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WGA votes to ratify contract, officially ending nearly five-month-long strike

Writers Brent Mote, left, and Mark McCorckle, right, picket outside the gates of Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, CA Thursday, Sep. 21, 2023. Negotiations between striking screenwriters and Hollywood studios have resumed and will continue Thursday, the latest attempt to bring an end to pickets that have brought film and television productions to a halt. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

The Writers Guild of America voted to ratify its new contract, formally ending one of the longest strikes in WGA history.

The membership voted 99% in favor of ratification, with 8,435 voting yes and 90 members opposed, Variety reported.


In a statement posted on X, formally known as Twitter, the guild’s negotiating committee, strike captains and leadership, among others, were thanked for their role in obtaining a new contract.

The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which represents Hollywood studios and streamers, congratulated WGA on the contract’s ratification, Variety reported.

Striking writers left the picket lines after the studios and screenwriters announced a tentative deal on Sept. 24 to end the nearly five-month-long strike that has largely shuttered film and television production.

Nearly 20,000 writers were without pay or work since May as negotiations between the WGA and AMPTP halted over the summer.

The new agreement has a framework for the usage of artificial intelligence, among other key areas.

The contract runs from Sept. 25, 2023, through May 1, 2026.

Negotiations with the actors’ union, SAG-AFTRA have resumed last week and have continued into this week. The actors began their strike against the Hollywood studios and streamers in July.