What does a Tentative deal mean? Hollywood Writers Strike finally gets a positive update

The Writers Strike, which brought the entertainment industry to a dead stop for almost five months, may have reached its finish line. This comes after the Hollywood studios and the Union leaders reached a tentative deal on Sunday, September 24, 2023.

The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) and the Writers Guild of America (WGA) also released a joint statement stating the same. AMPTP represents Hollywood studios, streaming services, and production firms.

The guild informed its members about the “tentative agreement” they have struck with the AMPTP via an email. It hailed “the enduring solidarity of WGA members and extraordinary support of our union siblings.” However, the guild board and members must agree to the deal to officially end the strike.

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WGA and AMPTP reach "tentative" deal, but the Writers Strike is not officially over

The WGA, an 11,500-member-strong organization, has been holding the Writers strike since May 2, 2023. Their key demands were better job security and wages for the writers, an increased size of writers’ rooms, and a limit on the use of AI in the process of writing.

The Writers strike compelled TV networks to not have any new show written, impacting their fall line-up. The tentative deal, which has a three-year validity, was reached after five days of talks between WGA and AMPTP.

As soon as the development took place, talks to bring back NBC’s The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! started raging.

The guild, in their note to the members, said:

“We have reached a tentative agreement on a new 2023 MBA, which is to say an agreement in principle on all deal points, subject to drafting final contract language. We can say, with great pride, that this deal is exceptional…with meaningful gains and protections for writers in every sector of the membership.”

“This was made possible by the enduring solidarity of WGA members and extraordinary support of our union siblings who joined us on the picket lines for over 146 days.”

It should be emphasized here that the strike is not over yet, and the writers were asked not to return to work until further notice. However, the picketing needs to be suspended with no delay.

The terms of the tentative deal were not disclosed. During the last Writers strike in 2008, over 90% of members had given their green signal to the terms laid in front of them.

Meanwhile, the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike by actors in Hollywood against AMPTP is still on. The 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike began on July 14, 2023, just two months later than the WGA one. The actors' union congratulated the WGA while expressing hope that their demands would also be met.