cross-posted from: https://feddit.ch/post/1259391
WGA’s message to members:
DEAR MEMBERS,
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.
What we have won in this contract – most particularly, everything we have gained since May 2nd – 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.
We can say, with great pride, that this deal is exceptional – with meaningful gains and protections for writers in every sector of the membership.
What remains now is for our staff to make sure everything we have agreed to is codified in final contract language. And though we are eager to share the details of what has been achieved with you, we cannot do that until the last “i” is dotted. To do so would complicate our ability to finish the job. So, as you have been patient with us before, we ask you to be patient again – one last time.
Once the Memorandum of Agreement with the AMPTP is complete, the Negotiating Committee will vote on whether to recommend the agreement and send it on to the WGAW Board and WGAE Council for approval. The Board and Council will then vote on whether to authorize a contract ratification vote by the membership.
If that authorization is approved, the Board and Council would also vote on whether to lift the restraining order and end the strike at a certain date and time (to be determined) pending ratification. This would allow writers to return to work during the ratification vote, but would not affect the membership’s right to make a final determination on contract approval.
Immediately after those leadership votes, which are tentatively scheduled for Tuesday if the language is settled, we will provide a comprehensive summary of the deal points and the Memorandum of Agreement. We will also convene meetings where members will have the opportunity to learn more about and assess the deal before voting on ratification.
To be clear, no one is to return to work until specifically authorized to by the Guild. We are still on strike until then. But we are, as of today, suspending WGA picketing. Instead, if you are able, we encourage you to join the SAG-AFTRA picket lines this week.
Finally, we appreciated your patience as you waited for news from us — and had to fend off rumors — during the last few days of the negotiation. Please wait for further information from the Guild. We will have more to share with you in the coming days, as we finalize the contract language and go through our unions’ processes.
As always, thank you for your support. You will hear from us again very soon.
This is such good news! I wonder if the incredibly effective and creative UAW strikes made them realize they were fucked if they didn’t get reasonable. The public is squarely on the side of the workers, in all the different labor actions going on right now. When this many different industries say enough is enough and take a stand, it’s hard to ignore who has the real power.
Good point! I also think it’s interesting this is days after several talk shows ended up being pressured into staying off the air pending the WGA strikes. Could be that they were gonna try using talk shows to normalize scabbing until the unilateral public backlash made it clear they wouldn’t get their way?
Whether or not it was that calculated, the backlash and pullout showed the producers they were going to have a hard time filling the schedule with unscripted reality shows and ad-libbed talk shows. Especially if they couldn’t get anyone with any talent in improvising to “not act” in them.
This is mostly hearsay (supported by things the WGA said, so I trust it), but not all members of the AMPTP were happy with the strike going this long and wanted to negotiate a lot sooner.
Earlier this month there was talk of some members leaving so they could negotiate new contracts independently. This might have lit a fire under the ass of the holdouts, since the AMPTP losing someone big like Disney would significantly weaken their own negotiating power.
Interesting. We’re seeing something similar with the UAW as Ford seems more willing to negotiate
The automakers aren’t a single block, so separate contracts need to be signed to end the strike, but any manufacturer still being targeted would be at a major disadvantage to any others that have ended their strikes
Ah that’s good context, thanks. It seems like it’s mostly a positive, since it would give labor even more leverage to improve the contracts that haven’t been negotiated yet. I’m just happy that progress is being made at all. The longer this goes, the more the studios’ reputation will suffer. I hope the public says strong with their support if this deal falls through for some reason.
Collective action gets the goods! When united as one, we have immense power, love to see it!
Id be very interested to see what demands they got and what had to be negotiated. Had that been released yet?
Yeah it’s also be fascinated to see what points the WGA was willing to concede, if any, and how much the AMPTP was convinced to give up the main things the WGA was demanding.
Unfortunately it sounds like even members of the guild aren’t being told that info yet, let alone the public.
It makes some sense for them to get some sleep and get ready for a big press conference in the morning. Because there’s going to be a lot of immediate debate once it’s out, and they want to be on top of that. Even if they got everything they asked for.
That’s normal for this kind of negotiation. It would be horrible to unleash the press and public opinion on the representatives who have to sign the agreements. There will always be some who aren’t satisfied with the outcome, but in negotiations during a conflict it’s often a good idea to postpone some of the more specific wishes to the next ordinary round of negotiations, so that an agreement can be made at all. Some things are easier to achieve through ongoing dialogues instead of potentially obstructing an agreement on wider issues. Quite often it happens that a conflict is resolved with only little improvements, but with the following negotiations completing the wishlist.
It’s not a deal until the members vote in favor of it and sometimes the union gets surprised by its members.
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