Hollywood writers could be back at work Wednesday

Hollywood writers who have been on strike for three months could return to work as early as Wednesday now that there is tentative contract.

The Writers Guild of America has confirmed voting on whether to end the strike and return to workwill take place at membership meetings Tuesday in New York and Los Angeles.

A vote on the contract will be held within 10-14 days, WGA officials said.

The WGA has recommended acceptance ofthe three-yearcontract reached late last week. Itincludes clauses guaranteeing compensation to writers for film and TV shows broadcast over the internet.

"If they [producers] get paid, we get paid. This contract makes that a reality," said Patric Verrone, president of the WGA's West Coast branch.

He called the deal the best in the last 30 years, but admitted, "it is not all we hoped for and it is not all we deserved."

Among the concessions made by the WGA was giving up on the issue of unionizing workers on animation and reality TV shows. The union pledged to revive that issue in future contracts.

However, screenwriters' compensation for movies and television shows sold online would be significantly increased.

For one-hour programs streamed free over the web, writers will get a fixed payment of $1,200 US per year for the first two years, followed by two per cent of any revenues earned by the distributor in the third year.

That is an improvement on the deal the studios signed in January with the Directors Guild thatresulted only in a flat payment rate.

The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which represents the studios, hadno comment Sunday on the contract.

The writers strike has been damaging for the entertainment industry, with losses estimated at anywhere from$350 million to $1 billion US.

WGA negotiating committee chair John Bowman said Sunday the cancellation of the Golden Globes gala last month the event was downgraded to a news conference and the threat that the strike would affect theAcademy Awardsceremony on Feb. 24may have been the impetus to restart bargaining.

"We spent nearly three months with the studios' management, frankly getting nowhere," Bowman said. "I think what happened at the Golden Globes brought the CEOs to the table."