Union gives writers OK to work on Grammys
Published 10:00 pm Monday, January 28, 2008
LOS ANGELES — The striking Hollywood writers union said Monday it will let its members work on the Grammy Awards.
The decision by the Writers Guild of America’s board of directors to grant an interim agreement for the Feb. 10 music industry showcase follows its move last week to withhold pickets from the Grammy ceremony, to be televised live on CBS.
The union said it recognizes that professional musicians face many of the same concerns as writers when it comes to compensation for projects distributed via digital media — a central issue in contract dispute between the writers union and the alliance that represents studios.
Informal talks began last week between the union and several studio chiefs in an effort to resolve the nearly 3-month-old strike. Formal negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers broke down early in December.
But the guild has declined a waiver for the Academy Awards, raising doubts about how the Feb. 24 ceremony will be staged if the strike continues and actors stage a boycott. The ceremony’s producer has vowed the show will go on.
