Is the Actors' and Writers' Strike Over? What to Know About the Tentative Agreement

Hollywood can finally see a light at the end of the tunnel. After 146 days on strike, the Writers Guild of America (WGA), which represents more than 11,000 screenwriters, has reached a tentative deal with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (the organization that represents the major Hollywood studios). 

"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," the WGA negotiating committee sent to its members in an email. "What we have won in this contract — most particularly, everything we have gained since May 2 — is due to the willingness of this membership to exercise its power, to demonstrate its solidarity, to walk side-by-side, to endure the pain and uncertainty of the past 146 days. It is the leverage generated by your strike, in concert with the extraordinary support of our union siblings, that finally brought the companies back to the table to make a deal."

The email continued, "We can say, with great pride, that this deal is exceptional — with meaningful gains and protections for writers in every sector of the membership."

Negotiations happened for five consecutive days, in which both sides closed the deal on Sunday night. Details of the contract agreement have yet to be released, not until the pact is officialized once the negotiating committee followed by the WGA leadership votes to have it approved.

To clarify, until the deal is approved, the writers will not return to the work, and the strike is technically still happening. But for the time being, picketing has been suspended and union members eagerly wait to see if WGA leadership lifts the strike order altogether.

The AMPTP had a much briefer statement, with its only comment: "The WGA. and AMPTP. have reached a tentative agreement."

This hopeful resolution of course leaves many questioning how this impacts the SAG-AFTRA (a labor union that represents over 160,000 people in the entertainment industry, including well-known film and TV actors) strike. The tentative agreement between the WGA and AMPTP doesn't directly impact the actors' strike, as the WGA and SAG-AFTRA are two separate unions. 

From what we know, SAG and AMPTP are not currently scheduled to come back to the table for negotiations. However, with AMPTP giving in to the WGA terms and the high chance of the writers' strike coming to an end sooner rather than later, this leaves much hope for the SAG union members. 

“SAG-AFTRA congratulates the WGA on reaching a tentative agreement with the AMPTP after 146 days of incredible strength, resiliency, and solidarity on the picket lines. While we look forward to reviewing the WGA and AMPTP’s tentative agreement, we remain committed to achieving the necessary terms for our members," SAG-AFTRA said in a statement. "Since the day the WGA strike began, SAG-AFTRA members have stood alongside the writers on the picket lines. We remain on strike in our TV/Theatrical contract and continue to urge the studio and streamer CEOs and the AMPTP to return to the table and make the fair deal that our members deserve and demand."

The actors' strike has left an immense intended disturbance in Hollywood, with major movies and TV shows delayed due to the actors' not working and being unallowed to participate in any type of promotional activities such as walking the red carpet for the films that have already been completed.

Films like Dune Part Two (starring Zendaya and Timothée Chalamet,) and Challengers (starring Zendaya, Josh O'Connor, and Mike Faist) have already been pushed back from their original 2023 release date to now coming out in 2024.