After more than 140 days of striking, the Writers Guild of America and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers have reached a tentative agreement on a new deal. According to an email sent to WGA members Sunday night, the final language of the new Minimum Basic Agreement is still being drafted. The deal will then be voted on by WGA members. “We can say, with great pride, that this deal is exceptional — with meaningful gains and protections for writers in every sector of the membership,†the email read. Specifics of the deal have not been released, and (per the WGA) they won’t be “until the last ‘i’ is dotted. To do so would complicate our ability to finish the job.â€
This particular round of negotiations started Wednesday, September 20. At the end of bargaining that day, the WGA and AMPTP issued a joint statement vowing to continue negotiating. While the two parties talked Friday, the picket lines were packed in support of the WGA. The AMPTP said it was giving its “best and final†offer Saturday afternoon.
According to the WGA email, the next step (after the agreement’s final language is hammered out) is for the Negotiating Committee to vote on whether to send the agreement to the WGAW Board and WGAE Council. Those bodies will then vote on authorizing a ratification vote. They would also vote on whether to end the strike pending ratification. “This would allow writers to return to work during the ratification vote,†the email read, “but would not affect the membership’s right to make a final determination on contract approval.†Picketing has been suspended, pending these next steps, but the strike is still on.