On the day following the National Day of Solidarity, which saw thousands of union members gather at Walt Disney Studios, the atmosphere was more subdued at the Burbank lot as writers expressed their frustration with the latest offer from the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP). While some writers felt that progress was being made, there were concerns about the loopholes in the offer and the AMPTP’s decision to release the details of their proposal to the public.
Dailyn Rodriguez, a board member of the Writers Guild of America (WGA), stated that although they were going in the right direction, there was still a lot of ground to be covered. She and other writers could see loopholes in the proposal, which raised concerns among the membership as well. The AMPTP’s offer, which included salary increases, span protections, and guardrails on the use of generative artificial intelligence, was seen by writers as an attempt to go behind their negotiators’ backs and take the offer directly to the membership.
The timing of the offer’s release also raised suspicions among writers. Studio sources revealed that the AMPTP had considered releasing the offer late Friday but decided to wait until Tuesday. It was speculated that the AMPTP anticipated the WGA taking the offer to its members. Some writers viewed the release of the offer as an attempt to signal to Wall Street that they were being reasonable or to avoid making a deal.
Writers felt that the AMPTP’s tactic of involving CEOs from top conglomerates in the negotiations and releasing the counteroffer was an attempt to treat them like children and manipulate them into accepting the deal. One comedy showrunner even went as far as to say that the AMPTP needed a new PR firm, describing the release of the offer as an unforced error.
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Despite the frustrations with the AMPTP’s tactics, there were writers who saw the offer as a sign of progress. The high-budget streaming residual, in particular, was seen as a positive development. However, writers acknowledged that the devil was in the details, and they deferred to those who had read the actual proposal for a more accurate analysis.
At Universal Studios, where the picket line had a Prom Night theme, picketers remained upbeat, buoyed by music from Katy Perry and Whitney Houston. Lot coordinator Rob Forman criticized the AMPTP for ignoring the WGA’s core concerns, such as mini-rooms in television, minimum room size, and weekly pay for screenwriters. He emphasized the need for the AMPTP to address these fundamental issues.
Regarding minimum room size, some writers felt that the AMPTP was leaving it up to the discretion of showrunners, even though the Minimum Basic Agreement did not have a clear definition of what constitutes a showrunner. There were concerns about whether studios might eliminate the showrunner position in favor of head writers, which would undermine the purpose of having a minimum room size. Writers agreed that while the offer was a good starting point, the devil would be in the details.
Overall, despite the frustrations with the AMPTP’s tactics and concerns about the loopholes in the offer, writers appreciated the fact that the AMPTP had engaged on the guild’s core issues, which they had previously said they would not address. This engagement gave writers a sense that striking was effective in pushing for their demands.
As the strike became the third longest in WGA history, surpassed only by the strikes in 1960 and 1988, writers remained resolute and dissatisfied with the state of working in the industry. They saw the AMPTP underestimating their resolve and fed-up attitude. The push for a fair deal was ongoing, and writers were hopeful that a compromise could be reached.
In conclusion, the latest offer from the AMPTP sparked frustration among writers, who believed that the AMPTP was trying to go behind their negotiators’ backs and manipulate them into accepting the deal. Despite the frustrations, there were writers who saw the offer as a sign of progress and appreciated the engagement on their core issues. The strike continued, with writers remaining resolute in their demands for a fair deal.
