The members of the Writers Guild of America (WGA) have officially ratified a new deal with Hollywood’s studios, with 99% voting in favor.
According to the WGA’s announcement today, there were 8,525 valid votes cast, with 8,435 “yes” votes and 90 “no” votes. The agreement will last through May 1, 2026.
99% of WGA members have voted in favor of ratifying the 2023 MBA. #WGAStrong pic.twitter.com/EWarXGadHa
— Writers Guild of America East (@WGAEast) October 9, 2023
This might seem a tad bit confusing at first glance, given that Hollywood’s film and TV writers were free to return to work following the WGA leadership’s approval of the tentative deal reached with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) on Sept. 26. The writers’ strike, therefore, has been over for the past couple of weeks, but today’s move is the last official step in making sure the deal is accepted by the members, meaning it will be in place for the next three years.
That only ends one major Hollywood strike, however. The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) remains on strike, although their negotiations with studios resumed last Monday and will continue this week. While the work of developing film and TV can now resume, production is still largely at a standstill while actors remain on the picket lines.
The official ratification of the WGA contract following the 148-day work stoppage, though, doesn’t come as a huge surprise. The industry was quick to celebrate the terms the writers were able to reach with studios, including in regards to artificial intelligence, streaming data transparency, and minimum room sizes.
For more, check out our full breakdown of where various productions, including The Last of Us Season 2 and Stranger Things 5, stand now that the writers’ strike is over.
Thumbnail credit: Mario Tama/Getty Images
Alex Stedman is a Senior News Editor with IGN, overseeing entertainment reporting. When she's not writing or editing, you can find her reading fantasy novels or playing Dungeons & Dragons.
