It’s sounding more and more like the guild membership will ratify the deal, but there are some conflicting reports as to exactly when that will occur. From Deadline Hollywood Daily (as usual, refreshing through the site’s home page will give you the most up-to-the-minute results):
SATURDAY 9:00 PM: I’ve received word from inside the Shrine Auditorium meeting that the WGA West membership seemed “very positive” about resolving the writers strike as soon as possible and accepting the deal negotiated by the guild leadership with the Hollywood moguls. A writer attendee who just left the confab told me: “There was cheering for everything and standing ovation after standing ovation for all the leadership, especially Patric Verrone and Dave Young. Patric said the strike would be lifted 48 hours after the WGA boards meet Sunday to recommend the contract, but it was very unclear exactly what day we all go back to work. He said we would go back to work in 48 hours after the deal is recommended, so that may be Tuesday or Wednesday, and then the membership vote would be taken 10 days later. There is no question in my mind that because of the atmosphere in that room this strike will be called off. There is no gearing for a fight. It’s over.”
However, other writers at the meeting told me this: That WGAW President Patric Verrone announced that there would be a vote of the membership over the next 48 hours on whether or not to lift the strike. Presumably this vote will be done electronically. He said specifically that this decision, regardless of the WGA Negotiating Committee’s or the WGAW Board’s or WGAE Council’s recommendation, was to be in the hands of the membership. Pending that outcome, the 10-day ratification process of the tentative deal would begin. So these writers believe that Hollywood can get back to work Wednesday.
About 25% of the attendees left the auditorium after Dave Young explained the deal points. But the meeting is still going on as members now ask questions about specific terms.
(Refresh for the latest…)
SATURDAY 8:00 PM: The Los Angeles Times’ Envelope blog just sent out an email alert that the WGA strike will not be over on Monday. This is based on the blogging of LAT columnist Joel Stein, who is the newspaper’s unreadable humor columnist and is inside the WGA West membership meeting at the Shrine because he is a guild member. Stein says WGAW President Patric Verrone told the room that the strike isn’t over Monday and the decision to lift the strike will be up to the membership after the vote on the contract. I do not have confirmation of this yet, although I have been reporting since yesterday that WGA members were pressing the guild’s leadership and governing bodies for more time to study the language and terms of the proposed WGA-mogul deal. However, earlier today the WGA East membership meeting in NYC was told that the AMPTP made the deal contingent on writers going back to work immediately.
UPDATED TO ADD: Deadline Hollywood Daily added a few more details last night after I called it a night. Here’s the new text of the post:
SATURDAY 9:00 PM: I’ve received word from inside the Shrine Auditorium meeting that the WGA West membership was obviously “very positive” about resolving the writers strike as soon as possible and accepting the deal negotiated by the guild leadership with the Hollywood moguls. Also, the WGA governing bodies wisely decided to ensure that guild members be able to vote within the next 48 hours before the strike can be called off by leaders — even though the AMPTP made the deal contingent on the writers going back to work immediately. Under this new end game, Hollywood could now get back to work by Wednesday at the earliest (not Monday as previously arranged). This also means the Academy Awards, just 14 days away, won’t be picketed. A writer who just left the confab told me: “There was cheering for everything and standing ovation after standing ovation for all the leadership. There is no question in my mind that because of the atmosphere in that room this strike will be called off. There is no gearing for a fight. It’s over.”
WGAW President Patric Verrone announced that there would be a vote by the membership over the next 48 hours on whether or not to lift the strike. I’m told Verrone said specifically that the decision to call off the strike, regardless of the WGA Negotiating Committee’s or the WGAW Board’s or WGAE Council’s recommendation, was to be in the hands of the membership (which wasn’t originally planned). Pending that outcome, the 10-day ballotting process for members to accept the tentative deal would begin. Since the moguls insisted that vote not delay the lifting of the strike, WGA leader Dave Young Young told the auditorium that the writers, and therefore all of Hollywood, could get back to work by Wednesday. That means Back 9 orders of some scripted TV series could be saved along with a no-frills pilot season with less scripted series ordered than ever before. (And expect the upfront presentations to advertisers to consist of a lot more pleading than preening.) Some of the force-majeured deals could be reinstated. (But it’s important to remember that three times as many pacts would have been cancelled if the agents and lawyers hadn’t lobbied the networks and studios.) Feature films that were halted could get going immediately …
So it’s looking like Stephen and Jon will welcome back their writers by Wednesday, at the earliest. I’ll hold off on the celebrations and congratulations until everything’s official (I don’t want to jinx anything) but it’s wonderful to think that the end is in sight, and I wish all of the amazing people who create our favorite shows — the writers and everyone who has made sacrifices alongside of them — a speedy and stress-free transition back to normalcy. I’m looking forward to the next update … and it’s been a while since I’ve been able to say that with such a light heart!
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