Date: 02-14-2008
The Writers Guild of America voted unanimously to end its devastating 100-day strike and resume work beginning Wednesday. The vote came after a tentative deal was reached between the union and Hollywood studios and broadcast networks for a three-year contract. About 92% of the 3,775 workers who voted were in favor of ending the walkout which has crippled the entertainment industry for nearly three months. Though the formal ratification of the contract remains to be completed in the coming days, the vote clears the way for the Oscars to be staged without the threat of pickets or a boycott by actors on February 24. The move further allows television and movie productions to begin again. The strike is said to have cost the television and film industry millions of dollars, with the wider economy losing more than $1 billion.
