WGA Secures Four-Year Contract With Studios, Including AI Protections
The Writers Guild of America reached a four-year interim contract with studios on April 4, 2026, after roughly one month of negotiations. The agreement includes higher health insurance funding, increased streaming royalties, and protections preventing studios from using writers' scripts to train artificial intelligence systems.
The contract length marks a shift in Hollywood labor practices. Three-year deals have been standard since 1940, but the AMPTP-representing film studios and streaming services-sought longer terms to provide job security following two 2023 strikes.
What's in the agreement
The WGA's negotiating committee unanimously approved the deal. Full details require leadership approval before release to members, but several provisions are already public.
The agreement strengthens the WGA's health insurance fund, which lost $122 million in 2023 and 2024 due to rising medical costs and fewer industry jobs. Employer contributions will increase across multiple areas, and the union raised the cap on health insurance contributions.
On AI, the contract addresses a core concern for writers. John August, co-chair of the negotiating committee, said the goal was "to establish the argument that employers must compensate members if they use material written by members to produce AI output." The agreement regulates how studios can train AI tools with writers' scripts and license scripts for that training.
Why this matters now
Screenwriter employment fell 9.4% in 2024 compared to 2023 and dropped 24.3% from 2022, according to WGA data. The industry contraction has hit writers hard, making contract protections more urgent.
The agreement must pass a member ratification vote to become final. The AMPTP said in a statement it hopes to "further develop this progress" toward a long-term deal supporting industry stability.
For more on how generative AI and LLM training works, or resources on AI for writers, see our coverage.
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