The Writers Guild of America and the major studios and networks head back to the bargaining table Tuesday, after are taking a two-week break from the negotiations.
The guild and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers had been talking for two weeks but had not yet reached a deal on a new contract for film and TV writers when they recessed bargaining for scheduling reasons on Feb. 15. Tuesday’s talks will be held at AMPTP headquarters in Sherman Oaks, Calif.
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Both sides have declined to talk since negotiations began, but the WGA is focusing on pay levels for writers who work on basic cable shows and preserve health and pension benefits, among other issues. The current three-year contract expires May 1.
Any new agreement probably will be comparable to the contract recently negotiated by the Directors Guild of America. That contract, ratified in November, includes increases in wages, residuals and better terms for new media work.