The Writers Guild of America (WGA) and The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers are currently at the bargaining table once again in an effort to come to a contract agreement that would end the ongoing strike.
In a joint statement Wednesday, WGA and AMPTP simply said that "The WGA and AMPTP met for bargaining today and will meet again tomorrow." No further details were given as to what progress, if any, has been made on negotiations.
A similar statement was made again last night, which additionally encouraged as many members as possible to come to the picket lines today in support as the two parties entered a third day of negotiations.
One day longer, one day stronger. #WGAStrong pic.twitter.com/k4fDUbH2qJ
— David Slack (@slack2thefuture) September 22, 2023
The last time the two parties came to the bargaining table was in early August, after an hour-long negotiation meeting failed to move matters forward, reportedly due to the AMPTP refusing to consider bargaining over two of the issues most important to WGA: minimum staffing levels in episodic TV, and guaranteeing a minimum number of weeks of employment.
At this time, it is unclear whether or not this attempt at negotiations will be successful either, though the duration of the talks has been interpreted by some as a sign of potential progress. Given the recent transparency of the joint parties, however, it wouldn't be surprising if another statement came tonight, whether they reach a deal, pause for the weekend, or continue tomorrow.
The WGA has been on strike since May 2 of this year in its first action on this scale in 15 years. The guild is maintaining a strict work stoppage across TV, film, and all other entertainment projects in protest over studios and streamers' refusal to bargain over both the aforementioned concerns, as well as protections against AI-based writing and other issues.
Their action was followed closely by a similar strike by The Screen Actors Guild - American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA), who similarly instituted a work stoppage in July after failing to reach an agreement with AMPTP. The guild is currently considering an additional strike against video game companies along similar lines.
Thumbnail credit: John Nacion/Getty Images
Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. Got a story tip? Send it to rvalentine@ign.com.
