Negotiators for the dueling sides in Hollywood Thursday resumed
contract talks, which for the first time were described by
representatives of the striking writers in moderately upbeat
tones.
Thursday's negotiating session between the writers union and the
studios was the seventh since the current round in the start-
and-stop bargaining began last week, in an effort to end the month-
old strike by screenwriters.
"For the last two days, we have had substantive discussions of
the issues important to writers, the first time this has occurred
in this negotiation," the Writers Guild of America (WGA)
Negotiating Committee said in a statement earlier on Wednesday.
"However, we are still waiting for the AMPTP to respond to all
our proposals, including Internet streaming of theatrical and
television product and digital downloads," it added.
A statement from the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television
Producers, which represents the movie studios and television
networks, said it remained "committed to making a fair and
reasonable deal."
Sources said the two sides had discussed contract enforcement
and jurisdiction over original content for the Internet, so-called
reality television, animation and basic cable, according to the
negotiating committee statement.
The studios contend their latest offer provides for a "new
economic partnership" that would add around 130 million U.S.
dollars a year to what the writers already earn. The WGA dismisses
that projection as wildly inaccurate and says its proposal would
cost the studios and networks less -- only 151 dollars million over
three years.
The ongoing strike began on Nov. 5, with the dispute focusing on
residual payments to writers for work distributed via the Internet,
video iPods, cellphones and other new media.
Most scripted primetime TV series have suspended production due
to the strike, while almost all the late-night talk shows on major
broadcast networks have been forced into reruns.
Before the start of the strike, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio
Villaraigosa cited forecasts that a lengthy work stoppage could
cost the area's economy 1 billion dollars. But a quarterly economic
forecast released Thursday by the UCLA Anderson School of
Management said that even a lengthy strike would have an impact of
only about a third of that 1-billion-dollar estimate.
(CRI December 7, 2007)