Posted in: Movies, streaming, TV | Tagged: amptp, SAG-AFTRA, wga, writers' strike

WGA, AMPTP Resuming Contract Negotiations on Friday: Union Confirms

A little room for some cautious optimism? The WGA confirmed that the AMPTP has requested to resume negotiations beginning this Friday.

We're guessing it was a combination of last week's pseudo-meeting/status update between the WGA & the AMPTP and the fact that we just crossed the painfully sobering 100-Day mark with the writers' strike. But whatever the reason, we're taking any news about both sides returning to the negotiating table as great news. And that appears to be the case, with the WGA messaging its members earlier today that AMPTP President Carol Lombardini "has asked the WGA Negotiating Committee to meet with AMPTP negotiators on Friday. We expect the AMPTP to provide responses to WGA proposals. Our committee returns to the bargaining table ready to make a fair deal, knowing the unified WGA membership stands behind us and buoyed by the ongoing support of our union allies."

Based on sources speaking with Variety (and other trades) last week regarding the "meeting about meetings," the WGA made it clear that the union was standing firm when it came to having minimum staffing levels in place for episodic television series as well as a guaranteed minimum number of employment weeks (both points considered non-starters by AMPTP in the past). In addition, there were reports that WGA chief negotiator Ellen Stutzman & WGA West general counsel Tony Segall stressed that even if the union finalizes a deal with the AMPTP, writers will still look to honor the SAG-AFTRA strike until a deal is reached there, also. In the WGA update from last week, it was communicated to members that "the DGA [Directors Guild of America] deal would be the deal on any pattern issues" when it comes to the AMPTP. As for what was discussed, the update claims that the AMPTP "were willing to increase their offer on a few writer-specific TV minimums – and willing to talk about AI – but that they were not willing to engage on the preservation of the writers' room or success-based residuals," as well as other issues.

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