Happy Ending To Hollywood Labor Strike?

Writers And The Studios Resume Talks Monday, With Pressure Mounting For A Settlement

(CBS)  It's labor strife, Hollywood style -- TV and film writers picketing, a production number with a cast of thousands, and a solid-gold sound track, reports CBS News correspondent Sandra Hughes.

And where else but Hollywood do they serve scones on the picket line?

Since contract talks broke down three weeks ago, writers have written nothing but snappy chants -- "Union-busting is disgusting!" -- and strike satires on YouTube.

And it appears to be working. The studios, which have been silent throughout, have agreed to resume talks Monday.

"This is an industry where you don't get divorced," said Shawn Ryan, a writer. "You have to go to marriage counseling."

All over town, the pressure for settlement has been building, with predictions a long strike could cost Los Angeles $20 million a day.

Democratic presidential candidates indicate they will boycott the debate in December sponsored by CBS if there is still a strike. There is also pressure from worried agents and stockholders.

After all, noisy picketers have shut down shoots -- from "C.S.I" to "Desperate Housewives." There are widespread layoffs, studios are even shutting down, and a few high-profile movies have unfinished scripts, like "The Da Vinci Code" sequel.

Writers want a bigger bite of the new media money, so-called residual payments when shows they have written are downloaded to computers and phones.

Writer and producer Danny Kallis created the Disney cable hit "The Suite Life of Zack and Cody."

"My daughter keeps saying, "Hey dad, your show was number one on downloads on iTunes!'" said Kallis.

Studios say the business is too new, the profits too slim. Kallis says no way.

"Without any advertising, without any promotion, without having to make a DVD or a box and distribute it, a kid pushed a button and got my show and paid $1.99," said Kallis.

Writers say they know people who think they are rich spoiled brats.

"I'm not rich!" said writer Jeff Garlin. "When you have a show on HBO, you're not rich!"

"I depend on residuals!" said writer Marcy Goldman. "And I got a check a couple of weeks ago for one cent. I mean it's insane!"

When talks resume Monday, so will the picketing, with many in Tinseltown hoping both sides can get on the same page.

[webworm95]

I wish writers would quit saying they are not rich. They make at least $50,000 a year. That is not shabby. I would like to make that. You need to buy less expensive cars and homes. Instead asking for residual. They should ask for a cost of living increase for each year. Why should people get paid, when you do not work? Nobody else does. Yes, I know you can get unemployment when fired or laid off but that is for a limited time. I am not talking about retiring or if you become disabled and are unable to work. All the writers, actors, directors and other. The $1.99 will turn into $4.99 download. The dvd rentals will go up as well. That in the hurts the consumer.

[likeablunchs]

'' ..

i visited 33 sick beds,

at each sick bed was 4 extra folk,

so i saw a 165 folk in the night,

each needed $33.00 to survive,

i needed $33.00 to survive,

i paid them each $0.20,

they each paid me $0.20,

earth gave us infinite peaches,

but we each wanted more

than just peaches,

each wanted 11 other foods

and 11 other homes,

so each invented each''s own,

and some collaborated,

and some shared,

could have made folk pay to see us,

sharing and collaborating,

and swapping double dimes,

but that would have been unfair,

.. ''

[likeablunchs]

'' .. if i''m hurt by the hand of another, i am not hurt by the hand of another, and not by the hand upon my arm, but by my other hand upon my other arm, and the cure is not the smacking of my other hand, but is the journey to one of the infinite numbers of places and times when and where my other hand did not, will not, and does not feel as though to smack me, or one of those times and places where and when i feel like being smacked by my other hand upon my other arm that could be considered the hand of another with equal need and ability to travel places and times as do i .. ''

'' .. the world is full of little girls that rape big men, and there is no winning the war, except to pump more money into man raping wars than all the little enemy girls combined .. ''

[likeablunchs]

'' .. it''s my infinite eternal storyboards, so i can change it, yet each inside storyboards must consent, as it''s the infinite eternal storyboards of each, but each goes in infinite directions, and most of those directions will favor me and my will, as will my directions favor their wills, and most directions that do not favor my will, favor my eternal will though not my local, and few if any defy all my infinite wills .. ''

'' .. evil is despicable; however, dressed girls with badges and bombs disciplining naked lazy ignorant profane blemished promiscuous man *** is not only justice, but good wholesome satisfying justice .. ''

'' .. with a few scraps of market share, one can dare all the adults or feed them, you''ll not find them feeding in my market share .. ''

'' .. if we market buses, the young, old, sick, and handicapped will be provided for, and their rapists will get stealth planes, so market cars, and the rapists will settle for cars .. ''

'' .. 33 sick beds across 4.5 countys to visit 132 folk for swapping a quarter with each, and for conjuring 11 new foods, 11 new sheltets, and 11 new misc other such each night, each sick bed an 11,335 square foot spore bloom weed dragon trail fickle first aid lunch farm cottage studio trail crossing yseedsberry trail group drifting swimming village to village and trail to trail about 3 to 27 miles per hour .. ''

[likeablunchs]

'' .. free grapes or veggie spam and free chilled tap water or tea for 132+ quarter tips and donations each night, there and here and then and now .. ''

[likeablunchs]

'' .. most folk most time offer free food medicine and shelter and infinite wishes come true for each and all for ever and ever more, but only because i spank them when they refuse, all in all though, their not all that special, for all the infinite stuff the infinite masses dole out to the infinite masses, most folk most time inveitably supply 99.infin9% of their own food medicine and infinite wishes come true and each supplys only .infin01% of the food medicine and infinite wishes come true of the others combined and only .infin01% of .infin01% of any one other .. ''

[appls2orngs]

'' .. welcome to heaven, thou shalt not hold hands and weave bouquets with little naked promiscuous girls playing first aid on the trail, beat their sorry butts and call the angels to whisk them back to hell .. ''

'' .. i saw an old music video recently, and thought it was so perfect except there were no sick beds and no infinite free food and free medicine and free infinite wishes come true .. ''

'' .. give away 19.5 billion veggie burgers / night, be visited by everyone, rake in tips donations volunteers for operations and sub let operations .. more practically, give 165 or 16500 veg burgs with five others, rake in quarters & dollars & song dance skit kit .. ''

'' .. eternity says, heres the nukes you ordered joanna, you break all my bones while i scream on the outside giggle on inside, then you play eternity i''ll play joana & you break my bones while i scream on outside giggle on inside .. ''

'' .. troops, one day there will be peace and prosperity and why why why, till then, let''s forego rest and comfort to pump trillions into baby raping war for the salvation of huvanity .. ''

'' .. you tell all eternity theres no free infinite wishes come true, no you tell all eternity theres no free infinite wishes come true .. ''