Studios call WGA endorsement of voting ‘inevitable’ – Deadline

GT

The WGA is expected to receive overwhelming support to authorize the strike today after writers voted over the past week.

However, the certification of such a vote has been described as “inevitable” by studios prior to its outcome.

Voting on permission to strike has always been part of the WGA plan, announced before the parties exchanged motions. Its inevitable ratification should surprise no one, the Motion Picture and Television Producers Alliance said today in a statement.

The studios and writers are expected to come back to the negotiating table over the next two weeks, before the WGA contract expires on May 1. Studio sources said they are waiting for the WGA Negotiation Committee to respond to their proposals, which is not expected until this afternoon.

When the WGA opened the strike vote, the WGA said AMPTP “failed to provide meaningful responses on fundamental economic issues in any of the WGA’s core business areas — screen, episodic television and variety comedy” — but admitted “we listened politely to our presentations and made motions.” were small in only a few areas” and that these movements were “accompanied by retreats designed to offset any gains”.

Later, when the WGA sent out the voting form to the members, the WGA invited its members to save TV and write articles. “The survival of writing as a profession is at stake in these negotiations,” the union said.

Meanwhile, AMPTP added this morning: “Our goal is, and continues to be, to reach a fair and reasonable agreement. An agreement can only be reached if the union commits to shifting its focus to serious bargaining by engaging in full discussions on the issues with the companies and seeking reasonable compromises.”