http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/business/la-fi-strike13feb13,0,2886229.story"It was a defining moment," said economist Harley Shaiken, a professor at UC Berkeley who specializes in labor issues. "It showed that a very disparate group of individuals could act with real solidarity -- and that packed real economic power."
The walkout, which began Nov. 5, proved to be far more economically damaging than the studios had expected, shutting down more than 60 TV shows, hampering ratings and depriving the networks of tens of millions in advertising dollars.
Labor experts said the crippling effect of the strike helped writers achieve gains they might not have otherwise attained.
The new contract gives them residual payments for shows streamed over the Internet and secures the union's jurisdiction for programming created for the Web.