( dpa )- Striking screenwriters look set to return to work Monday after union leaders recommended Saturday that they approve a deal hammered out with major studios and producers.
The three-month strike has caused havoc in Hollywood, scuttling production on most TV shows and films. But the end to the strike comes early enough to save the Oscar ceremony scheduled for February 24.
"While this agreement is neither perfect nor perhaps all that we deserve for the countless hours of hard work and sacrifice, our strike has been a success," leaders of the Writers Guild of America said in an email Saturday to their 10,500 striking members.
Depending on the reaction of members, the union board could order an end to the strike Sunday pending ratification of the deal.
"We believe that continuing the strike now will not bring sufficient gains to outweigh the potential risks, and that the time has come to accept this contract and settle the strike," union leaders wrote.
"This is an historic moment for labour in this country," said filmmaker Michael Moore, a member of the union. "To have the writers union stand up like we did, not give back a single thing and make them give - it was a really great moment to sit in there and listen to everything."
Terms of the agreement have not been released, but the writers are believed to have won their main demand: a share of the revenue when their work is distributed over digital media.