The Writers Guild sent a message to its members Monday evening saying that picketing will begin Tuesday afternoon if a deal on a new contract can’t be reached tonight.
“We are still at the AMPTP in negotiations with our midnight contract deadline approaching quickly,” the guild’s negotiating committee said. “If we don’t reach an agreement and a strike is called, picketing will begin tomorrow (Tuesday) afternoon.
“As soon as we have definitive news, you’ll hear from us via email and on our website. We appreciate your patience and ongoing support.”
RELATED: Deadline’s Full Strike Coverage
If a strike is called after the midnight PT expiration of the guild’s film and TV contract with the studios, it would be the first WGA strike since 2007-08, when writers struck for 100 days to establish jurisdiction over streaming shows.
The guild is seeking gains in compensation and residuals, and curbs on mini-rooms, where groups of writers work in advance of the production of a television series to break stories and write scripts. As shorter episode orders have become more common, so too have mini-rooms.
RELATED: WGA Strike Picket Line Locations List For Los Angeles & New York