As you know, I've been ill with bronchial flu and a fever but also reporting for days now that the informal talks have been productive and progressing. Now sources are telling me the WGA and moguls are at the point where they may reach a final settlement very soon after overcoming major hurdles. The New York Times is reporting this also and quotes sources saying "a tentative agreement" may come "as early as next week". This means a settlement to end the strike and put Hollywood back to work could also come soon enough to hold a real Oscars. As the news spread, cautious optimism spread, too.
2ND UPDATE: The Los Angeles Times reports that "Guild negotiators Young, Verrone and Bowman on Monday are expected to brief the union's 17-member negotiating committee and board of directors on the proposed contract."
UPDATE: United Hollywood, the unofficial website for WGA info, says: "UH has confirmed from off-the-record sources that progress is indeed being made in the informal talks, and that creative solutions to the biggest differences between the AMPTP and the WGA have gotten the tentative and cautious approval of both sides. This does not mean there is a deal in principle yet. It means we may, finally, be very close to one -- as close as days away. And while we're cautiously optimistic about what we're hearing, it comes with a real caveat. Just as happened with the DGA deal, points that are agreed to in informal negotiation can be thought of as points on a deal memo -- but it's the drafting language that comes from hammering out those points that makes them legally binding. And our sources say that draft language doesn't yet exist. That's a big part of what will be happening in the next few days, as negotiations continue. Until the WGA and the companies have enshrined the deal points -- whatever they are -- into real draft language, those deal points can't be thought of as final."
Please dont say that to loud look what happen in December. If there going to settle then lets do it. dont give people a big sigh then it breaks down again
Comment by margaretmaer — February 2, 2008 @ 12:40 pm
There was no information in today’s NYT story that wasn’t in Nikki’s post last night.
Nikki has owned this story from beginning to end (if this is indeed the end.)
Comment by a writer — February 2, 2008 @ 12:43 pm
I wouldn’t believe Mr. Cipely any further than I could throw Dave McNary and the trash he throws over at Variety.
Hope you are feeling better.
Comment by shortgirl — February 2, 2008 @ 12:55 pm
Oh, please, please, please let this be true!
Comment by Annie — February 2, 2008 @ 1:20 pm
The hell with the Oscars. Can the TV season be saved?
Comment by LOST Fan — February 2, 2008 @ 1:42 pm
United Hollywood has confirmed from their sources that things are going well. Have some hope already, killjoys.
Comment by Caitlin — February 2, 2008 @ 1:59 pm
I’ll address this to WGA member who mentioned the “Lucy with the football” scenario yet again.
Please shut the hell up! You’re a writer… not a negotiator.
You are either some hack looking for a reason not to write…. or you’re just praying for a superb deal that pays you to write the idiotic drivel that passes as television these days.
Comment by Barton Fink (no relation to Nikki) — February 2, 2008 @ 2:08 pm
Mr.Cieply wrote a completely biased article just days before (on the 31st) titled: “Recent Moves by Guild Leaders Rattle Writers’ Talks”
In that article Cieply stated how Phil Alden Robinson’s email to UnitedHollywood in which he called on writers to be tough and get a good deal, had somehow derailed the talks and possibly unfairly broken the news blackout agreement. Of course, Phil isn’t on the WGA negotiating committee and has been in none of the meetings so his letter is just another letter of support and solidarity, but it was portrayed very differently in the article.
And then Cieply went on to say how the WGA leadership shocked Les Moonves by planning to meet with Viacom investors to let them know how much the AMPTP’s failure to negotiate a reasonable deal has cost them. He of course failed to mention that the meeting was called off very publicly (headline in Variety the day before) as a gesture of good will by the writers. Of course, if he included the full story how would he make the writers look unreasonable?
So do take what Mr. Cieply says with that in mind. All these leaks of things going well would point to an upcoming leaving of the table once more by the studios (as always planned.) They can then blame the “unreasonable” WGA leadership for not taking the lowball offer.
Sorry to say, but they have absolutely no reason to leak such information otherwise.
Comment by George Glass — February 2, 2008 @ 2:10 pm
My God you people are the most pessimistic, sad, pathetic sounding people. It must really suck to be you.
Comment by Wow — February 2, 2008 @ 2:12 pm
Welcome back, Nikki.
Michael Cieply will repeat anything an authority figure tells him without even checking against another source. Never believe anything he says. The NYT public editor should investigate his terrible reporting on this strike. Nikki — you know this! Nothing is lost by casting a gimlet eye on this story.
Comment by A Strike Captain — February 2, 2008 @ 2:13 pm
The studios are going to offer crap, and then be “shocked” when the WGA doesn’t take it. They’ll then try to blame the WGA leadership for being inexperienced and unreasonable, unlike the brilliant leadership of the DGA (who of course could care less about new media residuals.) And lucky for the studios, hacks like Michael Cieply will help them get their spin out to the world.
Comment by Jenny C — February 2, 2008 @ 2:13 pm
Feel better Nikki Darlin’ –
That spoof was hysterical…
Bottom line here:
1) Writers will believe it when we see it and hear it from our Negs.
