groups argued that making more people eligible for benefits would only make the situation worse.