SAG-AFTRA vote to go on strike
- Thread starter Morpheus 02
- Start date
While this is of course good news, let's not get too excited yet. Even if everything goes through and the writers strike is indeed over, we're probably looking at a minimum of a month before the actors strike is resolved. Especially since there have not been any negotiations with SAG-AFTRA at all since the strike began, so whenever they do sit down at the table, they will basically be starting from scratch. Hell, thinking the actors strike could be over by the start of November might be optimistic.
I figure a day or two at most after the members approve and the new contract goes into effect. I'm sure the talk shows are monitoring this very closely but they have to be careful with guests, esepcially actors. Can actors appear if they don't promote projects without breaking union rules?
Potentially good news, so at least more of the workers can get back to their jobs and take care of their families again. (Those that work on the talk shows and others like it that aren't so reliant on actors being on a set, anyway.)
Probably the same rules as conventions apply.
Wouldn't be the worst thing in the world if Stephen Colbert focused on writers and musicians for the foreseeable future.
Now the video game voice actors and motion capture performers have voted to go on strike.
Not quite. A strike authorization was voted upon. The actual call for a strike has not been made.
Hollywood writers strike declared over after boards vote to approve contract with studios
AP
Updated: 9:47 PM EDT Sep 26, 2023
...
The governing boards of the eastern and western branches of the Writers Guild of America both voted to accept the deal, and afterward declared that the strike would be over and writers would be free to work starting at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday.
Late-night talk shows — the first to go dark when writers walked out on May 2 — are likely the first shows that will resume.
The writers still have to vote to ratify the contract themselves, but lifting the strike will allow them to work during that process, the Writers Guild told members in an email.
After Tuesday's board votes, the contracts were released to the writers, who had not yet been given any details on the deal, which their leaders called “exceptional.”
The members will vote between Oct. 2 and 9.
https://www.wcvb.com/article/hollywood-writers-strike-over-boards-vote-contract/45330992
Writers Guild Reveals Details of Tentative Deal With Studios on AI, Data Transparency, Mini Rooms and More
The union reached a provisional agreement, still subject to member ratification, with Hollywood's top studios and streamers on Sunday night.
Katie Kilkenny and Lesley Goldberg
SEPTEMBER 26, 2023 5:24PM PDT
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/writers-guild-tentative-agreement-details-released-1235601184/amp/
AP
Updated: 9:47 PM EDT Sep 26, 2023
...
The governing boards of the eastern and western branches of the Writers Guild of America both voted to accept the deal, and afterward declared that the strike would be over and writers would be free to work starting at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday.
Late-night talk shows — the first to go dark when writers walked out on May 2 — are likely the first shows that will resume.
The writers still have to vote to ratify the contract themselves, but lifting the strike will allow them to work during that process, the Writers Guild told members in an email.
After Tuesday's board votes, the contracts were released to the writers, who had not yet been given any details on the deal, which their leaders called “exceptional.”
The members will vote between Oct. 2 and 9.
https://www.wcvb.com/article/hollywood-writers-strike-over-boards-vote-contract/45330992
Writers Guild Reveals Details of Tentative Deal With Studios on AI, Data Transparency, Mini Rooms and More
The union reached a provisional agreement, still subject to member ratification, with Hollywood's top studios and streamers on Sunday night.
Katie Kilkenny and Lesley Goldberg
SEPTEMBER 26, 2023 5:24PM PDT
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/writers-guild-tentative-agreement-details-released-1235601184/amp/
Last edited:
While the WGA strike is over, the SAG-AFTRA strike is still going.
Comics writing legends Grant Morrison and Brian Michael Bendis headline the upcoming anthology comic book "General Strike", written entirely by WGA members and starring a new character, the bubble-gum chewing labour organizing heroine Gen. Strike and the fight against economic inequality.
The publisher, small independent company Black Mask, has not only agreed to pay DC/Marvel level rates to the writers, but to match those rates in donations to the Entertainment Community Fund (so other workers in the entertainment industry in need will also benefit), and the writers retain full IP ownership over their stories and characters.
Source: Bleeding Cool
Comics writing legends Grant Morrison and Brian Michael Bendis headline the upcoming anthology comic book "General Strike", written entirely by WGA members and starring a new character, the bubble-gum chewing labour organizing heroine Gen. Strike and the fight against economic inequality.
