Writers Guild of America: Film, TV studios want to meet

Aug. 4 (UPI) -- Representatives for the Writers Guild of America and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers may be heading back to the bargaining table Friday, three months after the scribes began their strike.

Talks between the two sides have been stalled since May 1 and most film and TV productions in the United States shut down after the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists union joined the writers in mid-July.

"The AMPTP, through Carol Lombardini, reached out to the WGA today and requested a meeting this Friday to discuss negotiations," the WGA negotiating committee told members.

"We'll be back in communication with you sometime after the meeting with further information. As we've said before, be wary of rumors. Whenever there is important news to share, you will hear it directly from us."

AMPTP released its own statement, but provided no details about the planned meeting to discuss restarting negotiations.

"We remain committed to finding a path to mutually beneficial deals with both unions," the organization said.

The artists are demanding higher pay, residuals for streaming content and clear rules for using artificial intelligence in creating TV and film.