Striking Hollywood writers return to bargaining table with studios

LOS ANGELES, UNITED STATES — Hollywood’s writers’ union will return to the bargaining table this week after studios requested a meeting to explore ways to end the ongoing strike, the guild said Thursday.

The Writers Guild of America (WGA) walkout since early May has brought the entertainment industry to a standstill, and the two sides have not resumed formal talks over terms including pay since.

In an email to members, the WGA said it had accepted a request to meet Friday with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), which includes studios like Disney and Netflix.

“We expect the AMPTP to provide responses to WGA proposals,” said the negotiating committee’s email, seen by AFP.

“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.”

The chaos wrought on the entertainment industry only deepened last month, when writers were joined on the picket lines by the far larger Screen Actors Guild.

Writers — as well as actors — are renegotiating their collective contracts to demand better pay, guarantees to limit the use of artificial intelligence, and other working conditions.

The WGA, which says current terms make it impossible for many of its 11,000 members to make a living, this week marked the 100th day of its strike, dubbing the occasion a “milestone of shame” for studios.

The two sides met last Friday to discuss the possibility of reopening talks.

Countless film shoots and productions have ground to a halt because of the strike, and television’s Emmy Awards were postponed by four months, to January.

— AFP