Strike Watch

So there's now slightly more than two weeks before all the sand runs out of the WGA-AMPTP hour-glass:

Reps for the WGA and AMPTP huddled in separate meetings Wednesday and did not hold any face-to-face negotiations. With no new date set yet for the resumption of formal bargaining and the WGA's strike authorization vote concluding late today, talks won't probably start again until Friday at the earliest.

Two key questions...: Will the WGA agree to a contract extension in exchange for a multiyear study of compensation, even though it spurned the idea in July? And can the AMPTP sweeten an extension deal enough to get the guild leaders aboard?

Two answers to that.

No and definitely not.

The WGA has rallied behind its leadership because of the AMPTP's silly-ass proposal (now off the table) to erase residuals.

And the way the AMPTP bargaining unit operates is, all or nearly all of the studios have to be on board Nick Counter's proposals. The studios aren't going to give an inch on WGA residual proposals, and the WGA is after at least half a foot.

So...here we go. On to November 1st.