WGA East

Yesterday, W.G.A. leaders voted unanimously to approve a deal that would bring to an end the Hollywood writers' three-month-old conflict over new media residuals. What’s left now is tomorrow’s vote by W.G.A. members on whether to end the strike, pending a contract ratification vote by the joint-membership of the east and west guilds, which will take place via mail ballot over the next few weeks. In New York, ballots on lifting the strike will be cast between 4 and 7 p.m. tomorrow at the Crown Plaza Hotel on Broadway and 49th Street. The results will be announced later that night. After the jump, W.G.A. East President Michael Winship’s letter to membership:  read more »

Tonight, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and The Colbert Report are set to return to Comedy Central, albeit without their writers, who remain out on strike.

And without certain guests, such as Katrina vanden Heuvel and Naomi Klein who recently turned down invitations to appear on the show.

Those authors, actors, and politicians who do accept invitations to be on the shows on Monday will be forced to cross a picket line.  read more »

Today, in a letter to members, Writers Guild of America East President Michael Winship wished everyone a happy new year, admitted that he was recently "momentarily overcome with frustration and annoyance," and professed to be sustained by "the nationwide unity and the surety that what we are striking for is right not only for us but so many others in the creative community."

The coming week is a huge one for the striking writers.

This past Friday, the WGA reached a binding agreement with Woldwide Pants which will allow The Late Show with David Letterman and The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson to return to the air tomorrow night with their full writing staffs.  read more »

Yesterday, ABC News announced that it had reached a tentative contract agreement with the Writers Guild of America East, which represents roughly 250 ABC News employees. The previous contract had expired in January of 2005. The new agreement, which will go before union members for a vote on December 13, would institute a 3.5-percent wage increase.

"In addition to the annual wage increase, the new agreement, which expires Feb. 1, 2010, includes a one-time signing bonus of $3,700 for full-time employees," reports Crain's. "Part-time workers will get a pro-rated bonus."

Reached by phone on Friday morning, Mona Mangan, executive director of the Writers Guild of America East, told Media Mob that the issue had been "festering" at ABC for a long time.  read more »