2) If the Moguls did not change EST Formulas from a flat rate to a decent percentage rate I doubt our Guys would accept it or even bring it to a vote…
3)SAG has now taken the lead on protecting both Guilds. Moguls know that and realize they can’t get away with their old tactics.
Comment by PJ- Writer — February 2, 2008 @ 2:18 pm
hey wga member - you’re a tool.
Comment by bo — February 2, 2008 @ 2:22 pm
From UH… interesting…
Thanks Nikki
“NY Times Reports Progress In Talks
As this is written, the WGA and AMPTP are still under a news blackout regarding the ongoing informal negotiations.
However, the NY Times just reported that “major roadblocks” have been gotten past in the negotiations, and progress will be swifter in the negotiations going forward — with an eye toward an agreement in principle coming out of negotiations fairly soon.
UH has confirmed from off-the-record sources that progress is indeed being made in the informal talks, and that creative solutions to the biggest differences between the AMPTP and the WGA have gotten the tentative and cautious approval of both sides.
This does not mean there is a deal in principle yet. It means we may, finally, be very close to one — as close as days away.
And while we’re cautiously optimistic about what we’re hearing, it comes with a real caveat.
Just as happened with the DGA deal, points that are agreed to in informal negotiation can be thought of as points on a deal memo — but it’s the drafting language that comes from hammering out those points that makes them legally binding. And our sources say that draft language doesn’t yet exist. That’s a big part of what will be happening in the next few days, as negotiations continue.
Until the WGA and the companies have enshrined the deal points — whatever they are — into real draft language, those deal points can’t be thought of as final.
The only reason we’ve gotten as far as we have in the negotiations is because the pressure has stayed on. If we let up on that pressure, even a little, it could affect the draft language of the agreement. It could, in a very real way, diminish the power of our negotiators and our Guild now, when it matters most.
Stay out there. Stay on the lines, stay informed. Stay strong. We’ll have more soon.”
Comment by PJ - Writer — February 2, 2008 @ 2:50 pm
Just because Ceiply wrote it doesn’t mean it’s not true. On the other hand…
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jonathan-tasini/is-michael-cieply-the-wor_b_83066.html
I’m thinking, like EVERYTHING in Hollywood, don’t buy the farm until the check clears. And we haven’t even SEEN a check yet…
Comment by Cieply Redux — February 2, 2008 @ 2:53 pm
Hope you’re feeling better, Nikki. Thanks for continuing to report.
Comment by Dave — February 2, 2008 @ 3:15 pm
This is great news. But do you think this means that the tv season could be saved?
p.s. thanks for updating Nikki. i hope you are feeling better!
Comment by Amanda — February 2, 2008 @ 3:34 pm
Dear Studio Shill “Wow” — thank you for confirming everyone’s suspicions that this is yet another studio trick. It doesn’t suck to be a successful creative figure in showbiz, it sucks to be a paid studio shill making $14.50 an hour to post false blog items on a Saturday.
Comment by You a loser! — February 2, 2008 @ 3:38 pm
So… people keep commenting about a post by “WGA member” that mentioned the Lucy and the football scenario, but apparently Nikki has deleted that post from the comments here. Nikki, if you’re interested in purging history Stalin-style, then at least cut out the comments where people call “WGA Member” a tool, etc, to cover your tracks!
Comment by Hope we're not Soveites — February 2, 2008 @ 3:44 pm
There sure are a lot of people getting upset simply because one “WGA Member” posted that we should take news reports with a grain of salt and that people shouldn’t get their hopes up.
Truth is, either they’re close to a deal or they’re not. Nothing we post here will change that. So it just seems to confirm other people’s suspicions that these name-callers are studio employees or their hired hands who are out to tarnish writers.
Comment by Why so angry? — February 2, 2008 @ 3:54 pm
Being cautious about good news at this point is only natural. Screaming about how the studios are surely going to screw the WGA with a lowball deal, or that the writers should shut up and take it shows a lack of respect and trust to the WGA negotiators who might just be able to puill off a good deal.
Calling each other names like studio shill or pathetic is just immature and does not help anyone. How about just waiting till Monday to hear what’s really happening before damning or praising?
Gotta have hope….
BTL 399
Comment by TranspoBill — February 2, 2008 @ 3:59 pm
“It doesn’t suck to be a successful creative figure in showbiz, it sucks to be a paid studio shill making $14.50 an hour to post false blog items on a Saturday.”
Ughhh… don’t you see it’s this very attitude that grates on everybody? $14.50/hour… this shows just how out of touch the writers are with people who are truly in need of financial help. $14.50/hour is great money compared to many many jobs. I know being a creative figure in showbiz (i.e. being responsible for three jokes a week on The Earl Show) is really amazing and does the world a lot of good that you should be overly compensated for… but you must understand that countless people think the vast majority of writers are complete hacks who are lucky to have jobs in the first place.
