(HorizonPost.com) – Studios and the Writers Guild of America reached a tentative agreement Sunday, ending the walkout that began over 140 days ago, Politico reported.
The tentative contract deal is a boon to California Governor Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass who have maintained public neutrality to appease both sides while eagerly hoping for an end to a strike that impacted a significant segment of the state’s economy.
In a statement after the agreement was announced, Governor Newsom expressed his gratitude that both sides came together to reach a deal beneficial to “all parties involved” so a “major piece of California’s economy” could get back to work.
Mayor Bass echoed Newsom in her statement, adding that she hopes that an agreement can also be reached with the Screen Actors Guild.
Union members were expected to vote on the deal Tuesday.
While the details of the tentative agreement have not yet been publicly released, the union said in an email to members that it was “exceptional” and offered “meaningful gains and protections” for writers, the Associated Press reported.
The Writers Guild’s 11,500 members began the walkout on May 2 over the size of writing staff, writer pay, and the use of artificial intelligence in scripts.
The strike sent late-night programming, including “Saturday Night Live,” into hiatus while dozens of productions remained in limbo. The Emmy Awards were rescheduled from September to January. Meanwhile, scripted shows like HBO’s “The Last of Us” and Netflix’s “Stranger Things” and films like “Superman: Legacy” were all put on hold.
In recent weeks, writers targeted some talk shows that were evading strike rules to return, including “Real Time With Bill Maher” and “The Drew Barrymore Show.” Once the shows faced pressure from the union, they reversed course. Now that a deal has been reached, they are likely to return quickly.
The 146-day walkout was the first since 2007 and the longest Writers Guild strike in 1988.
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