UPDATED with more detail, WGA and WME statements: WME has filed an antitrust lawsuit against the WGA East and WGA West, accusing them of a "wanton abuse of union authority in violation of antitrust law" in their ongoing battle against Hollywood's talent agencies. The lawsuit, filed Monday in U.S. District Court in Los…

The ATA's negotiating committee is expected to meet today or Friday to discuss the WGA's declared impasse in their negotiations for a new franchise agreement. Instead of dealing with the Association of Talent Agents directly, the guild says that it now intends to negotiate separately with the nine major agencies that…

Ten days after the WGA met with the negotiating committee of the Association of Talent Agents, the guild has responded to ATA’s proposal, which included a new revenue sharing offer on packaging. The WGA has rejected that offer, taking the packaging fee revenue sharing option “off the table,” Instead, the guild will…

The WGA's lawsuit against the Big 4 talent agencies is headed to a new court and a new judge – the fourth judge in case since it was filed in Los Angeles Superior Court on April 17. The change of venue – from the Santa Monica courthouse to the downtown courthouse that deals with complex civil litigation, comes just as…

Saying that "this is not the way to get a deal done" and frustrated by the WGA's lack of response to its last proposal for a new franchise agreement, the Association of Talent Agents' negotiating committee said today that "it has become clear as more days pass that the guild is not interested in making a deal." Just…

Last Friday, members of the negotiating committees of the Writers Guild of America and the Association of Talent Agents met for the first time since talks between the two sides had broken off on April 12. After the ATA presented its new franchise agreement proposals, WGA West Executive Director David Young told the…

The WGA told its members Tuesday that it will host a panel discussion this month on "Utilizing Social Media as a Resource for Writers." It is set for June 26 at the WGA Theater in Los Angeles. Showrunners have successfully harnessed the power of social media to connect with fans and promote their series for years. But…

Saying that "the time has come for the WGA's leadership to start bargaining in earnest," leaders of the Association of Talent Agents have told their member-agencies that they hope the WGA will return to the bargaining table with a counteroffer to the proposals the ATA made on Friday to end their 59-day standoff over…

The first meeting since the beginning of a now eight-week standoff between the Association of Talent Agents and the WGA on Friday lasted about 45 minutes in face-to-face time, ending with new proposals on the table from the agencies’ side that the writers guild said it would respond to next week. The meeting, which…

UPDATED with more details: Negotiators for the WGA and the Association of Talent Agents met Friday in an attempt to end their eight-week standoff.  In a message to the members, sent shortly after the meeting ended, the guild updated them on the proceedings. "This morning the Negotiating Committee received proposals…

Eight weeks into their standoff, the WGA and the Association of Talent Agents are returning to the bargaining table this morning for the first time since April 12. The talks are expected to begin around 10 AM PT. The two most intractable issues have been, and remain, the guild's demand for an end to packaging fees and…

Six Democratic members of the California Legislature have signed a letter of support for the WGA's ongoing battle with Hollywood's talent agencies. "As members of the California Legislature, we stand in support of the action taken by members of the Writers Guild of America to ensure talent agencies end their…