Comment by jesus — February 2, 2008 @ 4:00 pm
Dear Studio Shill “Wow” — thank you for confirming everyone’s suspicions that this is yet another studio trick. It doesn’t suck to be a successful creative figure in showbiz, it sucks to be a paid studio shill making $14.50 an hour to post false blog items on a Saturday.
Dear You A Loser!
To whom exactly are you going to direct your paranoid, delusional vitriol to when the strike ends within the next two weeks?
Just curious.
Comment by Welcome to Hollywood — February 2, 2008 @ 4:06 pm
If you guys don’t mind, I’ll be optimistic about this. I don’t think it’s exactly the same situation as last time, because the DGA deal, the Oscars, and force majeure has changed the landscape from when last we were at this point and the AMPTP weasels walked away. I think there is actual incentive for the studios to get this done and get it done soon.
Comment by Bartleby — February 2, 2008 @ 4:11 pm
Good news!!!
But, being a feature film writer… I could care less if the TV season is saved or not. It’s crap anyway and partly responsible for our lack of leverage in this strike. BAD TV is not worth saving… the public knows it and so do the moguls. Those network “writers” need to create something of substance like Showtime’s “Dexter” or HBO’s “Entourage”.
When this strike ends… it’s time for the feature film writers to seriously consider forming their own union in the near future.
Comment by Feature Film Writer — February 2, 2008 @ 4:11 pm
WOW: “My God you people are the most pessimistic, sad, pathetic sounding people. It must really suck to be you.
Comment by Wow”
Is it pessimism or realism? You know what it REALLY must suck to be? It must suck to be someone who has to denigrate a REASONABLY skeptical audience’s opinions just because you don’t like them. If you knew ANYTHING about the dynamics at play here, you would understand the skepticism, not attacking it.
And to “You a loser” — calling “WOW” a studio shill is baseless. Why can’t he just be a fool?
Comment by wow to WOW — February 2, 2008 @ 4:19 pm
Dear Jesus, you wrote: ” $14.50/hour… this shows just how out of touch the writers are with people who are truly in need of financial help. $14.50/hour is great money compared to many many jobs.”
Really? One writer’s comment mocking $14.50 shows how “out of touch the writers are”?
Is that how it works? Really? Thank for the lesson in how to over-generalize.
So I guess your post means that all people who don’t support the writers are morons then?
Is that how it works?
Comment by jesus lover — February 2, 2008 @ 4:22 pm
I’ll post anti-WGA comment for $13.75/hour. Who wants me?
Comment by Viewer — February 2, 2008 @ 4:24 pm
Again, patience.
Let the negotiators do their job as the WGA and SAG (my guild) keep up the pressure.
When a tentative agreement is reached and the WGA membership has a chance to check it out, THEN let the debate over ratification begin.
Until then, best to take any rumors about the status of the talks with a mine of salt.
Comment by mheister — February 2, 2008 @ 4:29 pm
Feature Film Writer wrote:
“being a feature film writer… I could care less if the TV season is saved or not. It’s crap anyway and partly responsible for our lack of leverage in this strike.”
Yeah, but “White Chicks” is literature.
What a self-righteous asshole.
Comment by Television writer — February 2, 2008 @ 4:32 pm
Ordinarily I would mistrust anything “reported” by Cieply, but the combo of UH’s remarks, with AP and Reuters both reporting progress as well, at least has me hopeful that we might be looking at some kind of a pre-talk preliminary understanding.
If it is a crappy AMPTP negotiating tactic, well - fine. Nothing those crazy bananoos folks at the AMPTP do would be surprising, and it won’t break the WGA’s resolve. We’ll chalk it up to “nice try, but no cigar.”
I’m still keeping on with my strike-work ’til someone officially speaking for the strike tells me to stop.
Comment by QuoterGal — February 2, 2008 @ 4:33 pm
I just have two points to make…
1. No waiver for the Oscars until a real deal is in place.
2. The AMPTP and the WGA have to realize that they need each other, and if the film industry is to survive in the face of competition from new media (video games, internet) they have to make their relationship collaborative instead of adversarial.
That’s my two cents.
Comment by Furious D — February 2, 2008 @ 4:35 pm
The studio shills are now taking the name “Jesus”? That’s offensive. Talk about a Messiah Complex.
Comment by tone down the rhetoric — February 2, 2008 @ 4:40 pm
Since Nikki inadvertenly deleted my earlier post that everyone keeps referring to, here it is again:
Rembember, fellow writers, just because Nikki says it’s not Lucy with the football again doesn’t mean it’s not Lucy with the football again.
The New York Times’s Michael Cieply is the same hack who wrote that nasty piece about Verrone and Young that for some reason known only to God and Bill Keller wound up on the front page above the fold.
This not only could be a way to raise our hopes and dash them again, but rather to raise our hopes so that it would bring pressure on the WGA leadership to not reject the studios’ “best and final offer.”
It’s certainly not out of the question that the studios would do this via the Times, especially since we essentially did the same thing last week via that SAG letter.
Particulaly suspcious about the article is its mention of reaching a deal without the need for formal negotiations, with the details to be addressed later. This could very well be a way for the studios to ensure that the Oscars happens, and then come Feb 25th they will say, “No, that’s not what we agreed to,” and the whole “deal” will collapse.
