The Writers Guild Association (WGA) and The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) are set to meet on Sunday after four days of talks failed to reach a deal. The WGA has been on strike for 145 days-- they walked off the job in early May after negotiations failed to agree on compensation, minimum staffing of writers' rooms, the use of artificial intelligence and residuals that reward writers for popular streaming shows, a Reuters report read.
In July, the SAG-AFTRA union, comprising 160,000 members from actors to stunt performers joined the writers. As a result, Hollywood faced work stoppage and two simultaneous strikes for the first time in 63 years.
On Saturday, lawyers on both sides were negotiating over details of a possible agreement. “Thank you for your continued encouragement as we press ahead to secure the best deal we can for writers,” the WGA’s negotiating committee said, the LA Times reported.
Even if both sides reach a pact on the longest-running, thorniest labour issues, productions aren't likely to restart immediately. Any new three-year film and TV contract would have to be ratified by a vote of the WGA’s 11,500 members.
As a result of the strike, however, a lot of industry workers have struggled to pay rent and bills and have ended up moving out of state to make ends meet. Studios have also felt the financial pain, with several projects being stuck.