The publisher, small independent company Black Mask, has not only agreed to pay DC/Marvel level rates to the writers, but to match those rates in donations to the Entertainment Community Fund (so other workers in the entertainment industry in need will also benefit), and the writers retain full IP ownership over their stories and characters.
Source: Bleeding Cool
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/writers-guild-deal-meeting-1235603114/
So yeah, all of the WGA's demands have been apparently met (well) and the members are partying like there's no tomorrow. Seems like Hollywood "caved" in a big way, which means they gave the writers a fair share and that must have hurt them deep in the soul to share a little of their pie. Good for the writers and i think the actor's guild will now have a template how to conduct their negotiations because Hollywood just blinked in a big way and SAG will smell blood in the water ( to be overly dramatic).
So while some shows like Late Night Talk will probably resume soon major projects requiring actors, where the real bank is, are still on hold and i figure the studios will want to resolve this quickly too but have left themselves little room to maneuver after they agreed to the WGA demands. SAG will certainly not demand any less and they might pull it off soon hopefully.
Score 1:0 for the unions and it went as i expected and hoped, i.e. Hollywood stood to lose far more than the writers and actors because the people working for Hollywood can choose new jobs elsewhere ( with the drawback of giving up what they love and want to do) but Hollywood can't function without (good) writers and actors.
So yeah, all of the WGA's demands have been apparently met (well) and the members are partying like there's no tomorrow. Seems like Hollywood "caved" in a big way, which means they gave the writers a fair share and that must have hurt them deep in the soul to share a little of their pie. Good for the writers and i think the actor's guild will now have a template how to conduct their negotiations because Hollywood just blinked in a big way and SAG will smell blood in the water ( to be overly dramatic).
So while some shows like Late Night Talk will probably resume soon major projects requiring actors, where the real bank is, are still on hold and i figure the studios will want to resolve this quickly too but have left themselves little room to maneuver after they agreed to the WGA demands. SAG will certainly not demand any less and they might pull it off soon hopefully.
Score 1:0 for the unions and it went as i expected and hoped, i.e. Hollywood stood to lose far more than the writers and actors because the people working for Hollywood can choose new jobs elsewhere ( with the drawback of giving up what they love and want to do) but Hollywood can't function without (good) writers and actors.
Am I right in thinking this deal only lasts three years? What are the odds they find themselves back in the same place again in 3 years time? (I appreciate all WGA deals are three years but usually the playing field doesn't alter much, I wonder what the state of play re AI will be like in 3 years? I wonder how many streamers will still be going also, even with the introduction of ads)
Oh forgot to say, one the day the tentative agreement was announced I listened to John August's sidecast and he was genuinely choked up that it looked like they'd won and this is a guy who's likely made enough that he could walk away from the business tomorrow and live quite comfortably but he (and Craig MAzin) clearly give a shit about those on lower rungs of the ladder.
Seriously, if you have an interest in screenwriting specifically or just Hollywood in general the Scriptnotes podcast is incredibly informative, and a lot of fun most of the time.
Seriously, if you have an interest in screenwriting specifically or just Hollywood in general the Scriptnotes podcast is incredibly informative, and a lot of fun most of the time.
Yes, the deal expires May 1st 2026 at which point they'll renegotiate. That is not unusual and expected, especially in a fast moving business like entertainment.
If i interpret this correctly the WGA victory is even more complete because now they have proof that if they stick to their guns and ride it out, as painful as it can be they will win. This will boost all further negotiations and give them an advantage in all future deals as long as they don't get overly greedy as unions sometimes can be. They have made some landmark agreements especially when it comes to streaming revenue and AI, i don't think there's any going back on these achievements and the 3 year contract period is good enough to monitor develeopments and adjust every 3 years.
Now only the actors have to close their deal and i expect a similar victory, it makes their negotiations actually easier because they can just point to the WGA deal and demand something similar and they know they can get it now.
I figure somewhere in some Hollywood studio boardroom someone must have said that giving up 1-3% of revenue is ok as opposed to having no revenue.
The WGA will eventually have another strike. 1960, 1981, 1988, 2007, and this one. They've all lasted more than 3 months. I'm expecting the next one to be 4 or 5 months, and probably happen in 12 or 15 years.
That's usually how contracts work.
A surprise to be sure, but a welcome one, in some ways.
Similar threads
