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Writers’ Strike: Reasons to be optimistic ?

By fred | January 26, 2008

For way too long both sides were not even talking, which couldn’t obviously lead to any kind of resolution of the ongoing writers’ strike. Then, after the DGA signed a deal with the AMPTP, things started to change.

First off, people started to talk again !! This is like the very first thing that’s an absolute requirement if you want anything - anything - to happen. It doesn’t mean anything per-se, it doesn’t mean people are willing to negotiate or that they come in with an open mind, but at least they’re talking, and without that we have nothing.

But, as it turn out people were not simply going back to talk about the weather, they intended to work on that whole messy situation that’s been going on for way too long, and it seems that they were ready to do what needs to be done in order to get somewhere.

It started with the WGA, who agreed to drop one of the main things the AMPTP found objectionable, Animation and Reality jurisdiction. This was a first sign of good will.

And now as the great Nikki Finke is back from a little break, she informs us that apparently the informal talks that are going on between writers and moguls are doing fine, and sources report that things are going “in a positive direction“, so much that some are already hoping that there could be hope for the Academy Awards to go on normally.

And since we know the WGA will not grant any waiver, even as sign of “good faith”, obviously, that can only mean that a deal would be signed between WGA and AMPTP before the Academy Awards, which will take place on February 24.

Yesterday was only the last of a succession of good days, “I feel optimistic. In my opinion, today was productive and collaborative and respectful. I thought it was a very good day,” an insider told Finke. And it seems that moguls finally realized that the strike wasn’t a good thing for anyone, and they now want a deal to be signed as much as writers so, apparently ever since Tuesday people over at Fox have been telling insiders that moguls were now willing to put an end to this strike, so much that they were willing to let the CGA leadership “declare a face-saving victory” in order to get a deal done.

That’s something I will not believe until I actually see it happening, and I don’t want to get optimistic until the WGA announced they signed a deal, because we’ve already been there, months ago, and, well, look where we are now!

But still, so far things seem to be moving along quite well. Let’s hope it stays that way…

Posted in News