Writers Guild to Resume Negotiating New Contract With AMPTP – Deadline

The WGA and AMPTP have agreed to resume bargaining for a deal that could end the ongoing union strike.

In a letter to members Thursday, the union said Carole Lombardini, president of the Motion Picture and Television Producers Alliance, “has asked the WGA Negotiation Committee to meet with the AMPTP negotiators on Friday. We expect the AMPTP to provide responses to the WGA’s proposals.”

“Our committee returns to the negotiating table ready to strike a fair deal, knowing that the united WGA membership is behind us and underpinned by the continued support of our union allies,” the union said.

AMPTP declined to comment on today’s news.

The two sides last met on August 4, but were unable to reach an agreement to resume bargaining.

Writers’ strike over a new movie contract and TV contract just crossed the 100-day mark on Wednesday, making the strike as of today longer than the union’s work in 2007-2008. We are now 52 days away from becoming the longest in WGA history.

Chris Keyser and David A. Goodman, who both chair the WGA’s negotiating committee, said of the notable achievement yesterday: “The refusal to take reasonable writers’ proposals seriously has prolonged the WGA’s 100-day strike. It is a milestone of shame for AMPTP. They and their member studios are fully responsible for shutting down the industry for more than From three months and the pain it has caused to the workers and all the other people whose livelihoods depend on that work. The cost of settling the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes is far less than the damage done by their stubbornness. In the end, the studios have no choice but to make a fair deal. Until then We remain resolute and united.”

The Aug. 4 meeting, which was not a bargaining session but one to discuss resuming talks, ended acrimoniously, with the union saying at the time that “the AMPTP playbook continues.”

The union also accused AMPTP of leaking details of the meeting to the press, saying that “before the negotiating committee had a chance to meet, our communications department began hearing deals asking for comments on rumors leaked in the studio about the contents of the secret meeting.” This comes after he spent the program AMPTP most of the meeting emphasized the need for a journalistic blackout.”

At that meeting, the WGA leaders said Lombardini told them the agreement reached with the principals’ union in June “would be a deal-breaker on any style issues.” She stated they were willing to increase their bid for a few writer TV specials — and willing to talk about AI—but they weren’t willing to participate in maintaining writers’ room, or hangovers based on success. She didn’t indicate willingness to address screenwriter issues, Appendix A issues, and the many other proposals still on our list.”

Lombardini’s response, they said, echoes what was written in yesterday’s AMPTP press release: “People just want to get back to work.” “

AMPTP responded, saying the union negotiating committee’s letter was “unfortunate. This strike has affected thousands of people in this industry, and we take that very seriously. Our only playbook is to get people back to work.”

Stay tuned.