The Writers Guild of America reached a tentative deal Sunday with film and TV studios that might end a virtually five-month strike and get Hollywood rolling again.
Union officials emailed WGA members Sunday informing them a recent three-year agreement was tentatively reached.
They called the brand new contract “exceptional” and said it will have “meaningful gains and protections for writers in every sector of the membership.”
“What we have now won on this contract – most particularly, all the pieces we have now gained since May 2nd – is as a result of the willingness of this membership to exercise its power, to show its solidarity, to walk side-by-side, to endure the pain and uncertainty of the past 146 days,” a part of the e-mail from the WGA Negotiating Committee states, in keeping with screenshots of the message posted on social media.
“It’s the leverage generated by your strike, in concert with the extraordinary support of our union siblings, that finally brought the businesses back to the table to make a deal.”
The proposed deal comes just five days before the strike would have been the longest within the guild’s history and the longest in Hollywood in greater than 70 years.
![Union officials emailed WGA members informing them of the three-year agreement, according to Variety and other outlets.](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/Hollywood_Writers_Strike_12722-576b7.jpg?w=1024)
It also comes after each side took part in intensive bargaining over the weekend.
There have been signs last week that the strike, which brought Hollywood to a halt for 146 days, gave the impression to be nearing the top when the Writers Guild of America and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers issued a joint statement that they were back in talks.
The Alliance represents studios, streaming services and producers within the negotiations.
Union leaders met Wednesday with top studio bosses including Disney CEO Robert Iger, Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos and NBCUniversal Studio Chair Donna Langley with a source telling Reuters the session was “encouraging.”
![Picketers walk the picket line outside Paramount Studios on Sep. 22, 2023 in Los Angeles, California.](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/newspress-collage-3jspuypvz-1695615550974.jpg?1695601173&w=1024&1695601173)
The WGA represents around 11,000 writers in film and TV. Its members walked off the job on May 2 over issues tied to pay, staff sizes and use of artificial intelligence to piece together scripts.
The terms of the deal weren’t disclosed Sunday because the contract language is being solidified.
The guild’s board and its members must log out on the deal before the strike involves a detailed.
Writers were told by leadership that the strike shouldn’t be over despite the tentative deal reached, and nobody should return to work until they get the green light.
![The likely deal comes as both sides took part in intensive bargaining.](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/2023-09-25T023904Z_51643295_RC2T73AK4WTP_RTRMADP_3_TELEVISION-WRITERS-AGREEMENT-1.jpg?w=1024)
Picketing has been suspended immediately though.
While one group of Hollywood staff is likely to be back to work soon, the members of the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists remained on strike.
About 65,000 film and television actors joined writers on the picket line on July 14 — bringing a lift of star power and fresh energy to the fight for higher wages, advantages and job security.
Their efforts marked the primary time each groups had been on strike together since 1960.
The actors union and the Hollywood studios have yet to restart contract talks because the actors guild urged “studio and streamer CEOs and the AMPTP to return to the table and make the fair deal that our members deserve and demand.”
With Post wires.