LeVar Burton, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Mark Hamill, and many more celebrate strike-ending deal
Writers and their supporters have taken to social media to celebrate the news of a tentative, strike-ending deal with AMPTP
Aux News Mark Hamill
This is a landmark morning in Hollywood, but most exciting for the striking writers who finally get to lay down their pickets for the first time in 146 long and painful days. Last night, the WGA emailed strike captains to inform them that the guild had finally reached a tentative agreement with AMPTP. While the prospective three-year deal still needs to be ratified by the WGA’s membership (and specifics of the contract have not yet been publicly shared), this is still a sigh of relief for a weary but tenacious union.
“What we have won in this contract—most particularly, everything we have gained since May 2nd—is due to the willingness of this membership to exercise its power, to demonstrate its solidarity, to walk side-by-side, to endure the pain and uncertainty of the past 146 days,” guild leadership wrote in a portion of their email (via Los Angeles Times). “We can say, with great pride, that this deal is exceptional—with meaningful gains and protections for writers in every sector of the membership.”
Members of the WGA and their supporters took to social media throughout Sunday evening and the early hours of Monday morning to celebrate the announcement (and get a few jokes off).
Billy Ray (The Hunger Games, Captain Phillips): “To all my fellow writers— You earned this. You saved our profession. Now let’s continue to stand w the actors. And IATSE. And the Teamsters. And labor everywhere. That’s how we’ll save America.”
Matt Warburton (The Simpsons, The Mindy Project): “Congrats to the new 20-person White Lotus writers room!”
Mark Hamill (actor): “Good news, everyone! Finally.”
Glen Mazzara (The Walking Dead): “We should all be so proud. And grateful to our Negotiating Committee. #Closers.”
Michael Chiklis (actor; Winning Time): “Phenomenal news! Now let’s see this through and get us all back to work!”
Will Landman:
Phillip Iscove (Station 19, Sleepy Hollow): “WE DID IT!!! #wgastrong”
Sheryl Lee Ralph (actor, Abbott Elementary): “Congratulates to the WGA on reaching a tentative agreement with the AMPTP after 146 days on the picket lines. @sagaftra remains committed in solidarity to achieving the necessary terms for our members when its our time back at the table.”
LeVar Burton: “Happy news! The details will tell the tale however, this is a huge step in the right direction!”
Rene Balcer (Law & Order, FBI: Most Wanted): “Well, sad news, folks. I had to cancel the Poutine truck because the fucking guild went and made a deal with the AMPTP. Geez! Our only hope for Poutine is for the deal not to get ratified. Or…if there’s a big guild meeting, like at the Paladium, we can make it rain Poutine!”
Warren Leight (Law & Order: Special Victims Unit): “Strikes are hard. They wear you down. Sometimes they fail. Sometimes the good guys win. Thanks to all who walked the line, and held the line. May we all be back to work soon.”
Josh Gondelman (Last Week Tonight With John Oliver): “This is probably the happiest I’ve ever felt on Yom Kippur.”
Tze Chun (Gotham): “Ok let’s get the fuck back to work.”
7 Comments
When you’re on the wrong side of LeVar Burton and Mark Hamill… you should at least stop and think about how you got to this place in life.
Just a note, I do try to be a constructive thread contributor.
Now write something funny, you collective skulls-of-numb!
Does this mean they go back to work, or are they still
going to wait until the Actors Union gets their deal? I guess like the
Directors’ Guild they can ‘work’ although productions are still haulted
until the actors come back too?
I mean, writers can write. Productions won’t be filming, but (a) I believe some of the non SAG-AFTRA-struck shows (like late-night comedy) can come back, and (b) writers can get to work on whatever, so that when the actors’ strike ends they have things to start filming immediately.
It would be interesting to see what late-night talk shows do without actors promoting their work and TV shows. Technically I think they can show up just to chat about “stuff” around the time they have a new movie coming out, but some people won’t like it.
Yes, I did just read that its assumed most talk shows will be back soon based on having writers back to work.