After about 5 months of striking, the Writers Guild of America (WGA) may have finally come to a deal with entertainment companies, as WGA members vote on the terms this week.
It has been a long 146 days of striking for the WGA members, fighting for better working conditions and better pay. This strike marks the second-longest WGA strike in history since the strike that lasted 154 days in 1988. The proposed deal supposedly handles many of the writers’ concerns and meets the terms they were looking for, including pay raises and terms about AI advancements.
Many writers’ concerns have been growing since the rise of AI, making them worry whether or not the use of AI could or would replace jobs. The tentative deal that is on the table right now allegedly promises that AI will not effect writers’ compensation. Exact terms of the deal have not been made public yet, but they likely will if WGA votes to accept it this week.
All 11,000 members of the WGA will place their votes sometime this week to accept or decline the deal. The negotiating committee for the WGA wrote in an email to the WGA regarding the deal, telling their 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.”
Members of the WGA have been instructed to stop picketing, but wait to actually get back to work until a majority vote has been reached.