Writer's Strike Update ~ It is all over, except for the voting!

Writer's Strike Update

After days of rumors and articles, it appears that the writer's strike is over! *cheer* Every news outlet is reporting it as a done deal. However, the Writer's Guild of America members still have to vote to accept the new contract. According to Deadline Hollywood Daily, the standing ovations seem to indicate the vote will be positive. Writers may be back at work by Wednesday :)

What does the end of the writer's strike mean for Moonlight? From everything I've heard, CBS is not planning to put our show back into production for the short time remaining in this season. BOO! Several sources ~ including the list I published earlier from TV Guide's Michael Ausiello ~ have said Moonlight will return with new episodes this Fall. While that is good news cuz we want a second season, I have been writing and calling CBS asking for the remaining episodes they ordered of Moonlight for this season! Our show is relatively inexpensive to produce.... and... it never hurts to ask, so I hope you are doing the same!

Deadline Hollywood Daily's info on the strike negotiations held Saturday, February 9th, 2008 ~

SATURDAY 9:00 PM: I've received word from inside the Shrine Auditorium meeting that the WGA West membership was obviously "very positive" about resolving the writers strike as soon as possible and accepting the deal negotiated by the guild leadership with the Hollywood moguls. Also, the WGA governing bodies wisely decided to ensure that guild members be able to vote within the next 48 hours before the strike can be called off by leaders -- even though the AMPTP made the deal contingent on the writers going back to work immediately. Under this new end game, Hollywood could now get back to work by Wednesday at the earliest (not Monday as previously arranged). This also means the Academy Awards, just 14 days away, won't be picketed. A writer who just left the confab told me: "There was cheering for everything and standing ovation after standing ovation for all the leadership. There is no question in my mind that because of the atmosphere in that room this strike will be called off. There is no gearing for a fight. It's over."

WGAW President Patric Verrone announced that there would be a vote by the membership over the next 48 hours on whether or not to lift the strike. I'm told Verrone said specifically that the decision to call off the strike, regardless of the WGA Negotiating Committee's or the WGAW Board's or WGAE Council's recommendation, was to be in the hands of the membership (which wasn't originally planned). Pending that outcome, the 10-day ballotting process for members to accept the tentative deal would begin. Since the moguls insisted that vote not delay the lifting of the strike, WGA leader Dave Young Young told the auditorium that the writers, and therefore all of Hollywood, could get back to work by Wednesday. That means Back 9 orders of some scripted TV series could be saved along with a no-frills pilot season with less scripted series ordered than ever before. (And expect the upfront presentations to advertisers to consist of a lot more pleading than preening.) Some of the force-majeured deals could be reinstated. (But it's important to remember that three times as many pacts would have been cancelled if the agents and lawyers hadn't lobbied the networks and studios.) Feature films that were halted could get going immediately.

About 25% of the attendees left the auditorium after Dave Young explained the deal points. But the meeting is still going on as members now ask questions about specific terms.

http://www.deadlinehollywooddaily.com/tick-tock-no-wga-deal-language-yet/