On Sept. 24, the Writers Guild of America (WGA) reached an agreement with Hollywood studios after an extensive and laborious period of striking. The night of Sept. 26, the vote for the contract was finalized, and the strike officially concluded. This landmark opportunity for workers, who have noted that the benefits within the contract are exceptional, indicates that writers can ultimately return to work.

A brief history of the strike shows the extent of the writers’ commitment toward this movement. A long record of underpaid labor and underappreciation in the art of storytelling across America brought the guild to their breaking point. Coupled with concerns over artificial intelligence (AI) removing them from a job, the WGA attempted negotiations with studios in an attempt to gain better privileges for their hard work.

Studios would not agree to a deal, and in light of unfruitful negotiations plus years of troubles and financial worry clouding over writers, the guild made the begrudging choice to go on strike. On May 2, 2023, over 11,000 writers abandoned their work and committed to protesting Hollywood studios, eager for better pay and assurance that AI would not replace their careers.

Since then, ordinary citizens have seen the effects of the strike. Popular shows, such as “Stranger Things,” “The Walking Dead,” and “House of the Dragon” have been put on pause. The same goes for movies as well. Despite this, the public, for the most part, showed support for the union, and continuous pressure has been applied on studios to answer the demands of the WGA.

Up until now, studios refused the protestors with stubborn agitation. They were even accused of trimming the leaves off trees that were situated over the heads of picketers in an attempt to remove their shade and disrupt the movement. Denying any malevolence, the studios claimed “that it was not our intention,” and that they were “working to provide some shade coverage for picketers” afterward.

Now, studios finally sent an agreement that the WGA accepted. According to Matt Belloni from Puck, production may start again around Thanksgiving in the best case scenario.

American citizens can now look forward to the production of their favorite shows and movies resuming in the near future. The efforts of writers finally paid off, and the union can breathe fresh air knowing that their workers will be paid fairly and guaranteed safety from AI for the foreseeable future.