At the same time, we enter negotiations with the sense that there are issues that will not be easy to negotiate. The companies have resisted change in these areas for a very long time. Still most industry watchers think a strike will happen because the sides are too far apart on too many issues. Before sitting down to the bargaining table, they tangled over administrative details, such as how long negotiations will last, who will attend and even where the talks were to be held. Some studio heads are also less than pleased by what they see as an illogical deadline imposed by the WGA to deal with complicated issues that clearly need time.
Writers traditionally feel like second-class citizens in Hollywood.
Even though their work is the basis for all movies and TV shows, they rarely get the big bucks collected by actors, producers and directors. In recent years, the WGA believes like its slice of the industry pie has shrunk. At the heart of the WGA's fight with Hollywood is money and credits. The guild seeks to overhaul what it considers to be outmoded residual payment formulas for cable programs, syndicated TV shows, movies released on VHS and DVD and shows distributed overseas. The WGA's lead pitbull, ER creator John Wells, says he and his union will walk away from the table if no deal is struck within the two-week time frame, and they won't be back until after their current contract expires.