Early reviews on deal

Predictably, it's a mixed bag, with this or that aspect of the tentative agreement being pulled apart. But what seems to be bothering quite a few WGA folks is the fast-track schedule that would have the board calling off the strike on Sunday and getting writers back on the job as early as Monday. John Aboud and Laeta Kalogridis, founders of the United Hollywood Web site, were especially annoyed at a NYT story in which producers said they were preparing to resume work next week without any apparent regard for tonight's membership meeting (much less a formal ratification vote). "Despite the fact that we’re satisfied with the deal, we hate the implication that somehow our decisions have been hijacked by the companies," they write. Some writers would like the strike to continue until the entire membership gets to vote on the contract, which in a best case scenario wouldn't happen for at least a couple of days (the current timetable would have the vote in 10 days).

The problem with a 10-day ratification vote is that waiting 10 days to go back to work would harm many tv shows and the last gasp hope of any kind of pilot season. Going back to work before the ratification would solve that problem; but it creates a new, worse one, which is that we all return to work before the new contract is ratified. People who’ve worked selflessly and tirelessly for the leverage that got us this contract deserve a chance to be heard in a democratic vote. We think the 48 hour vote is the best way to balance our right to be heard with the need to get the town back to work as quickly and responsibly as possible. Reasonable people will disagree on this contract, but we all deserve a say.

Meanwhile, this is what Nikki Finke was sent from the WGA East "informational" meeting in NY:

"The room at first was not overly contentious as everyone listened to [WGA East Michael] Winship and others. Basically, the leadership was selling the deal. The leadership made it clear that the deal is a limited time offer. That if we don't go back to work on this immediately we lose the deal and we're back to the beginning again. There was some pushback. There was a lot of conversation how we shouldn't go back immediately and we should at least have 48 hours to think about this. And the argument was that the AMPTP has said that this deal is contingent on going back to work immediately. That it's kind of a 'take or leave it offer' and if we don't take this then we could be out forever. But the leadership may consider a delay for 48 hours, that it's a possibility this is what they'll do. The mood in the room was that, 'It's not a perfect deal, but it's good enough'. There was a sense of resignation."

That will probably be the general attitude tonight, though not before lots of and lots of discussion.