Writers guild overwhelmingly ratifies contract with studios

LOS ANGELES — Members of the Writers Guild of America on Monday voted by an overwhelming margin to ratify its new contract with major studios and streamers, officially ending a 146-day strike.

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Members voted 99% in favor of the three-year deal, with 8,435 members approving the pact while 90 dissented, Variety reported.

The new agreement is from Sept. 25 and extends through May 1, 2026, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

In a statement, WGA West president Meredith Stiehm thanked leadership, strike captains, and staff members for hammering out the deal.

“Through solidarity and determination, we have ratified a contract with meaningful gains and protections for writers in every sector of our combined membership,” Stiehm said in a statement. “Together we were able to accomplish what many said was impossible only six months ago.”

The guild officially went on strike on May 2 as approximately 11,500 writers walked off their jobs after an impasse with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

In a statement, the AMPTP said the new contract gave writers “meaningful gains.”

“The AMPTP member companies congratulate the WGA on the ratification of its new contract, which represents meaningful gains and protections for writers,” the AMPTP said. “It is important progress for our industry that writers are back to work.”

The deal to end the last writers’ strike, in 2008, was approved by more than 90% of the WGA’s membership, according to The Associated Press. That strike lasted 154 days, CNN reported.

The next step for the AMPTP is to make a deal with the Screen Actors Guild - American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, according to Deadline.

The SAG-AFTRA work stoppage began on July 14, Variety reported. The union is in its second week of renewed talks with the AMPTP, Deadline reported.

WGA East President Lisa Takeuchi Cullen said that the AMPTP needs to negotiate a fair contract with the actors union, CNN reported.

“Until the studios make a deal that addresses the needs of performers, WGA members will be on the picket lines, walking side-by-side with SAG-AFTRA in solidarity,” she said.

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