Screenwriters overwhelmingly approved their new contract with the Hollywood studios, officially ending a strike that began five months ago.
All but 1% of the members voted in favor of the new, three-year contract, the Writers Guild of America said Monday in a statement. A total of 8,525 votes were cast. The contract runs through May 1, 2026.
The agreement with the studios, including Walt Disney Co. and Netflix Inc., was reached on Sept. 24. Two days later, union leaders authorized writers to return to work, although the contract still required final approval by members.
The guild won much of what it was looking for, including an increase in base pay and minimum staffing levels on shows. The group won assurances that a new generation of artificial intelligence wouldn’t take away their pay or writing credits when used on screenplays.
In another victory, writers will get bonus payments for TV shows that are successful on streaming services. The media companies have historically been reluctant to share viewer data, making it difficult to gauge the performance of programs.
Twin strikes by writers and actors, which hadn’t happened in 40 years, have paralyzed the film and TV industry. Talk shows have started to return with the writers’ strike over. The Screen Actors Guild, whose members walked out in July, is still negotiating with the studios.
