Patric Verrone, head of the Writers Guild of America West, will be facing a real challenge this July, as his union and its East Coast counterpart begin what are expected to be exceedingly difficult negotiations with the conglomerates that own the networks and studios. Whether the entertainment business continues to operate as usual over the next year will depend in no small part on how he handles the encounter. For all their complexity, Hollywood labor talks have often boiled down to issues of leadership. Since assuming the Writers Guild presidency 18 months ago, Mr. Verrone has made clear to the industry that he means to reverse trends that have weakened its traditionally strong union structure.
See "Writers Guild President Starts the Countdown Toward Contract?s End", Michael Cieply, The New York Times, April 10, 2007