EXCLUSIVE: “This strike was way too long, because the companies took so long to get serious,” WGA West President Meredith Stiehm declared tonight of the nearly 150 days the Writers Guild was out on the picket lines before a tentative agreement was reached on September 24. “I feel sad and pained that it took this long because when we got serious, we got it done in a reasonable amount of time. So much was wasted and lost by just not acting earlier,” the guild leader added, with WGA West chief negotiator Ellen Stutzman by her side.
Now, the end is nigh. The nearly five-month Writers Guild strike will meet its official end at 12:01 a.m. PT, with the WGA leadership approving the tentative deal struck on Sunday with the AMPTP.
“I would just say member power is what brought this deal in,” Stutzman said of the writers who held out as times got tougher — and the actors who joined them when 160,000-strong SAG-AFTRA went out on strike in mid-July for their first joint strike since 1960.
It’s been a wild half-year or so in Hollywood and the showbiz world, beginning with saber-rattling about a WGA strike and then the writers going on strike May 2. Studios and streamers on both coasts were picketed for more than two months before SAG-AFTRA moved to join writers on the lines. Since then, there had been a steady stream of rhetoric, picketing and finger-pointing as the studios and steamers wouldn’t even agree to meet with the WGA for nearly three months.
When they finally did sit down at the table on August 4, the rival sides couldn’t even agree to resume negotiations. Then, after the studios and streamers mounted a failed campaign to go around guild leadership, came some welcome news. On September 14, the WGA and AMPTP at last agreed to resume bargaining — with Netflix’s Ted Sarandos, Disney’s Bob Iger, NBCUniversal’s Donna Langley and Warner Bros Discovery’s David Zaslav in the room this time. After five tense days of direct talks, they announced a tentative deal on September 24. Today the WGA West board and the WGA East council voted to send the wide-ranging agreement to the members for ratification starting October 2.
Barely out of the negotiating room this weekend, Stutzman and Stiehm told me about how they and the CEOs got to this “transformative” deal and how the WGA still has SAG-AFTRA’s back as that union awaits the start of new talks with the studios and streamers. In that pledge to the power of solidarity, the WGA West chief negotiator and the recently re-elected WGA West president also reveal how broken the AMPTP was and stuck in an old mode that was out of touch with the realities of 2023.
FILMMAKERFOCUS: It’s going to the members for ratification, which seems like a done deal, no pun intended – but is this the deal you thought when the strike started you were going to get?
ELLEN STUTZMAN: This is the deal writers needed to get. I think what we’ve seen over the almost five-month period is that writers are more than willing to stay out and hold out to get what they needed. Also, to be very honest, SAG-AFTRA joining us and their members, you know, having the many of same issues that our members have and being willing to go on strike to deal with the changes in their profession was a big boost. It really was helpful in getting the deal, and now we’ve got to help them get what they need.
MEREDITH STIEHM: I’m proud of us, and I’m really proud of the membership.
FILMMAKERFOCUS: But it was a bit of a roller coaster too…
STIEHM: I didn’t see it as a roller coaster. I saw it as a steady climb, because we very much knew what we needed. We knew how we were going to get there was union solidarity and being on strike — strikes work.
FILMMAKERFOCUS: Yet, in that context, the days turned into weeks and then months and people were hurting, which the studios certainly thought could shatter your solidarity. How was that to be right in the thick of?
STIEHM: Well, of course we didn’t know how long it would take, and people certainly suffered — and not just writers but anyone who works in this industry. It’s been ravaged. This strike was way too long, because the companies took so long to get serious. I feel sad and pained that it took this long because when we got serious, we got it done in a reasonable amount of time. So much was wasted and lost by just not acting earlier.
