Counterproposal pauses negotiations in Hollywood writers strike

The Writers Guild of America (WGA) and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) came to the negotiation table for the first time Friday since the union went on strike in early May. 

However, talks were paused after AMPTP offered a counterproposal to the writers union’s requests.

“Your Negotiating Committee received a counterproposal from the AMPTP today. We will evaluate their offer and, after deliberation, go back to them with the WGA’s response next week,” the union said in a message to its members Friday.

Hollywood writers and actors are striking for better wages and working conditions, the first time the two groups have striked together since 1960. Major demands from writers include guarantees that artificial intelligence will be limited on the job, paying residuals for streaming shows and increasing the number of writers staffed to shows.

“Sometimes more progress can be made in negotiations when they are conducted without a blow-by-blow description of the moves on each side and a subsequent public dissection of the meaning of the moves,” the union said. 

“That will be our approach, at least for the time being, until there is something of significance to report, or unless management uses the media or industry surrogates to try to influence the narrative,” they added.

The AMPTP invited WGA leaders to talk last week, but that meeting fell through.

The writers and actors strikes have shut down Hollywood. Over 11,000 WGA members are on strike nationwide, and it is now the longest strike in WGA history.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass backed the striking workers, but encouraged the two sides to come to an agreement for the betterment of the city.

“The impact has spanned every corner of Los Angeles — from the writers and actors on the picket line trying to make ends meet to keep a roof over their head and food on the table, to the businesses who rely on the entertainment industry,” she said in a statement last week. 

“The economic conditions of the entertainment industry are changing — and we must react and evolve to this challenge,” Bass added. “It is critical that this gets resolved immediately so that Los Angeles gets back on track and I stand ready to personally engage with all the stakeholders in any way possible to help get this done.”