WGA, AMPTP's New Meeting Reportedly Stalls Over Two Key Issues

The latest meeting between the Writers Guild of America and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers has reportedly stalled due to multiple issues. On Friday, a report from Variety revealed that the meeting was held that afternoon in the AMPTP's Sherman Oaks headquarters, and involved WGA chief negotiator Ellen Stutzman and WGA West general counsel Tony Segall. This was the first meeting between the two groups since the strike first began on May 1st. According to the reporting, the biggest issues to remain after the meeting concern episodic television, particularly minimum staffing levels and a guaranteed minimum number of weeks of employement. The AMPTP reportedly still views the WGA's proposals on those topics "non-starters."

The reporting also reveals that the SAG-AFTRA actors' strike, which began last July, is further complicating the negotiations. Reportedly, Stutzman and Segall told the AMPTP that even if a deal is closed with the WGA, the writers will not start work until both strikes are resolved. That being said, sources cited in the report say that both sides expect to continue communicating in the next few days, after communicating with their respective groups.

Why Are the WGA Striking?

The WGA have cited a slew of reasons for the strike, which began on May 1st and has had a domino effect on how the larger industry operates, shutting down countless film and television productions months before the SAG-AFTRA strike led to the stoppage of many others. The union hopes to see improvements in residuals from media streamed online, as well as additional benefits and safeguards against artificial intelligence potentially being used to write stories instead of real writers.

"Though we negotiated intent on making a fair deal — and though your strike vote gave us the leverage to make some gains — the studios' responses to our proposals have been wholly insufficient, given the existential crisis writers are facing," the WGA said in a statement on May 1st. "We must now exert the maximum leverage possible to get a fair contract by withholding our labor."

The statement continued: "The WGA Negotiating Committee began this process intent on making a fair deal, but the studios' responses have been wholly insufficient given the existential crisis writers are facing. The companies' behavior has created a gig economy inside a union workforce, and their immovable stance in this negotiation has betrayed a commitment to further devaluing the profession of writing. From their refusal to guarantee any level of weekly employment in episodic television, to the creation of a 'day rate' in comedy variety, to their stonewalling on free work for screenwriters and on AI for all writers, they have closed the door on their labor force and opened the door to writing as an entirely freelance profession. No such deal could ever be contemplated by this membership."

What do you think of the latest update regarding the Writers Guild of America strike? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!