Think of the way the CEO’s have conducted this whole affair, and filter any rumors through that muck.
Comment by WGA member — February 2, 2008 @ 4:43 pm
Come on, “Feature Film Writer”…sure there are some crappy TV shows. There are also some crappy movies. I’m pretty sure the ratio is about the same in either medium. Why post just to disparage other writers?
Judging from the tight crevice your head seems to be wedged into, I’m wondering how you manage to see your keyboard.
Comment by cpo snarky — February 2, 2008 @ 4:46 pm
Nikki,
Thanks for all your information, you have been ahead of the game since day 1.
Feel better soon, take it easy, and get plenty of rest.
I won’t get my hopes up, just to have them dashed again. So I will wait and see. Hopefully everyone can go back to work soon.
Comment by TV Fan — February 2, 2008 @ 4:58 pm
Why all the name calling? We’re all adults.
Comment by Kelly Anne — February 2, 2008 @ 5:10 pm
The level of discourse on this site is wonderful. Firstly, we don’t know that Nikki’s or UH’s or NYT’s sources are on the studios’ side. What if it came from WGA negotiators or WGA people who were in the room? Some people say, why would anybody but the AMPTP leak this information? Well, maybe some of the WGAs in the room hear some of the pessimism and want to give out a glimmer of hope. I’m not saying this is what happened but it’s possible.
Also, it just doesn’t seem like something the studios would do at this point. Outside influences like the WGA breaking off the meeting with market analysts would seem to point towards progress being made. If it was going south, I wouldn’t expect the leadership now to do that. Also the fact that UH (a much more hardline site) posted this is encouraging. And remember, Nikki called it first before the Moguls broke off talks in December. She was optimistic at first but slowly that faded into announcing that the Studios planned to break off talks a day or two before they did.
All I’m saying is that while we shouldn’t buy the farm before the check clears (or we see the check), we should at least wait and see what’s on the check before we rip it up. Maybe the Studios are just screwing with you guys but I honestly don’t see a good reason for them to do so at this point. I don’t think they want to wait until June to settle this.
Comment by freelance worker bee — February 2, 2008 @ 5:14 pm
Feature Film Writer,
Have you seen Norbit or Captivity? Go ahead and start your own union. Good luck with that.
Comment by Guild Guy — February 2, 2008 @ 5:24 pm
i just hope that the brilliant and compassionate Verrone and Young let the writers return to work while the contract is being drawn up. If not, that could mean completing one LESS episode and take an additional two weeks of pay out of everyone’s pocket.
The sooner the better.
Comment by get real — February 2, 2008 @ 5:29 pm
A scoop for you Nikster - “Guild negotiators David Young, Patric M. Verrone and John Bowman are scheduled to brief the union’s negotiating committee on the proposed deal Monday.”
You’ll have to hurry though if you want to call it an exclusive as it has been up on the LAT since around four.
Comment by AW — February 2, 2008 @ 5:30 pm
I’m going to be optimistic about this, for once.
Tentative deal points leading to legal discussion is far more than we’ve heard in a long while.
I’ll join the wait and see club.
Comment by Finally! — February 2, 2008 @ 5:32 pm
NBC Nightly news just reported the deal is done and will be shown to the membership on Monday.
Comment by cmf — February 2, 2008 @ 5:36 pm
Hope it’s coming to an end. Hope everyone involved, the entire industry, benefits. Hope feature writer fellow, he of the deriding posting, never has to work on a Martin Lawrence picture. Seriously,
thanks Nikki Finke. I’m an east coaster, new to the guild, tv and features, (yes, Virginia, I believe there is possibility for quality in both) and your blog has been an eye opener to an industry I’m just becoming involved with (weird timing, eh?) Sorry you’ve been ill, glad you’re feeling better. And, oh yeah, to all the underdogs everywhere - GO GIANTS!!!
Comment by L'Atlante — February 2, 2008 @ 5:38 pm
thanks for keeping on top of this even as you lay ill in your sick bed, nikki.
i’m not feelin’ so good myself.
Comment by skippy — February 2, 2008 @ 5:40 pm
So does this spell the end for Nick Counter, that little limp dick who couldn’t get the job done for the studios? Turns out Nick was just a little china doll who cracked when big bad Dave Young wouldn’t let him have more chairs.
Glad mommy Iger and daddy Chernin finally took over and sent big bad Nick to his room with no supper, for this was not a job for children.
Comment by Nick we hardly knew ye — February 2, 2008 @ 5:44 pm
“Feature Film Writer”
What a clown. Great name, too. “Feature Film Writer”. I’ll bet it says that on your license plate. Clown.
Hope we’re all back soon.
Comment by me, man. Me — February 2, 2008 @ 5:51 pm
Blah Blah Blah! Will they get the talks over with already, sign a deal and let all of us get back to work?
Comment by matt — February 2, 2008 @ 5:54 pm
Wait, wait…Entourage is a ’show of substance’??
