Michael Mahern, a guild negotiator, said of the March 6 gathering. That determination springs from the guild's belief that years of unfair contracts have shorted them while allowing producers to get rich off the explosive growth of videocassettes, cable TV and foreign markets. Starting now, the WGA says, it intends to secure the future for its 11,500 members when their contract expires May 1. While studios dig in their heels against what they say are unprecedented union demands, both sides must weigh the realities of a slowing economy, changing industry, and labor relations in Los Angeles.
Experts are far from agreement, however.
Wong said, citing last year's hard-fought strike by commercial actors. While a slowing economy has raised fears of recession, the entertainment business itself is healthy. The fact that many studios have been absorbed by bigger companies is another variable. Some studios have hinted they are better positioned to cope with a strike because their parent firms are cushioned by multiple revenue sources. The fall TV season could be dramatically affected, with a heavy rotation of reality series and news magazines filling in for sitcoms and dramas.