WGA resumes negotiations with AMPTP.

Michael Buckner for Variety

The Writers Guild of America met with major studios on Friday for the first negotiating session since May, and received new proposals.

In an email to members, the WGA said it would respond to the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers next week.

„We will evaluate their offer and, after consultation, will get back to them next week with the WGA’s response,” Guild told members. “When each side is held without an explanation of the moves and a public breakdown of the meaning of the moves, sometimes more progress is made in negotiations. That will be our approach, at least for now, until it becomes important to report, or until management tries to influence the story using media or industry proxies.”

The WGA has previously tried to play down expectations, saying the studios have given every indication of sticking to their „anti-union playbook.”

Guild leaders met with AMPTP CEO Carole Lombardini last Friday in an attempt to restart negotiations. At the meeting, Lombardini emphasized that „people want to go back to work.”

„We agree with the caveat that those conditions that have made the jobs of writers increasingly unacceptable must be addressed first,” the union said in a message to members last week.

There’s no indication that AMPTP wants to drop the WGA’s request for streaming residuals based on TV writers rooms or viewers. The WGA has insisted that the AMPTP has refused to address at least five or six issues and that the studios must address the union’s entire agenda before the strike is resolved.

The strike crossed its 100th day on Wednesday, surpassing the longest strike by writers last held in 2007-08. The 2023 strike is now the fourth-longest in WGA history, behind strikes in 1988, 1960 and 1973. The longest, in 1988, lasted 153 days.

The strike has forced networks to come up with fall schedules that rely heavily on some shows originally aired on streaming, sports, unscripted shows and foreign imports. It also forced the postponement of the Emmy Awards.

The SAG-AFTRA strike, which began on July 14, has had a major impact on the film industry, halting production, forcing release delays and preventing studios from using actors to promote their projects.

The WGA notified the AMPTP last week that it wanted an additional clause in its contract that would allow members to respect other unions’ picket lines. The union is also seeking to ensure that the health plan and members’ health insurance eligibility are not affected by the strike.