The Writers Guild of America will meet on Wednesday with the major studio alliance, as negotiations resume after a monthlong hiatus.
The WGA confirmed the meeting with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers in an email to members on Monday morning. The union has been on strike for 140 days.
“The WGA and AMPTP now have a confirmed schedule to bargain this week, starting on Wednesday,” the union said in the message. “You might not hear from us in the coming days while we are negotiating, but know that our focus is getting a fair deal for writers as soon as possible. We’ll reach out again when there is something of significance to report.”
The two sides last met at the AMPTP headquarters in Sherman Oaks on Aug. 18. Four studio heads then met with a handful of WGA leaders on Aug. 22 at the Luxe Sunset Boulevard Hotel. The WGA described that meeting as a “lecture” intended to “jam” the guild into accepting the studios’ Aug. 11 offer.
The two sides have not met since then. According to the AMPTP, the WGA called the alliance last Wednesday to request a meeting. The WGA confirmed only that the two sides were talking about restarting talks, but did not address who made the first call.
The two sides remain far apart on streaming residuals and a proposal for a mandatory staffing level in TV writers rooms. They have made more progress on artificial intelligence regulations, though there is still disagreement about whether WGA writers’ work can be used to train AI systems.
From Variety US
