Striking television and film writers in the US gave a warm reception to a tentative contract deal reached yesterday which could lead to an end to their three-month battle with major Hollywood studios.
The governing bodies of the Writers Guild of America (WGA) are expected to vote today to formally endorse the proposed settlement, which hinges on how writers should be paid for work distributed over the Internet.
They also could vote then to call off the strike as early as Monday, pending ratification of the deal by the rank-and-file - a process that normally takes at least 10 days.
But a union spokeswoman and several writers emerging from a boisterous late-night briefing on the deal said WGA leaders were more likely to invoke an expedited 48-hour ratification process.
This would mean writers would not return to work until the middle of the week, union officials said.
If the deal is accepted it would settle the worst Hollywood strike in 20 years. The strike by 10,500 screenwriters has crippled the television industry and overshadowed the Oscar season.
WGA leaders on the east and west coast told members by email late yesterday: "While this agreement is neither perfect nor perhaps all that we deserve ... our strike has been a success."