The Hollywood writers have overwhelmingly voted to approve the contract agreement that ended their five-month-long strike. The Writers Guild of America announced on Monday that 99% of the members who cast ballots voted in favor of ratifying the deal.
The agreement, hailed as a victory by union leaders, includes significant improvements in payment, show staff sizes, and control over artificial intelligence in scripts. The outcome of the vote, conducted over the past week, was never in doubt.
Meredith Stiehm, president of the WGA-East, expressed her satisfaction with the achievement, stating, “Together, we were able to accomplish what many said was impossible only six months ago.”
In contrast, the screen actors represented by the Screen Actors Guild-American of Television and Radio Performers (SAG-AFTRA) continue their negotiations with studios to resolve their strike, which has been ongoing for nearly three months. Talks between the actors and employers restarted one week ago.
Unlike the intense negotiations that brought an end to the writers strike, the actors and studios are taking a more deliberate approach in their discussions. The progress made during the negotiations remains uncertain.
Writers’ Guild Strike Ends with New Contract
The writers’ guild leaders have successfully negotiated a new contract that will run until May 1, 2026, marking a significant victory after a three-year strike. The collaboration involved top executives from major media companies such as Disney, Netflix, and Warner Bros. Discovery. On September 24, a tentative deal was reached, and just two days later, the board members voted to approve the agreement, officially marking an end to the strike.
With the strike over, writers wasted no time in getting back to work. Late-night talk shows were back on the air within a week, followed shortly after by other popular shows like “Saturday Night Live.”
The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, the representative body for studios, streaming services, and production companies, congratulated the writers on their vote. In a statement, they commended the new contract for providing “meaningful gains and protections” for writers. They emphasized the importance of progress for the industry now that writers can resume their work.