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Strike Watch: Talks Still Going
The deadline has come and gone, but Hollywood screenwriters and studios are continuing negotiations in a tense showdown to stave off a potentially devastating strike.
Representatives of the Writers Guild of America and the TV networks and movie studios both continued talks past midnight, when the current contract expired. One minute after the deadline, WGA spokeswoman Cheryl Rhoden announced to reporters that "the talks are continuing and we're working very hard to reach an agreement. That's it."
Three hours later Rhoden said everyone was going home for the night and would resume talking Wednesday at noon.
The self-imposed media blackout between all concerned parties leaves many questions unanswered, but Rhoden assured reporters, "Quite a few issues are being discussed."
Most observers believe the continuation of negotiations is a good sign, however things are also said to be tenuous and talks could break off at any time.
Before there's any labor stoppage, the WGA has to call for a strike-authorization vote by its 11,000 members. So far, no such vote has been ordered--another good sign.
Sources say there are about 60 lawyers from both sides negotiating different parts of the contract in small groups. The sticking point might be getting all the disparate pieces to fit in a final deal.
As of April 17, the last time updates were reported to the press, the WGA wanted an additional $8 million in residuals over the next three years and $21 million in foreign TV residuals over the same period. Producers were reportedly willing to cough up a mere $1 million. All told, there's a $100 million chasm dividing the two sides.
The writers are also asking for more props when it comes to screen credit, petitioning for the elimination of the "a film by" credit claimed by many directors.
When the WGA last went on strike in 1988, the 22-week walkout delayed the start of the fall TV season.
Hollywood has been bracing for a possible strike for months, stockpiling TV and movie scripts and speeding up production in anticipation of a walkout. To make things worse, the actors' contract expires July 1 and many insiders think the thespians will take their cue from the scribes. If the WGA reaches a deal, it could pave the way for a harmonious resolution to the pending actors unions negotiations. If the WGA walks, then Tinseltown would be seriously tarnished.
A walkout could devastate the entire Los Angeles region, says a report commissioned by L.A. Mayor Richard J. Riordan. The Entertainment Industry Development Corporation calculated a loss of $50 million a day, including lost work in set design, post-production work, hair and wardrobe. The total damage for a prolonged writers and actors strike could come close to $7 billion.
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