As the lawyers work overtime to hammer out the details, scenarios are emerging that could — underline could — bring an end to the WGA strike as early as next week, Variety reports.
Insiders strongly emphasize that many aspects remain to be ironed out in the contract being drafted between the Writers Guild of America and the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers, and that the process could be derailed by even a seemingly small dispute over contract language.
But after guild toppers briefed members of the WGA West board and WGA negotiating committee Monday on the status of the negotiations, it’s clear that the process has the wind at its back.
The WGA is hoping to have a draft contract to present to the boards of the WGA West and WGA East and negotiating committee by Friday, and to hold informational meetings with members of both branches over the weekend.
In an email message to members late Monday the WGA’s negotiating committee chief John Bowman notified members of the upcoming informational meetings and said neither the negotiating committee nor the boards would take action on the contract until after those meetings.
If the broad strokes meet with approval, the WGA boards may vote on whether to call off the strike, now entering its fourth month. Insiders said if the sentiment at the weekend membership meetings is generally supportive of the deal, the WGA boards could move quickly on a vote to call off the strike while the weeks-long ratification voting process is held.