Comment by AJW — February 2, 2008 @ 5:57 pm
I don’t care if they give the WGA double what they’re asking for. I really want the Oscars to be canceled. I want Gil Cates to sit home twiddling his thumbs til next year. You know, the only reason he directs an awards show is because he couldn’t make it as a real director. That failure is who represents the DGA. What a joke.
Comment by feeling sinister — February 2, 2008 @ 6:16 pm
OK…call me an optimist, I’m buying a bottle of champagne tomorrow–just in case.
The AMPTP is faced with losing the Oscars (at least in its most profitable format), a militant SAG, possible Congressional investigation, no pilot season, and have already cut ties to development deals they had felt buyers remorse over. I can see no (logical) reason for them to drag out a strike that will only insure a bigger travesty come summer.
So I’ll buy my champagne, and hope I drink it sooner rather than later.
Comment by MT — February 2, 2008 @ 6:23 pm
Whoa, hey, keep it cool my damies. Keep it cool.
Comment by Mike — February 2, 2008 @ 6:54 pm
The deal is practically done, the framework is now in place and you all have the upcoming Oscars to thank for it. The moguls are terrified of picketers in front of the red carpet but they also know the writers are desperate to go back to work so the Oscars were used as a convenient and timely goal to force a deal.
But how many writing deals were force-majeured into oblivion? How many will ever be reinstated? Not very many that’s for sure. To all those writers who lost their cushy deals, what did you think was going to happen? Oh that’s right you didn’t think it would happen to you. Your agent told you you’d survive.
You were special. You were unique. You were so talented that the studio couldn’t possibly afford to get rid of your deal right? Now you know how all those laid off from this strike feel. Serves you right.
The strike has been a huge benefit for the studios and networks. They have been able to get rid of dozens of these writers deals that were wasting money and producing nothing of value. They are making more from their stupid reality shows which are getting better ratings.
Turns out Gavin Polone was right about pretty much everything all along. I’d give him a 90% accuracy in prediction rating for his posts on here. He’s still a jerk and a schmuck and an untalented egomaniac but his batting average was pretty good here.
I’ve also noticed the numbers dwindling in front of all the studios. The first month the sidewalks were crowded. For the last month they have been a joke. Where is everyone? Clearly they are staying home. Why? Who is picketing and who is staying home?
The moral of this story is the lousy timing of it. And the lack of real courage on the part of the Guild. They were afraid to ask for more than pennies so that’s all they’ll get. No one has the guts or the financial wherewithal to stay out on strike for one year which is what will be required to get real profits from the internet and from dvd sales.
As an honest observer I have to give the win to the studios and networks on this. They will continue to make their billions and the writers will continue to get crumbs from the table. Business as usual. Better luck next time writers. Your minimal gains this time will look like crap very soon.
The money you’ve lost picketing will never be made back. No matter how much the Guild thinks they will “gain from this deal” the reality is they are still getting pennies. They don’t have the courage needed to get real money and they don’t have the ability to stay on the sidewalks for as long as is necessary to get actual dollars.
Comment by Anonymous — February 2, 2008 @ 7:00 pm
Personally, WGA Member is right on these talks. There is no way that they are tackling the big issues right now. That is unless if John Wells is running things and is convincing the WGA board to drop issues left and right just so that he can end ER with a splashy 3-hour send-off. Fortunately, I think this “deal” will likely not make it past the board of directors and the only vote that should be coming up for you in the next few weeks is whether to expel John Wells from the Guild. His name has been coming up in the past few weeks and there is no way that he should be running things unless you want a deal with so many lowball concessions that it makes the DGA deal look good.
Comment by Jessy S. — February 2, 2008 @ 7:05 pm
A friend and I were watching the democratic debate from the Kodak the other night. She suggested there were enough celebrities in the audience, the Academy should have brought the statues and given out the Oscars, since everybody was there anyway.
We also tried to envision the dual Oscar plans, A and B. Um…astroturf instead of a red carpet???
I don’t give a hoot about the Oscars. I just want to see everyone back at work and original TV programming.
Comment by WGA vet — February 2, 2008 @ 7:23 pm
Please feel better soon Nikki. Thanks for the hard work. We’re all a little frazzled at this point, what about a collective deep breath?
Mark Malone
Comment by Mark Maloneone — February 2, 2008 @ 7:26 pm
I understand all you writers who think this could be another bait and switch tactic, but I have to say, as an outside observer (I work in the web world, but have been following this strike with great interest — not only because I strongly support the WGA like most Americans but because I work in an industry which may well become increasingly involved with you guys going forward) … from my perspective it looks to me like this is a very different situation than happened last time. It seems to me the overall situation is fairly clear: the AMPTP clearly wanted a strike, and they thought they could outlast you guys. They thought the public wasn’t going to care, they thought it would be an internal dispute that wouldn’t galvanize the writers and wouldn’t gain such support from the actors and from the general public. They thought that they’d starve the writers for a certain amount of time by taking positions that were clearly absurd, and they thought you’d cave. They thought that the Internet is such a huge new opportunity that it was worth sacrificing a couple of months to secure an unfair deal in their favor, and after pushing hard enough they would have cowed you guys into settling for something much less than you should.
