Movie and television writers began casting their ballots Sunday on whether to end their 3-month-old strike, a vote likely to send the entertainment industry back to work on Wednesday.
The action followed Sunday’s unanimous decision by the board and negotiating committee of the Writers Guild of America to bless a tentative contract reached with studios this weekend.
The guild’s 10,500 movie and TV writers are then expected to ratify the new 3-year agreement within 12 days.
Top show staff, or runners, were given the green light by the guild to return to work Monday in their capacity as producers, which means they can hire crews and prepare their projects to go before the cameras.
Shawn Ryan, the show runner of “The Shield” and “The Unit,” couldn’t wait to go back to work. He spent Sunday night viewing cuts from “The Oaks” pilot, of which he is executive producer, and the last four episodes of “The Shield,” which will begin its final season later this year.
“It’s really unusual,” Ryan said. “I’ve kind of gotten used to not working. Honestly, I’m very happy that we were able to strike a deal that was fair and was amenable to our side and their side, and that we all get to go back and do the work that we love.”
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The strike shut down more than 60 shows, idled thousands of production workers and squeezed scores of businesses that rely heavily upon the entertainment industry for their livelihood.
The resolution comes in the nick of time to save the Feb. 24 telecast of the Academy Awards, which now can happen without the threat of picketers outside the event. It also means the networks will now be able to begin, albeit at a delay, developing new shows for next season.
At a news conference Sunday at the Writers Guild of America West headquarters, guild leaders touted their new contract as a landmark agreement that secured for writers a foothold in the emerging world of online entertainment.
“This is the best deal the guild has negotiated in 30 years,” said Patric Verrone, president of the West Coast guild.
The agreement doubles the rate that writers are paid for movie and TV shows sold online, establishes the union’s jurisdiction over programming created for the Internet, and for the first time provides payments for entertainment that is streamed on Web sites.
It was modeled after a similar agreement studios struck with directors last month.
Verrone and other guild leaders praised the executives who took over the negotiations for the studios, News Corp. President Peter Chernin and Walt Disney Co. Chairman Bob Iger.
Under guild rules, members must be given a minimum of 48 hours to vote on whether to end a strike. Notices went out midday Sunday informing writers that they could cast ballots in person on Tuesday at polling locations on both coasts.
Members unable to vote in person were allowed to send proxy ballots by fax beginning Sunday.
Results will be announced Tuesday night.
Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse, the co-show runners of “Lost,” will begin the complicated task Monday of figuring out what to do with the second half of their season.
When the strike began, eight episodes of the fourth season were completed, and the producers don’t know how many new episodes ABC will want to air before the TV season ends in the spring.