Writers to end their 3-month strike

Washington, Feb 13 : Members of the Writers Guild of America voted overwhelmingly to end their 3-month strike, putting the entertainment industry back to work.

Of 3,775 writers who cast ballots, 92.5 percent voted in favour of ending the strike.

"Our membership has voted, and writers can go back to work," The Hollywood Reporter quoted WGA West president Patric Verrone, as saying in a news conference.

"This was not a strike we wanted but one we had to conduct in order to win jurisdiction and establish appropriate residuals for writing in new media and on the Internet. Those advances now give us a foothold in the digital age.

"Rather than being shut out of the future of content creation and delivery, writers will lead the way as TV migrates to the Internet and platforms for new media are developed," he added.

WGA East president Michael Winship said: "The success of this strike is a significant achievement, not only for ourselves but the entire creative community, now and in the future."

The decision to end the strike became inevitable after the guilds' governing boards approved the tentative three-year agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, that gives writers an increased share of the profits from TV shows and films offered over the internet and other new media.

Now union members will cast ballots on whether to ratify the tentative contract with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers.

ANI