WGA strike ends: Key takeaways for residuals, salary, AI, staffing

After five months of picketing and negotiations, the Writers Guild of America (WGA) has agreed to end the strike. Confirming that the strike officially ended at 12:01 a.m. PT on Wednesday, September 27, the WGA said in a statement, "Today, your Negotiating Committee, the WGAW Board, and WGAE Council all voted unanimously to recommend the agreement." It said further in the statement that the deal will now go to both Guilds' memberships for a ratification vote. It said that the voters would receive a ballot and materials for the vote. It confirmed that the voting will take place from October 2 to October 9.

In force from September 25, 2023, to May 1, 2026

The new agreement will remain in force from September 25, 2023, to May 1, 2026. The agreement has provisions on many of the contentious issues including protections against AI, residuals, and data transparency.


Residuals

On the residuals issue, the deal has the provisions that writers will get a bonus based on streaming projects that are viewed by 20% or more of the service's domestic subscribers in the first 90 days of release or in the first 90 days in any subsequent exhibition year.

Salary

The minimum salary of writers will go up by 5%-4%-3.5% over the course of the three-year contract. Their demands for minimum staffing and duration of employment in TV writers’ rooms too have been accepted.

Staffing

It has been agreed that development rooms must have at least three writer-producers and 10 consecutive weeks of employment. Similarly, post-greenlight rooms must have at least 20 weeks or the entire duration of the post-greenlight room, whichever is shorter.

AI

The use of Artificial Intelligence or AI was another contentious issue. It has been agreed that AI can’t write or rewrite literary material, and AI-generated material will not be considered source material.

FAQs:

Q1. How long the agreement signed by the WGA and AMPTP will work?
A1. The new agreement signed between the WGA and the AMPTP will remain in force from September 25, 2023, to May 1, 2026.

Q2. What agreement has been reached on the use of AI?
A2. The WGA and the AMPTP have agreed that AI can’t write or rewrite literary material, and AI-generated material will not be considered source material.