Hollywood writers voted to ratify a new contract with studios, ending the five-month-long labor dispute that has hampered the film industry.
The vote followed the official end of the strike on Sept. 27 and brought to a close a strike by writers as actors continued to protest. Hollywood film and TV writers overwhelmingly voted in favor of a new three-year contract with the major entertainment studios, said the Writers Guild of America (WGA) on Monday.
Hollywood Ratifies New Contract With Writers
During the voting period, which lasted one week, more than 8,500 writers submitted ballots, and the contract was ratified with 99% of the vote. The Writers Guild represents more than 11,000 screenwriters.
In an email statement, the president of the Writers Guild's western branch, Meredith Stiehm, said that they were able to accomplish together what many people said was impossible just six months ago.
The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which is the one bargaining on behalf of the major studios, congratulated the union in a separate statement. It added that it was important progress for the industry that writers are able to go back to work, as per the New York Times.
The ratification of the new contract had widely been expected and the practical effects from the vote will be relatively minimal. Members of the Writers Guild board had already unanimously voted to approve the agreement and the 138-day screenwriter strike, which is one of the longest in the history of the union, was brought to an end.
After the ratification, picketing was quickly suspended and writers immediately returned to their work. Productions that do not need the services of striking actors, most notably talk shows, including "The Late Show With Stephen Colbert" and "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" have already started airing new episodes following the latest development.
During the voting period, much of the focus that was on the entertainment industry quickly transferred over to the negotiations between studios and SAG-AFTRA, the union that represents tens of thousands of striking actors.
Months-Long Strike
The latter will be meeting studio negotiators again on Monday in an attempt to reach an agreement that would put an end to the actors' strike. The strike, which lasted several months, represents one of the most visible renewed labor challenges across the United States this year at companies ranging from UPS to Detroit automakers, according to Channel News Asia.
The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), which represents Walt Disney, Netflix, and many other media companies, said that the new contract that has been ratified "represents meaningful gains and protections for writers."
The WGA also secured salary increases in each of the next three years, restrictions on artificial intelligence, and a new residual system for streaming based on viewership. Additionally, the guild negotiated higher contribution rates to health benefits and pensions as well as a guaranteed number of writers in writers' rooms for television shows.
The president of the WGA East, Lisa Takeuchi Cullen, said that until the studios make a deal that addresses the needs of performers, members of the guild will be on the picket lines walking side-by-side with SAG-AFTRA in solidarity, said CNBC.