Writers Reach Tentative Agreement to End Strike

TV showrunners head back to the office today, and the scribe tribe officially resumes work Wednesday. As word of the tentative agreement began spreading Saturday morning, the town breathed a collective sigh of relief and started making plans to resume production.

The strike's end also means the Feb. 24 Oscars can proceed without fear of picketing and with scriptwriters for the kudocast.

WGA West prexy Patric Verrone told guild members Sunday to put away their picket signs: The ruling boards of the Writers Guild of America unanimously blessed a three-year tentative deal with the majors.

The next step is to get approval by members on lifting the strike. Members will vote by fax or in person at specified meetings; the vote concludes Tuesday night.

After that, the members will be asked in a separate vote whether to OK the new three-year deal; those ballots go out in the next few days, with a 10- to 12-day return period.

Given the strong support shown for Verrone and other guild leaders in Saturday's member meetings -- despite some reservations about the deal -- everyone assumes that members will vote to end the strike.

At a midday news conference Sunday, a beaming Verrone touted the deal as the best that the WGA's reached in the last three decades.

He also said it was arguably "the most important strike of this young century."

Verrone added, "It is not all that we hoped for, and it is not all we deserve, but as I've been saying since this strike began, this strike was about the future, and this deal assures for us and for future generations of writers a share in the future."

Verrone gave the expected thank yous to members, other unions, David Letterman and Tom Cruise (for signing interim deals) and even fans of TV shows. And he took care to praise News Corp. president Peter Chernin, Disney topper Robert Iger and CBS honcho Leslie Moonves for their efforts in hammering out a deal.

Verrone noted that the involvement of CEOs in recent weeks had enabled both sides to move toward an agreement, in contrast with the unproductive negotiations last year.

"We spent about three months getting nowhere," he added.

Notably absent from the list of those thanked was the Directors Guild of America.

WGA leaders made little mention of the helmers other than to say that the WGA had improved on the DGA deal, particularly in terms of gaining a percentage of distributor's gross on the third year.

Sunday's announcement came on the heels of an upbeat member meeting at the Shrine Auditorium, featuring standing ovations foir guild leaders. TV scribe Mike Scully enthused, "I've never been more proud to be a member of this guild. I've never felt more like I was a member of a real union.
Anyone who would say, 'Well, we didn't get everything we asked for'
doesn't know what a labor negotiation is. This is a very good deal for us."

There was virtually no dissent or harsh criticism of the deal terms raised during Saturday's powwow, numerous attendees said. Verrone and WGA West exec director David Young were forthright in talking the crowd through each of the major deal points, copies of which were distributed to the crowd. The duo discussed where they scored victories and where they made concessions -- and why.