The Writers Guild website — www.wga.org — is currently featuring a funny article by Steve Martin about the "possessory credit" that is an issue in the pending WGA strike. You'll also find the writers' side — and therefore, the correct side, as far as we're concerned around here — of other issues in the current negotiations. The possessory credit is a major issue which will probably be dropped from the discussions any day now. (By the way: There's a funny, official website for Mr. Martin at www.stevemartin.net.)
And no, I can't tell you if there will be a Writers Strike or not. I think it's encouraging that there are negotiations at all. The posture of the AMPTP (i.e., Management) when past contracts with the WGA expired was to refuse to listen to our demands, to hand us a "final offer" filled with rollbacks and to throw our negotiating team out the door. So at least, this time, they're talking. On the other hand, the Guild is asking for some pretty solid upgrades…and not only are the producers greedy swine, they're greedy swine who have successfully kept all the Hollywood unions on the defensive for years. They surely don't want to let one labor organization make significant gains, for fear it'll start a trend. So I think it's going to get ugly…and your guess is as good as mine as to how ugly.