Well, I think they’ve been proven wrong on nearly every count. I think the AMPTP miscalculated big time. I think they were taken by surprise by the tremendous support for the WGA coming from actors, showrunners, directors, and the general public. I have to say that on my side I was shocked at the tactics of the AMPTP — it was beyond the pale. I think the AMPTP thought they could bamboozle people with PR — it didn’t work, and it was never going to work.
After months of this, after the Golden Globes crashed and burned (not only because the WGA didn’t grant a waiver — but more importantly because the actors and agents said they weren’t going to cross the picket lines), after it looked quite clear that the WGA was damn serious, that the AMPTP was looking worse and worse in the eyes of nearly everyone, AND last, but perhaps not least, because the strike was causing a hell of a lot of companies to bail on the AMPTP and sign their own deals (not to mention new money coming in to promise writers a fair deal working for entities who weren’t members of the AMPTP) — potentially rendering the AMPTP irrelevant in the long run — I think the companies finally have realized that time is NOT on their side. The longer this goes on, the worse it is going to be — not for the WGA, but for THEM. And I think they have every reason to want to sign a deal before it gets even worse.
So — yeah, maybe I’m wrong, maybe the strike will still be going on a month from now … but I don’t think so. As an outside observer, that’s how it looks to me. I think you guys really may well have reason to be optimistic.
Comment by Reasonable Optimist — February 2, 2008 @ 7:36 pm
Thats it, panic.
LMFAO!
PC
Comment by PubliusClodius — February 2, 2008 @ 7:38 pm
Remember, fellow writers, just because Nikki says it’s not Lucy with the football again doesn’t mean it’s not Lucy with the football again.
And a piano could fall from the sky and land on top of your car next time you leave the house.
As Emerson said: That which we think all day is the world we live in. Fear, worry, speculation . . . it’s all so boring and trivial. Besides, you’re a writer, no? Take a risk or two. I.e., Grow some balls . . .
Comment by game over — February 2, 2008 @ 7:39 pm
first of all, the ratification vote takes place months before the language of the deal is negotiated. for instance, dga members have already gotten the ratification ballot for their deal. get it? it’s over. and the end of the strike has nothing to do with the fact that 800 of the biggest idiots among you are still ‘on the line.’ it’s because people who actually care about the business finally put enough pressure on verrone and young et al that they had to make a realistic deal. after all, as someone more articulate than myself pointed out, there’s the deal you think you deserve and there’s the deal you can actually get. the legacy of this strike for television is fewer pilots, no more overall deals, smaller staffs. anotherwords, less work the very middle class writers we were lead to believe this strike was for. walk up. it’s over. and none too soon.
Comment by Anonymous — February 2, 2008 @ 8:07 pm
I just hope they get a deal fast so Nikki will stop bitching about being sick.
Comment by Alex — February 2, 2008 @ 8:33 pm
Anybody else notice that nobody is posting under real names here any more? I am a journalist turned TV/screenwriter and now a strike captain in the East and I am trying to buck the trend (please be kind).
I know this much is true: anyone leaking information to Nikki, or Michael Cieply, or anyone is guilty of violating the media blackout. They might just really want to be the Selfless Citizen (or Important Source) who Gets The Real News Out First, but my experience as a journalist tells me that — even if they DO have the insider information they claim — they have an AGENDA.
To me the situation is simple: You can’t be “almost” settled, any more than a woman can be “almost” pregnant. And dangling these kinds of rumors may get some people’s hopes up to make them more desperate to settle. That is at least one agenda here. Especially with stories like the LA TImes’ focusing on below-the-line workers’ anger.
If anything has been consistent during the strike, it has been the efforts to divide and conquer the guild. And the way the press works, they’re excited by squabbles, so they will publish an op-ed by a one-man political party ( John Ridley), or pick up on an email from John Wells and turn it into an official reaction to try to stir the pot. This site, for all its intentions, has also fomented flaming and bitchiness, much of it under the cloak of anonymity. And it was, conveniently or not, on hiatus when the plan went down that everyone predicted — the quick deal with the nonstriking DGA as a slap in the face to those of us on the picket lines.
The United Hollywood site has provided writers a forum to voice their support when rumors of schisms were touted, and to voice honest caution in the face of rampant email, blog, and even print journalism all rushing to be the first to say the deal is done.
I am certainly not in favor of anyone being out of work any longer, but it would be asinine and suicidal for the writers to now explode their just quest for a fair deal thanks to some mind-fuck of an endgame.
Comment by David Handelman — February 2, 2008 @ 8:36 pm
Just returned from the PGA awards where the buzz was that the strike had been settled. The buzz was loud enough for Dick Wolf to announce it from the stage
Comment by holes in my soles — February 2, 2008 @ 8:39 pm
Something else I just love about the people on this site, anyone that has a different opinion is a “shill.” Right. I’m 25 and live in Dallas and just want the rest of the Lost season and to see Scrubs get a proper finale. I don’t have one side or the other in this strike all though I am typically anti-union.
