Talks between members of the Writers Guild of America and major film and TV producers aimed at averting a May 1 strike kicked off Monday with both sides expressing satisfaction after the meeting concluded.

Meeting with reporters afterwards, WGA-West president John Wells said that he was "encouraged" by the discussions, calling them "constructive ... cordial and appropriate." He said that if the talks continue to proceed favorably, he would favor extending them past the two-week limit that the guild had originally insisted upon. "Nobody's going to walk away from the table if we've made some real progress," he remarked. Speaking for the producers, Disney president Robert Iger said, "Our team is prepared to spend whatever time it takes to reach an agreement, to keep our business working and to avoid a strike."

Source: Studio Briefing