You know things are getting nasty if the Federal government has to step in and mediate a squabble between parties. With Iraq, Iran, the new Chinese race to the moon and Putin’s new arms build-up, not to speak of out-of-control fires on the West coast and continued looming problems in the Katrina-torn Gulf Region, you’d think the U.S. government would have its hands full, but if they have been called in to try and settle a dispute between studio/network bigwigs and the Writers Guild of America (WGA), then things must be going awlfully bad.
The Guild’s contract with all film studios and television networks is due to expire in just two days (Wednesday, October 31, 2007) and there still is a big enough gap between the two parties to fly the new gigantic air bus through. Talks began nearly a year ago and serious negotiations have been going on for the last three months with the WGA sanctioning a strike from its 12000 members of screen and television writers, the bulk of the industries creative minds, this Wednesday if no progress, from the WGA’s definition of progress, has been achieved.
A strike now seems inevitable and that is why the Feds have stepped in as a last ditch effort to avoid what could turn disasterous for the entertainment industry at a time when overall box office is down and advertising dollars are being thinly stretched.
“We worked very hard to narrow the issues and reach an agreement but many issues remain unresolved,” stated Nick Counter, president of the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers, to an assembled group of reporters. “We will meet on Tuesday with the federal mediator who has been assigned by the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service.” The WGA had no comment concerning this latest intervention.
If the Feds are successful at bring all parties involved back together for future negotiating, the WGA has stated it will ask its members to continue working under the old agreement. If, however, these attempts from the government fail, the Guild has called for a strike as early as this Thursday.
Awwwww fudgebumps.