Hollywood writers strike possible resolution??: writers informally meet with studios

Oscar nominated writer Tony Gilroy speaks to reporters during a news conference Tuesday, Jan. 22, 2008 in New York.

By AP News entertainment writer: LYNN ELBER

LOS ANGELES - Officials with the striking writers guild held informal talks Tuesday with Hollywood studios that could lead to the resumption of negotiations, a person familiar with the bargaining strategy said.

The talks preceded an expected guild meeting later in the day that was to address the union's next step as it seeks a new contract, said the person who was not authorized to publicly comment and asked for anonymity.

The Writers Guild of America did not immediately respond to e-mail and phone requests for comment.

Bargaining between the writers guild and the studios' trade group, the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, broke down Dec. 7 after the alliance demanded the guild take a half-dozen issues off the table, including unionization of reality TV shows. The guild refused.

The informal meeting held Tuesday were designed to lay the groundwork for a return to formal bargaining.

The approach mirrored a series of meetings held by the Directors Guild of America and studio heads before they began formal negotiations and reached a tentative deal last week after less than a week of bargaining.

The writers strike that started Nov. 5 has shut down production of most scripted TV shows, disrupted movie schedules and the Golden Globes ceremony and has put next month's Academy Awards at risk.

The informal writers-studio talks began on the day Oscar nominees were announced.

When the directors guild announced its deal, studio heads urged the writers to join in talks that could lead to the resumption of their negotiations.

In its deal with producers, the directors union resolved new-media compensation issues that are also central to the writers guild dispute, including compensation for movie and TV projects delivered over the Internet.

The executives said the deal with directors established a precedent for the industry's creative talent to "participate financially in every emerging area of new media."

End AP News

I hope something will get resolved soon!

Miesha
The Juice ReportER
http://www.findentertainmentnow.com/
info@FindEntertainmentNow.com

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Is the writers' march over? Hollywood Studios make an offer to striking writers.

The strike has been in full affect for some time now...it seems finally waves are being made. Actors like Ben Stiller and the Desperate Housewives cast and writers have united together in this front. What will be the outcome?

miesha

Story below from the AP Press
Hollywood studios presented a new contract offer to striking film and TV writers that the studios said would

pay writers millions of dollars extra for shows created for the Internet. But writers said some of the proposals, announced Thursday, amounted to rollbacks and said studios should adopt their counteroffer.

The Writers Guild of America said it asked for a recess in the talks until Tuesday to consider its options, but it called on members to continue picketing Friday and Monday.

The producers said the new offer, dubbed the New Economic Partnership, included payments for work shown on the Internet, the key sticking points in the talks.

"The entire value of the New Economic Partnership will deliver more than $130 million in additional compensation above and beyond the more than $1.3 billion writers already receive each year," the statement from the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers said.

The $130 million sum was over the life of the proposed three-year deal, producers said. No further details of the terms were released since both sides imposed a media blackout Monday.
The guild countered with a lengthier response, saying the producers' proposal dealt only with advertising-supported programs streamed for free and jurisdiction over shows created for the Web.

The writers said their plan, presented Thursday, would cost producers $151 million over three years.

"That's a little over a 3 percent increase in writer earnings each year, while company revenues are projected to grow at a rate of 10 percent," the statement said. "We are falling behind."

David Kidd, a screenwriter, said he was hopeful, but not overly optimistic, about what he described as an apparent "sweet offer" from producers.

"I don't know what sweet is until I taste it," Kidd said. "Nobody wants to go in and accept a bad offer."