Writers Guild ratifies deal
- Members of the Writers Guild of America ratified a new four-year film and television contract on Friday, locking in a deal with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers through May 1, 2030. - The guild said 90.38% of members who voted backed the 2026 Minimum Basic Agreement, with 4,282 yes votes and 456 no votes, after a tentative deal reached in early April. - The agreement follows the 2023 Hollywood strikes and adds at least $321 million to the writers’ Health Fund while preserving pressure points around streaming, pay and artificial intelligence. (wga.org) (nbclosangeles.com)
Writers Guild members approved a new four-year contract with Hollywood studios on Friday, extending the deal through May 1, 2030. (wga.org) (nbclosangeles.com) The Writers Guild of America said 90.38% of ballots cast supported the 2026 Minimum Basic Agreement, with 4,282 members voting yes and 456 voting no. (wga.org) The contract covers the Writers Guild of America’s agreements with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers and the broadcast networks, and its term begins May 2, 2026. (wga.org) The tentative deal was reached on April 4 after roughly three weeks of bargaining, a much faster timetable than the 2023 negotiations that ended in a strike. (nbclosangeles.com) (wga.org) Guild leaders Michele Mulroney and Tom Fontana said the agreement was negotiated during “industry contraction” and rising health-care costs, and said the union will keep watching streaming and artificial intelligence. (nbclosangeles.com) The biggest concrete gain disclosed Friday was health funding. The guild said increased contribution rates, higher caps and diverted parental-leave money are projected to add at least $321 million to the Health Fund over the contract term, including $280 million in new company contributions. (nbclosangeles.com) Studios, through the AMPTP, said the contract includes investments in the writers’ health plan, improvements in residuals and wages, and safeguards for writers’ work. (nbclosangeles.com) The deal also arrives as Hollywood’s other major labor talks continue. NBC Los Angeles reported the AMPTP said it hopes the writers’ agreement helps in current negotiations with SAG-AFTRA and the Directors Guild of America. (nbclosangeles.com 1) (nbclosangeles.com 2) Three years ago, writers and actors both walked out in prolonged strikes that shut down much of film and television production and rippled through Los Angeles-area businesses. Friday’s ratification closes this round of writers’ bargaining without another stoppage. (nbclosangeles.com 1) (nbclosangeles.com 2)
