EXCLUSIVE: The Writers Guild of America’s current contract expires in just over 48 hours, and the writers and the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers are taking it to heart in hopes of reaching an agreement.
After talks Saturday at AMPTP’s Sherman Oaks offices, the two sides scheduled further negotiations for Sunday in hopes of reaching an agreement to avert a potentially devastating strike next week. While nothing is in color, Monday’s conversations are also penciled in where appropriate, I understand.
With a strike authorization mandate of 97.85% of members following a vote earlier this month, WGA leadership was able to put down their pens and lift the picket line on May 2 at 12:01 pm PT after the current contract expired. The last WGA strike in 2007-2008 lasted 100 days and had repercussions that still ripple through the industry – and that was before streamers got involved.
If a strike begins next Tuesday, evening programs will be shut down immediately, as will writers’ rooms and any screen projects, large or small, that were still refining or polishing scripts. Other guilds and unions such as the DGA and the Teamsters may refuse to cross sanctioned strikes and bring almost everything to a standstill in the short term.
Both the WGA Negotiating Committee, led by Ellen Stutzman, and the AMPTP, led by Carol Lombardini, have made offers and counter-offers in recent days on key issues such as residuals and transparency. Well, this dispute is a form of movement in itself. But before anyone gets too optimistic, sources on both sides tell me the sides are still miles apart at this point.
“I just don’t think they’ll get it over the line before Tuesday,” an executive close to the talks said this afternoon.
If so, a strike seems almost inevitable.
RELATED: WGA prepares strikes as strike deadline nears
On April 28, IATSE head Matthew Loeb told Art Directors Guild leadership that “based on past experience with the AMPTP, employers may be dragging their feet,” according to a message to members from ADG director Chuck Parker.
Loeb also told the guild that he doubts “an extension” of the talks is “in the cards” beyond 11:59 p.m. PT on April 31. Earlier Friday, he sent a message of his own to US IATSE members saying they have a “statutory right” to honor WGA marches if and when a strike is called.
On April 26, as the WGA began preparing banners for possible strikes, the powerful Teamsters and their leaders Sean O’Brien and Lindsay Dougherty sent a strong signal that their members “don’t cross the picket lines.”
The clock is ticking.
Source: Deadline
Elizabeth Cabrera is an author and journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a talent for staying up-to-date on the latest news and trends, Elizabeth is dedicated to delivering informative and engaging articles that keep readers informed on the latest developments.
