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Writer’s Strike On Brink of Agreement
6-Feb-2008
Written by: Sam Belkin
Negotiations in Writers Strike finally yield promising resolution.
When watching the coming attractions for Hollywood’s newest and silliest cinematic releases, one can’t help but wonder, “When will this darn writer’s strike end?”
The Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike began on Nov. 5, 2007 and has not yet reached a conclusion. The strike is against the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), which represents the interests of corporations that include CBS, MGM, NBC/Universal, and probably any other major film and television producer you can think of.
The strike has lasted more than 13 weeks, but according to Reuters, the WGA plans to brief its members on a deal that will bring it to an end. The last such strike took place in 1988 and lasted almost 23 weeks, costing the entertainment industry millions of dollars. NBC Nightly News speculated on Jan. 13 that the current strike had already cost the industry $1 billion as of that date, and Reuters reports that the losses could be closer to $2 billion in the Los Angeles area alone. It is considered the worst Hollywood labor crash in 20 years, and has forced many TV shows off the air.
The WGA’s demands include greater share of revenue from film and TV content distributed over the Internet, which is difficult for industries to track and monetize.
If members react favorably to the deal, a formal ratification might be possible. Some of the members, however, say that negotiators are still amending details in the contract and urging the strikers to hold out until the contract is officially signed and ratified by the guild.
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