With the Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike now in its fourth week and crippling production in Hollywood in the process, negotiators representing the WGA and the AMPTP (Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers) embarked on their 18th bargaining session on 26 November.
The negotiations are taking place in a secret location complete with a press blackout. According to The Hollywood Reporter this is the first time three consecutive days of negotiations have been scheduled instead of the usual “one session at a time’.
Some in Hollywood feel optimistic about the resumption of talks while others believe the stalemate will worsen. The WGA and AMPTP first held contract talks back in 16 July, reaching an impasse on the issue of residuals from DVD sales and Internet downloads.
Among the WGA negotiators is Marc Cherry, creator of “Desperate Housewives’. Although the AMPTP has the word “Producers’ in its name, it is an organisation comprising studio heads and executives.
During the negotiations WGA members are still picketing at their stations throughout Los Angeles, with more strike action happening in New York.
