WGA wants to shift the focus to the studios, while the staff continues to strike

The Writers Guild of America on Thursday released its opening salvo for the 2026 studio negotiations, even as its own staff continues to line up outside the union headquarters.

The union is preparing to sit down with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers on March 16. In a bulletin to members on Thursday, WGA leadership offered an update on the “state of the industry,” arguing that profits are recovering and that studios can afford to strike a “fair deal.”

“Every three years during MBA negotiations, companies will point to an underperforming part of their business to argue that they cannot possibly meet the needs of writers,” the union says. told its members. “This cycle is no different.”

The WGA has said negotiations will continue even if staff continue to strike. The Writers Guild Staff Union, which represents about two-thirds of all WGA West employees, left office on Feb. 17, saying WGA West leadership had failed to negotiate in good faith on issues such as pay scales and grounds for discipline. The union has warned that the Writers Guild Awards, scheduled for March 8, could be canceled if a deal is not reached quickly.

The WGA has long issued status reports at the beginning of an AMPTP negotiation cycle. The 2017 report touted “unprecedented prosperity”; the 2023 report argued that the company’s fundamentals remained strong despite a decline in profits.

The main concern in this round of negotiations is the WGA health care plan, which has lost $122 million in just two years, according to tax filings. The plan has suffered from both a decline in premiums – due to a decline in employment – ​​and an increase in health care costs.

The AMPTP released a report in December, highlighting the high costs of the WGA, SAG-AFTRA and the Directors Guild of America health care plans compared to other multiemployer plans.

“These health plans offer best-in-class benefits including zero or low participant premiums, minimal cost sharing, low dependent costs, comprehensive prescription coverage and the right to early retirement,” the studio group said. “AMPTP member companies remain committed to working with the Guilds to ensure their health plans are appropriately structured and funded.”

The WGA contract expires on May 1. The studios are expected to make a significant contribution to the health insurance fund in any deal. An important question is whether the WGA is open to any reduction in benefits, possibly in the form of higher premiums and deductibles.

The WGA report was not about health care.

“As streaming continues its upward trajectory, media companies can afford to strike a fair deal with writers,” the union said.