Writers Guild Receives No Protests to Contract

Foreshadowing a lopsided vote in support of a new three-year contract with studios and television producers, Writers Guild of America officials said Monday that they did not receive any protest statements from members by last weekend’s deadline.

The guild plans to begin mailing ballots to its 11,000 members today. Ballots must be returned by June 4. The results of the ratification vote will be announced the next day.

About 50 guild members attended a two-hour meeting Thursday night to discuss the contract, which the guild estimates will bring writers an extra $41 million over the term of the contract. The tentative agreement was reached May 4 in a last-minute settlement that avoided a threatened strike.

“It’s a miracle they got what they did, and they should be commended,” said Ross LaManna, a screenwriter who counts “Rush Hour” among his credits. “The membership sent them into the room with no support. Instead of showing unanimity and resolve, we writers turned collectively into a quivering bowl of jello.”

Guild members who wanted to express support or dismay over the terms of the proposed contract had until Friday to turn in position statements.

One guild member turned in a statement, but it did not comply with the guild’s rules and was received after the deadline.