It has been an arduous road since the Writers Guild of America (WGA) declared a strike against the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) on November 5th, 2007. As of today, the two sides have finally come together for their first meeting since the strike began.
Tensions did not subside until the WGA authorized the negotiations, after two months of threats and negotiations. Actors, studio executives and production workers everywhere were in deep limbo for the duration of the negotiations. Finally, both sides have agreed to meet and discuss a possible solution to the contentious issues.
At the first meeting, the WGA is representing the more than 11,000 writers currently on strike. The two sides will discuss several topics, including the WGA’s demands for greater compensation for writers involved in lucrative new-media opportunities, such as broadcasting over the internet.
The AMPTP, which represents the interests of all major television and film studios, will also be represented at the meeting by a team of executives, including its president, Nick Counter. Counter has long been a vocal critic of the WGA and their demand for more money. He has claimed that the WGA’s demands will ruin the business model of the entertainment industry.
Both sides had agreed prior to the beginning of the strike to a News Media Agreement, which addressed the issue of new media. This agreement gave the writers a share of the money made from digital streaming of their work, although the WGA believes that the money is still not enough.
The meeting between the WGA and the AMPTP marks a turning point in the negotiations, as both sides look to put an end to the strike. With the first meeting of this type, there is a definite air of optimism that the WGA and the AMPTP can come to an agreement and get the writers back to work.
Only time will tell if the WGA and the AMPTP will be able to reach an agreement. However, the fact that they have come together for the first meeting since the strike began is a hopeful sign that the two sides can come to a compromise. For now, everyone can only wait and see if the WGA and the AMPTP will be able to end the current situation and put the writers back to work.