Is The Strike Coming To A Close?

Strike negotiations are set to resume next week.

Both the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) have agreed to return to the negotiating table on Monday, November 26. The decision comes after two full weeks of picket lines outside of the major television studios. It has been announced that both sides will maintain a news blackout during the negotiations, meaning that neither group will share details or issue press statements. Nip/Tuck writer Sean Jablonski said that the promise of returning to the table is a good thing, and he told the Associated Press that "[y]ou can't get a deal until two sides sit down and talk about it."

The choice to resume negotiations comes after two weeks of talks behind the scenes as different groups urged both sides to return to the table. The strike had an immediate effect on parts of the industry, and as time has passed, the number of layoffs has increased. The general assumption has been that negotiations would not resume until the new year at the earliest, and there has been speculation that this surprising return to the table is a sign that the WGA will get at least some of its demands. The AMPTP previously refused to return to discussions while WGA members walked the picket lines, but the writers have insisted that they will not automatically put down their signs once talks resume.

"For 12 days, I have repeated that a powerful strike means a short strike. ... Now it is equally important that we prove that good news won't slow us down, either," said WGA West president Patric Verone. "We must remember that returning to the bargaining table is only a start. ... Accordingly, what we achieve in negotiations will be a direct result of how successfully we can keep up our determination and resolve." An ad hoc organization of approximately 100 writer-producers known as the United Showrunners was created earlier this month to show solidarity during the strike, and the members will not return to their roles as producers until they know that the AMPTP is serious about making a deal. "We have been asked (by the WGA) to stay out until we're sure that they are bargaining in good faith," said Back to You showrunner Steve Levitan. "Most expect it to be a very short negotiation."

You can read more about the return to the negotiating table at Variety, BBC News and the National Post. Further information about the United Showrunners can be found at Hollywood Today.

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