Hollywood studios have filed a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board, according to The New York Times. The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers is accusing the Guild of violating the rights of 28 writers who crossed the picket line. The Writers Guild staged a strike from early last November to mid-February of this year. According to Nielsen Media Research, television ratings for the period were down nearly 7 percent from the year before.
The AMPTP is now in negotiations with actors via the Screen Actors Guild. Those talks, scheduled to end April 28, but were extended by a week as the two sides work out residuals for DVD and online redistribution--also a sticky wicket with the Writers Guild. SAG’s contract with the studios expires at the end of June. AMPTP is set to begin negotiations with the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists after the extended SAG deadline has concluded.
