Looks like strike is on

WGA President Patric M. Verrone just emailed guild members to say that the strike will begin first thing Monday morning. No details on this morning's last-ditch efforts by a federal mediator and by the backchanneling among writers and producers, but the email would indicate that there wasn't enough progress to forestall the walkout. Here's what Verrone said in the email:

Pickets will be the most visible and effective part of the strike in the next few weeks. They make us visible in a way that is outside the AMPTP’s control. They deter and often prevent scabs from taking our jobs. They disrupt production, especially when members of other unions honor our line. But most importantly, a large turnout of pickets demonstrates visibly and irrefutably to the AMPTP that we are serious about getting a substantive, fair deal.

Meanwhile, Nikki Finke reports that John Wells was brought in at the 11th hour to try and broker a deal - playing a "Lew Wasserman-type" role. The former WGA president apparently has the support of not only the studios and networks, but of WGA negotiating chair John Bowman. It's an interesting piece of news because Wells was considered a WGA sellout when he didn't make inroads on DVD residuals. Whether Verrone is in support of Bowman's efforts is unclear, but Verrone's email seems pretty hard line.

Updated post