Writers approve deal, ending strike

To the relief of film and TV fans, members of the Writers' Guild -- by a vote of 3,492 to 283 -- voted last night to return to work. The votes in New York and Los Angeles ended the 100-day-old walkout and ensures that the Academy Awards ceremony on Feb. 24 will go on as planned.

The union must still vote on a deal, tentatively approved by the guild's board of directors, that would grant writers fees for programs streamed on the Internet as well as increased residuals for programs downloaded online. My guess is that this will be also be approved, though the studios can't relax just yet; the Screen Actors Guild's current contract expires in June, and you can bet they'll want a cut of Internet revenue too.

posted by Movie Help Web at 7:36 AM |