The Writers Strike Could Be Nearing An End

There seems to be a light at the end of the tunnel for the Hollywood writers strike but is it too little and too late? It has been over four months since Hollywood writers used their talents and in that time the business has survived.

With other markets opening up could the writers be on the outside of the door when the strike does end? Formal negotiations between television and movie writers and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers have almost been completed. The formal paperwork has yet to be dotted and lined but if that goes well then the Writers Guild of America West and Writers Guild of America East may have contracts to sign by the end of the week. Behind closed doors on Friday a breakthrough may have occurred. If the contract does hit the tables next week, it will still need to be ratified by majority of the active guild members. Hopefully the more than 10,000 members will like the agreement. Since the strike started on Nov. 5, talks have started only to be broken off over and over again. The strike is over money. The money that comes from residuals that others in the Hollywood biz get and that the writers don't. The Hollywood side had Robert A. Iger, chief executive of the Walt Disney Company; Peter Chernin, president of the News Corporation; Leslie Moonves, chief executive of CBS Corp in their corner during Friday's meeting with Patric M. Verrone, the president of the West Coast guild; David J. Young, its executive director; and John Bowman, who headed the guilds’ negotiating committee and Alan Wertheimer, a prominent entertainment attorney sitting in for the writers' side. Once this strike is over, though, Hollywood may soon be in the midst of another. Next round may very well be the Screen Actors Guild. That guild's contract ends June 30. If the actors strike, it could mean an end for the Hollywood that most of us grew up with. The big companies may throw up their hands and allow for the works of others to replace Hollywood. "Hollywood North" is waiting in the wings to be the next best thing.