Writers Guild, Producers Try Again on Contract Negotiations

Representatives of the Writers Guild of America on Monday sat down to negotiate again with producers for the first time since members narrowly rejected a previously negotiated contract last fall.

Included in these talks are representatives of the guild’s Western and Eastern factions, which have been in a bitter feud since members of the Eastern group torpedoed a contract that their Western counterparts had approved.

The two sides, which have held a series of meetings over the last several weeks, will now take a stab at trying to negotiate a new contract. The current accord expires May 1.

In a letter to members, Daniel Petrie Jr., president of the Writers Guild West, said the new proposals to be discussed are limited to two broad areas: residuals, especially for work appearing in foreign markets and on cable TV, and various creative issues that include such things as credits, rewrites and a writer’s right to view early cuts of a film.