Writers to Hit Picket Lines

Guild wants to negotiate this weekend, but film and TV companies are livid
By Neal Colgrass,  Newser Staff
Posted Nov 2, 2007 8:00 PM CDT
Writers to Hit Picket Lines
Writers Guild of America members Lowell Cauffiel, bottom left, and Monique Matthews, bottom right, talk before attending a WGA meeting at the Los Angeles Convention Center to discuss contract negotiations, Thursday, Nov. 1, 2007. The guild was on the verge of calling its first strike in nearly 20 years...   (Associated Press)

Hollywood scribes vow to strike on Monday if they can't reach an accord with film and TV companies first. "We don't want to strike," a Writers Guild of America rep said today. "What we really want to do is negotiate." But the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers reacted by blasting the guild for "falsehoods, misstatements and inaccuracies. We are very disappointed with their press conference and the action they took."

Guild toppers made the announcement today, urging execs to reconsider upping writers' residuals for DVDs and Internet downloads, Variety reports. They also told all 12,000 guild members to stop writing at 12:01 a.m. Monday. Topical shows will get hurt first, says CNN, while soaps can last about 30 days and most prime time shows can make it until year's end. (More Writers Guild of America stories.)

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