Film Writers end strike 2008

13 Feb 2008, Beverely Hills, USA. Writers Guild of America (WGA) finally agreed for a settlement with the producers of films and tv programmes in the USA. "The strike is over," WGA West president Patric Verrone said to the satisfaction of Oscar organisers.

Speaking to media at the Writers Guild Theatre in Beverly Hills, he said: "Our membership has voted, and writers can go back to work.

"This was not a strike we wanted, but one we had to conduct in order to win jurisdiction and establish appropriate residuals for writing in new media and on the internet.

"Those advances now give us a foothold in the digital age. Rather than being shut out of the future of content creation and delivery, writers will lead the way as TV migrates to the internet and platforms for new media are developed."

3-month-old strike: The WGA members ballotted to end their 3-month-old strike that shut down more than 60 shows, idled thousands of production workers and squeezed scores of local businesses that rely heavily upon the entertainment industry in the USA- the worst film strike in the last 20 years.

The deal: The agreement doubles the rate that writers are paid for movie and TV shows sold online, establishes the union's jurisdiction over programming created for the Internet and for the first time provides payment for entertainment that is streamed on websites.

The action followed Sunday's unanimous decision by the board and negotiating committee of the Writers Guild of America to bless a tentative contract reached with studios over the weekend. The guild's 10,500 movie and TV writers were expected to ratify the new three-year agreement within 12 days.

The Writers Guild of America asked its 12,000 members to stop working and set up picket lines from Monday, 5 November 2007. In the aftermath, several TV shows and programmes were halted. A number of films couldn't take off. Golden Globe awards Ceremony was cancelled. Oscars were threatened.

The writers wanted more cash for work which goes on "new" media such as DVDs or online. The dispute centred on how writers should be compensated for their work when it appears on DVD or the internet.

The deal includes a doubling of the residual rate for movies and TV shows sold online and secures the union's jurisdiction over content created specifically for the Web, above certain budget thresholds. It also establishes payments for shows streamed online that improve upon what directors were given in their new contract.

Some analysts say the post-strike scenario looks in favour of the new writers:

• Studios could harden their approach towards well-paid writers and offer less money in fees.

• Perhaps, it could be a boon for emerging writers as they are less pricey and can be easily manipulated. Observers cite the 1988 strike by the writers that continued for 5 months.

• There are many established writers who are concerned that a post-strike world appeared likely to bring more imports from foreign television, diminished spending on expensive pilot episodes and even more reality programming. In fact, several production houses have already signed deals with non-US writers for major films and TV programmes.