STUTZMAN: I would just say member power is what brought this deal in. That’s such an important thing. I think everyone who’s gone through this recognizes that.Solidarity and resolve were the driving forces behind this incredible achievement. As Meredith rightly pointed out, it went on for far too long. But now, as the business begins to recover, our mission as writers is clear – we will continue to raise money and support those who are still hurting. This includes everyone below the line, as well as those indirectly affected by the strike, such as SAG-AFTRA, IATSE, and the Teamsters. We must ensure that they too get back on their feet, and we will stand by them when they negotiate their own contracts next year.
FILMMAKERFOCUS: With today’s vote by the WGAW board and the WGAE council to send the tentative agreement to the members for ratification, we’ve also seen the announcement that the strike will end at 12:01 a.m. PT Wednesday. That means writers will be getting back to work as the ratification vote is set up and conducted from October 2-9. How important was that to you guys to have writers back at work ASAP, and does that take away some leverage for SAG-AFTRA when its negotiations start in the next week or so?
STUTZMAN: It was crucial for us to have writers back at work as soon as possible. They have been out of work for far too long, and it’s time for them to start earning a paycheck again while the ratification process takes place. As for SAG-AFTRA, we stand in solidarity with them and will continue to support them. Their needs are important to us, and we are committed to ensuring they receive a fair and favorable contract quickly. We are not done picketing or supporting them in any way.
FILMMAKERFOCUS: I get that, but what about for SAG-AFTRA members? With the Writers Guild ending picketing when the deal was announced and now ending the strike tonight, doesn’t that hobble them?
STUTZMAN: Writers will continue to stand with SAG-AFTRA on the picket lines because they have been with us from the beginning. It is crucial to us that their needs are addressed and that they receive a good contract swiftly. We take this responsibility seriously, and our support for them will not waver.
FILMMAKERFOCUS: In that context, with more than 100 days of no talks with the studios after you went out on strike, and then the fiasco of the brief August talks that blew up, how did this all come together last week?
FILMMAKERFOCUS: There’s been a lot of talk of Bob Iger and Chris Keyser’s relationship, back channels and more, but how did this restart of talks start and come together?
STUTZMAN: On August 22, the companies met with us to pressure us into accepting their August 11 offer. When we refused, they released it to the membership, which didn’t go over well. After that, it seems they took our concerns seriously and began working on the issues we had raised. At a certain point, we reconnected and they expressed a genuine desire to make a deal. Last week, we sat down and negotiated for several days, pushing each other until we reached an agreement. It took some time, but we were able to address important issues such as returning to work and healthcare.
FILMMAKERFOCUS: It’s mind-boggling that this had to go on so long. These are pretty smart and capable people on the other side of the bargaining table, but it sounds like they were tone-deaf to the 21st century realities that needed to be dealt with.
STUTZMAN: I think that’s right. The AMPTP in particular is an organization that emerged during a time when labor was not as powerful in this country. However, things have changed, and there is now a broader rise of labor and intense solidarity across unions in our industry. The AMPTP was stuck in their old ways and failed to recognize this shift. It was only when they realized their approach wasn’t working that the CEOs got involved and made concessions they previously said they would never make. This new agreement includes important provisions such as minimum staff size, data transparency in streaming, residuals based on streaming success, real AI protections, and improved deals for screenwriters. It’s a contract that writers absolutely deserve.
FILMMAKERFOCUS: Looking at the tentative agreement now that it is public, the increases in wages, writers room staffing assurances, AI guardrails, residuals based on streaming viewership, breakthroughs in data transparency, and increased pension and health contributions, to quote Joe Biden when Obamacare was passed, “This is a big f*ckin’ deal.”
STIEHM: I believe this agreement is transformative. It’s an incredible deal that brings meaningful gains for every sector. We address the challenges posed by streaming and AI, which were threatening our industry’s model. It’s amazing that everyone stayed united throughout the strike, and that’s why we achieved all these victories. This agreement will have a lasting impact on future generations of writers and will set important precedents for future negotiations.
STUTZMAN: That’s the history of the Writers Guild – fighting for important and transformative changes. And that’s exactly what we accomplished here.