My comment was in regards to your attitudes. I personally could not get through life being as negative as most of you people are. But maybe I’m just overly optimistic about the world and life in general.
Of course now here comes even more responses about how I’m a shill and can’t actually have my own opinion.
Comment by Wow — February 2, 2008 @ 9:00 pm
Feature Film Writer is anything but. I wouldn’t waste another word responding to him/her. That is all.
Comment by Skull Leader — February 2, 2008 @ 9:13 pm
I will be happy to work again, but will miss getting to know my fellow writers on the picket line. (Okay, I don’t get out much) Some of you are famous in the writing world, most are not, but all of your faces became familiar and I developed a deep and lasting respect for each of you.
All you young, up coming writers, thank the older writers who have picketed before you! I know I did while walking beside the people who walked before me.
Comment by United — February 2, 2008 @ 9:23 pm
We’re all tired, frustrated and even a little scared. We need to just relax, take a deep breath and as the old saying goes, hope for the best, prepare for the worst. Look, no matter what you hear, we do know that talks are continuing and the actual CEO are in the room. That’s reason enough to stay positive.
Hang tough.
Comment by coolhead — February 2, 2008 @ 9:36 pm
Are you reading ALL the posts, Wow? ONE person called you a shill. Just one. I took the time to point out that there was no evidence of you being a shill. A fool maybe. But not a shill.
However, I SHOULD have called you a HYPOCRITE. You come on here and condemn negativity while at the same time writing: “My God you people are the most pessimistic, sad, pathetic sounding people. It must really suck to be you.”
Well, golly geepers! Thanks for such a positive, constructive post! You sure are a little bit of cyber sunshine.
And then you do it again!
WOW WROTE: “I personally could not get through life being as negative as most of you people are.”
Fine. That’s you. We are not you. A writer’s attitude is a writer’s attitude. I’m sorry you don’t like it. I’m sorry you couldn’t get through life with it. I’m also sorry that you live in denial about who YOU are.
Optimistic people do not come on bulletin boards read by striking writers during a VERY difficult time and insult them and mock their WELL-EARNED pessimism.
Do you show up at funerals and mock people’s pain? WTF are you doing here? Right, offering your opinion - uninformed as it is.
Comment by WOW to WOW — February 2, 2008 @ 10:29 pm
Wow -
” I personally could not get through life being as negative as most of you people are. But maybe I’m just overly optimistic about the world and life in general.”
Sorry that you’re missing Scrubs. I can’t imagine how hard that is on you.
Try being on strike battling for your family’s futures against corporations that don’t care about fairness and honor or your family’s futures.
it will cure you of your pesky optimism.
Comment by Satto — February 2, 2008 @ 10:50 pm
Okay, now I finally believe that a deal may be at hand, because for the first time the studios have their paid shills like “Anonymous” already posting about what a good deal it is and trying to convince the rank and file writers to accept it. Check out what “Anonymous” wrote:
” the legacy of this strike for television is fewer pilots, no more overall deals, smaller staffs. anotherwords, less work the very middle class writers we were lead to believe this strike was for. walk up. it’s over. and none too soon.”
First of all, it’s “in other words” not “anotherwords” you uneducated moron. Second, everyone who’s ever worked in show business knows that anyone with an overall deal is NOT a “middle class writer.” Anotherwords, it’s clear you are some retarded inside-the-Beltway import rounded up by the studios’ consultants to post your semi-literate nonsense here, and not anyone who knows anything about something.
Comment by Sick of shills — February 2, 2008 @ 10:57 pm
I’m excited to hear the strike is almost over. I really hope it ends soon, so I can just go back to being unemployed.
Comment by Jay Walker — February 2, 2008 @ 11:10 pm
Game Over, Anonymous, Wow and others are all paid studio shills. Trust me, a “25 year old fan in Dallas” doesn’t give a shit or have a big enough dog in this fight to get so vitriolic.
Also, Game Over gives it away by his name. Every WGA member needs to seriously think about this: Why would someone choose that name? Who would be so convinced it’s over to call themselves that?
Every writer I know wants the strike to be over — provided the deal seems worth having struck. But the shills on this board, who were told to get out in force tonight, make it clear that there is no deal to be had here, or if it is it’s a bad one that the studios are trying to build pressure for us to take by leaking to every major outlet in the country.
We are being spun and played here. There is no other explanation for it. I have been saddened by how naive some of my fellow writers have been during this strike so I need to emphasize in the strongest terms possible: consider the agenda of what “Game Over” and “Anonymous” have to say? It is all to beat you into submission.
Look at Anonymous’s claim that Gavin Palone was 90 percent right. Gavin Palone was 90 percent wrong! He said we would get a worse deal by striking. Even if we took the DGA deal as is, that is a much better deal than we ever would have got without striking. It is only through our strike that the DGA got that deal and only through our perseverance that we will eventually get even more.
