Studios Call Strike Authorization Vote Ratification “Inevitable”, Stress That Goal Is To “Reach Fair & Reasonable” Deal

The WGA is expected to receive overwhelming support for a strike authorization today after writers have been voting for the past week.

The studios, however, have called the ratification of such a vote “inevitable” ahead of its results.

“A strike authorization vote has always been part of the WGA’s plan, announced before the parties even exchanged proposals. Its inevitable ratification should come as no surprise to anyone,” the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers said today in a statement.

The studios and writers are expected to be back at the negotiating table during the next couple of weeks, ahead of the WGA contract expiring on May 1. Studio sources said that they are waiting for the WGA negotiating committee to respond to their proposals, which isn’t expected to be before this afternoon.

When it opened the strike authorization vote, the WGA said that the AMPTP had “failed to offer meaningful responses on the core economic issues in any of the WGA’s primary work areas — screen, episodic television and comedy-variety” — but admitted that “they have listened politely to our presentations and made small moves in only a few areas” and that these moves are “coupled with rollbacks designed to offset any gains.”

Later, when it sent out the voting form to members, the WGA called on its members to save television and feature writing. “The survival of writing as a profession is at stake in this negotiation,” the guild said.

The AMPTP, meanwhile, this morning, added: “Our goal is, and continues to be, to reach a fair and reasonable agreement. An agreement is only possible if the Guild is committed to turning its focus to serious bargaining by engaging in full discussions of the issues with the Companies and