Striking screenwriters vote on back-to-work order

By Steve Gorman

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Film and television writers voted on Tuesday whether to immediately end a 14-week strike against major studios pending formal ratification of a contract deal, but there was little doubt the walkout would be lifted.

A vote by members of the Writers Guild of America to halt the strike, as was expected, would clear the way for 10,500 screenwriters who walked off the job on November 5 to return to work on Wednesday.

The writers were casting ballots in person in New York and Los Angeles or by faxed proxy. Voting was due to end at 9 p.m. EST (0200 GMT on Wednesday) and union officials said it could take a few hours to tally the results.

The labour pact with studios was endorsed on Sunday by the Writers Guild of America's governing bodies, which also pulled the plug on further picketing.

Board members had the authority to lift the strike but opted to leave that decision to members in recognition of their steadfast support of the work stoppage.

They will vote later on the three-year contract itself, which provides new payments to writers for work streamed on the Internet and doubles rates they earn for films and TV shows resold as Internet downloads.

The issue of compensating writers for work in new media proved to be the main sticking point in the worst labour clash to hit Hollywood in 20 years.

The strike threw the U.S. television industry into turmoil, derailed several Hollywood movie productions and idled thousands of entertainment workers -- from actors and directors to hairstylists, set designers and clerks.