The Los Angeles Times is reporting…
The Writers Guild of America and the major Hollywood studios are closing in on a deal that would end a 145-day strike that has roiled the film and TV business and caused thousands of job losses. Lawyers for the two sides were hammering out the details of a tentative agreement on Saturday during a meeting that began mid-morning, according to people close to the discussions who were not authorized to comment.
I'm going to assume that those "people close to the discussions who were not authorized to comment" are folks like me in the '88 strike planting stories in the press. However, "closing in on a deal" is not the same thing as actually closing a deal. Deals fall apart all the time after one or both sides are sure they're as good as done. It's an old negotiating tactic: After the other side thinks the deal is set and they're writing the press releases to say it's over and done, you throw in a last-minute demand hoping they're so far into "it's all over" mode that they'll just nod and accept it. Happens all the time.
If it really does apparently end in a day or two, that will mean that the WGA negotiators feel they have a deal that they can present to the membership for ratification. Whatever's in it, some faction of the Guild won't like it. There's always some subset of the Guild — soap opera writers, variety show writers, etc. — who will be upset that some issue that pertains to them has not been addressed or fought to the finish. There are also members for whom no deal is good enough.
I have enough confidence in the current WGA board and negotiating committee to believe they won't recommend a deal that isn't good enough to pass with a solid majority vote. But someone will be pissed.
Assuming the WGA deal passes, the next question is how long will it take SAG-AFTRA to get a deal that will end the actors' strike. Obviously, that depends on how well the terms that the WGA finds acceptable apply to actors. I assume though that if there's a deal on A.I. to the writers' liking, it will be easier than it once was for SAG-AFTRA to translate it into terms that will appease them.
Guard your optimism well. It may be put through the wringer before this thing is over.