Strike Update

This just in from the WGA (1/18/08.) Could this mean possible forward movement on a settlement? We'll see...

To Our Fellow Members,

As you know, the Directors Guild announced yesterday that it has reached a tentative agreement with the AMPTP. We are waiting for the full terms of the deal to be made available so that we can carefully analyze and evaluate the language and numbers. Until then, members can review the DGA's press release (found here:

For more than a month we have been urging the conglomerates to return to the table and bargain in good faith. Now that negotiations with the DGA are finished, the AMPTP has reached out to us to begin informal talks. We are committed to moving the process forward to achieve the best contract possible.

Know, too, that we have signed four more agreements with important, independent feature producers. They are Mandate Pictures, Bob Yari's Sixth Floor Literary Properties, Overt Operations/Anonymous Content, and Sidney Kimmel Entertainment. These deals return more people to work and provide further incentive to the media conglomerates to settle our contract soon.

We invite all our members to a consolidated picket line next Tuesday at Paramount studios. As always, picketing information can be found at:

http://www.wga.org/subpage_member.aspx?id=2536.

We look forward to working for you and with you as we move towards a successful resolution. We are all in this together.

Best,

John F. Bowman
Chair, WGA Negotiating Committee

Patric M. Verrone
President, WGA West

Michael Winship
President, WGA East