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After announcing a preliminary agreement and the end of the strike pickets, the Writers Guild of America (the union of American screenwriters) now announces that the formalized version of the agreement has been finalized. In other words, all that remains is to have the agreement ratified by the guild’s members, which should be a mere formality.
The immediate consequence of this announcement the end of the strike, as well as the publication of the full (and very lengthy) agreement as well as a condensed version.
In a nutshell: the studios have conceded to most of the union’s demands, and the screenwriters have therefore won the standoff.
The first major point is compensation. The agreement notably includes increased foreign streaming residuals, and viewership-based streaming bonus (with bonuses if films and series are viewed by at least 20% of subscribers within 90 days of release).
AI was another hot topic. The agreement establishes regulations for the use of such tools. For example, a company can’t require a writer to use AI software/ If both the writer and studio agree to it, it can still be used. Furthermore, explains the WGA, the agreement states that “AI-generated material can’t be used to undermine a writer’s credit or separated rights”. In other words, writers won’t be paid less when AI is used.
It should also be noted that scripts written by writers can’t be used to train AIs.
The full summary of the deal terms is available.
While the screenwriters’ strike is ending, it does not mark the end of the ongoing labor movement in the entertainment industry. Regarding the actors’ strike, negotiations are ongoing. It should be noted that the SAG-AFTRA union openly contemplates extending the strike to videogame voice actors if the ongoing discussions fail.
