The Town with Matthew Belloni · The Ringer

Does the Surprise Writers Guild Deal Mean Labor Peace in Hollywood?

April 7, 2026·36 min·3 clips

The Writers Guild reached a surprise four-year deal with studios, shocking Hollywood and raising questions about labor peace.

The episode opens with Matt Belloni announcing the surprise Writers Guild deal reached over the holiday weekend, a four-year agreement that includes wage increases, residuals improvements, AI protections, and a health plan bailout. Belloni explains the deal's significance, noting it prevents a potential strike and raises questions about labor peace. He introduces guest Jonathan Handel, a labor lawyer and journalist, to delve into the details. Handel outlines three reasons for the quick deal: strike fatigue from 2023, the dire state of the industry with writer employment down 9.4% in 2024, and new AMPTP head Greg Hessinger's desire to reset labor relations. The conversation explores the four-year term as a concession by the WGA to secure health plan funding, contrasting with the usual three-year contracts. Handel discusses the WGA's internal strike against its own staff, which undermines its leverage and creates divisions. The hosts analyze blame for the industry's struggles, with Belloni and Handel agreeing that writers are not solely responsible, pointing to historical decisions by studio leaders. They examine the potential domino effect on SAG-AFTRA and the DGA, with Handel noting the DGA rarely strikes and SAG-AFTRA focusing on AI issues like the Tilly tax. The episode shifts to AI's impact, with Handel warning that AI-generated movies could bypass union deals and disrupt Hollywood. Belloni and Handel speculate on studio celebrations of the four-year deal and the challenges of negotiating with disparate AMPTP members like Netflix and Disney. The final segment covers late-night TV's decline, with CBS renting slots to Byron Allen's shows, predicting a future where streaming absorbs late-night talent. The episode concludes with call sheet updates and sponsor messages.

As heard by us

A blunt look at Hollywood's streaming boom and the labor strain it left behind.

Matthew Belloni uses the Writers Guild deal to ask a larger, sharper question: did Hollywood buy labor peace, or just kick the next fight down the road?

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Why you'd press play

You want the labor math behind Hollywood's streaming-era squeeze.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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