HOLLYWOOD - Beloved TV talk-show host David Letterman has won a major break in the ongoing writers strike--his entire staff has been given a waiver to return to work.
Letterman was among the late-night hosts who shelved his show when the strike began on Nov5. He continued to pay his staff out of his own pocket.
And his generosity appears to have won him favor among Writers Guild of America union bosses, who have given his writing staff permission to cross picket lines when his show returns on Jan. 2.
In a statement released on Friday, Letterman said, "I am grateful to the WGA for granting us this agreement. We're happy to be going back to work, and particularly pleased to be doing it with our writers."
The new deal will also mean writers for Craig Ferguson's show, which follows Letterman’s Late Show and is produced by Letterman, will also be able to return to work next week.
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