Hollywood Writers Could Strike as Soon as Midnight Wednesday - 10/29/07

Submitted by Jesse Russell on October 28, 2007 - 2:54pm
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Tomorrow, Hollywood screenwriters and producers will return to the bargaining table, giving them less than two days to negotiate before an important contract deadline passes. A strike has already been approved by the Writers’ Guild of America, and with the expiration of their contract Wednesday at midnight the ticking and tacking of keyboards could quickly end. A federal mediator will be stepping in with hopes to find an olive branch in the negotiations. The union is seeking higher residuals for films and television shows on DVD and is seeking payment for work appearing on new media outlets, like cell phones and on the internet. The producers, on the other hand, want a trial period to see if the new media outlets are profitable before they make any agreements. They are also targeting pension and health care costs.