Hollywood’s writers union said its members could return to work on Wednesday while they decide whether to approve a three-year deal that provides pay raises and some protections around use of artificial intelligence among other gains.
The Writers Guild of America (WGA) leadership voted unanimously to end the strike on Wednesday, the guild said in a statement. The 11,500 members have until Oct. 9 to cast their votes on the proposed contract.
The WGA said the estimated value of the deal was $233 million per year.
Film and television writers walked off the job in May after failing to reach a deal with major studios, including Netflix (NFLX.O), Walt Disney (DIS.N) and Warner Bros Discovery (WBD.O).
Writers appeared to have won concessions across the board, with raises over the three years of the contract, increased health and pension contributions, and AI safeguards.
Under the agreement, the studios agreed to meet at least twice a year with the guild to discuss plans to use AI in film development and production.
The studios are not expressly prohibited from using AI to generate content. Writers, however, have the right to sue if their work is used to train AI.
Writers can choose to use AI when drafting scripts, but a company cannot require the use of the software. The studios also must disclose to a writer if any materials were generated by AI.
Source: https://www.reuters.com/world/us/hollywood-writers-guild-calls-end-strike-wednesday-2023-09-27/