Leaders of the Writers Guild of America (WGA), the powerful screenwriters’ union, are meeting Tuesday to decide whether to accept the recent wage deal with the studios, and could agree to end their strike that is paralyzing Hollywood for almost five months.
The union’s board of directors must also set a deadline to submit the proposal to the 11,500 screenwriters it represents. They are the ones who will have the last word to accept or reject the employers’ offer.
A board vote in favor of the deal would clear the way for resuming work on many U.S. series and films stuck in the early stages of writing. It would also allow late-night talk shows, hosted by presenters who need scripts, to return to the air sometime next month.
The WGA has already indicated it may allow some members to return to work before the deal is ratified. But until that process is complete, the writers technically remain on strike.
“To be clear, no one should return to work until expressly authorized by the guild. We are still on strike until then,” the union said.
The exact content of the agreement reached with the studios on Sunday, after five days of a new round of negotiations, has not yet been made public.
The union, however, assured that it was an “exceptional” compromise, which includes “significant gains” in terms of remuneration as well as protections to regulate the use of artificial intelligence.
Most industry insiders expect the document to be well received and approved by Hollywood screenwriters.
In the event of a green light, Hollywood is still far from a return to normal. Because the actors, represented by the SAG-AFTRA union, are still on strike.
A resolution to this social conflict, which has been going on since mid-July, could take several more weeks.
And even after the actors return to work, it will surely still take months to really get everyone back on set and catch up on accumulated delays.