THR Illustration / Adobe Stock
After concluding their negotiations on Friday, Hollywood’s majors and the Writers Guild of America will meet again the following week after the studios present the union with its latest counteroffer.
In a letter to members on Friday evening, the WGA’s negotiating committee reiterated that the studios had provided “responses to our proposals in all areas of the business” the previous Friday, August 11. “We met this week and continued to exchange proposals. We will continue to meet next week,” the committee told members.
The group, chaired by Chris Keyser and David Goodman, also thanked its members for their “messages of support and solidarity” and warned them about “rumours from third parties”, adding that “the union will reach out when we believe there is something of importance to report.”
Prior to their meeting on Friday, the two sides also held meetings on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. According to a source from the studio’s side, AMPTP on Friday filed a response to the union’s recent counteroffer, bringing the ball back into WGA court. (THR The WGA has been reached for comment.) That same day, the company’s top executives met in the morning to discuss the progress of the discussions to date; No further details of that meeting were available at the time of publication.
Sources on the administration side have expressed optimism, saying they feel the talks are moving forward but are not yet at a starting point. Meanwhile, the union has remained relatively silent beyond Friday’s letter. “Everyone is trying to step up and make a decision,” said one executive. THR. “There is more positive momentum this week than in the past.”
The WGA updated its members on day 109 of the 2023 writers’ strike, now nine days longer than the union’s last strike in 2007-08, a work stoppage that cost California’s economy an estimated $2.1 billion. The strike, along with a strike called by SAG-AFTRA in July, halted American productions written under union contracts, delayed release dates for some titles, and halted stellar promotion of upcoming projects.
Leslie Goldberg provided additional reporting.
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