Not only that, but Anonymous is full of other outright lies. He says there’s no one on the picket lines any more. I went to both Fox and Paramount last week. There were just as many people there as there were during the first few weeks of the strike — in other words, tons. It’s pretty clear Anonymous didn’t try to find a parking spot around Paramount last week!
We are being spoonfed bullshit by professionals. Don’t accept it. Open your eyes. These people were liars and scum before the strike, they are liars and scum during the strike, and they will be long after it’s over.
If there really was a good deal, the studio chiefs would wait and announce it jointly, like they did with the WGA. Instead they are setting us up like they did back in December, and you people are falling for the same trick twice.
Comment by Anti-anonymous — February 2, 2008 @ 11:11 pm
David Handelman, great post.
Yes, this kind of leak, obviously on the AMPTP side, is irresponsible, especially since it’s all over the big (AMPTP?) media outlets. It favors the AMPTP to pressure WGA members into voting for whatever the deal is.
You can feel the pressure already. If WGA members vote this down they become the bad guys. These are the kind of babies the AMPTP people are.
Comment by Jon Raymond — February 2, 2008 @ 11:27 pm
Hi. I’m a paid shill. But I’m posting this comment on my own dime. Why? Because I want all you whiny WGA writers to take a moment and stop and consider the fact that maybe all these people like “Game Over” and “Anonymous” and “Feature Film Writer” who by all appearances are my fellow paid shills are actually some of those 30 “moderate” writers who threatened to cross the picket line if Verrone didn’t take the DGA pact.
You see, while I may be a paid shill, I DO have some pride, as opposed to these 30 “moderate” writers — wait, I should probably put the quotes around the “30″ and not the “moderate” because I’m skeptical that there’s really more than a dozen of these prima donnas out there.
We, as paid shills, are only willing to stoop so low. For us it is about compensation, and while I admit we aren’t the most moral beings I’ve come across, I assure you that we are not the type to sell out our own the way these moderate traitors were so eager to do.
I suspect, as do my fellow shills, that these moderate pussies are flooding this and other blogs with their “Game Over”-type comments in order to turn whatever deal might emerge into a done deal. Because the thing you need to keep in mind about these turncoats is that they care nothing about future generations of writers, they care nothing about the previous writers who suffered in order to give you a pension and residuals and health insurance, rather all they care about is themselves. They are for the most part wealthy, and yet they are so upset about the prospect of losing a penny that they foam at the mouth about not being able to cross the line and work. So much so that they threaten to go back in to work if no deal is reached this month.
So before you get all high and mighty about us paid shills, please remember, we are mere mercenaries, not traitors. The traitors come from within.
Comment by Paid Shill — February 2, 2008 @ 11:31 pm
Would everyone who’s getting so excited please remember that the CEO’s are furious with Verrone and Young for having the gaul to challenge them? The CEO’s are in the process of teaching them a lesson and you are all the volunteers from the studio audience being brought in to participate in this lesson.
Do you really think the CEO’s are going to let a couple of “outsider” punks give them an ass-whoopin’? These are people incapable of love and lacking all humanity — all they have is their “tough guy” images. Do you really think they’re going to let those images be shattered and be forever known as the CEO’s who caved and were brought to their knees by a lowly union?
This is three-card monte and you are the mark.
Comment by Wake up fellow writers! — February 2, 2008 @ 11:46 pm
I guess the asshole who is posting as “Anonymous” will be getting back to work now serving coffee in that sad little shop where John Ridley will be dining all alone for the rest of his life. The two were made for each other.
Comment by anotherWGAmember — February 2, 2008 @ 11:48 pm
1) Gavin Palone was no psychic. My production crew predicted the same result back in October.
2) Handleman, you give the AMPTP too much credit and the WGA too little scrutiny. The plain fact is, the leasership made serious miscalculations and mistakes. The showrunner walk-out fiasco, the lack of any plan to deal with the DGA brokering a deal before us, the “clock stops” health care blunder. A lot of the internal discord was genuine and not instigated by outside agents.
3) Feature Writer — you go ahead and start that feature writer union. Next time you want to strike, see how much leverage feature writers generate when they go “pencils down.” Then again, you may be the sort of writer who can afford to strike for 20 months.
Comment by Al Manheim — February 3, 2008 @ 1:07 am
While everyone can agree progress is good, I am a bit cautiously optimistic. All that has been said over the past week or so is “progress is being made and a deal is almost done.” Well, so far the strike has been on for 91 days and nothing. What’s going on in that negotiating room? What makes everyone think there’s progress. It doesn’t seem like there is any.
Comment by Frank Uslan Charlie Kartler — February 3, 2008 @ 5:19 am
Of course the deal is done.
I had my pilot deal terminated last week.
They’re sweeping their tables clear, saving what money they can before announcing.
Question is, will the Guild be there to protect those of us who lost what amounts to a years income?
I’m guessing we’re on our own on this one.
Comment by very angry — February 3, 2008 @ 5:19 am
Holy smokes, Finke, I see the last post was at 1:07AM. No wonder you’re sick. Go to bed. This isn’t an actual war. It’s a writers strike on Hollywood, not an air strike.
Comment by Shazam! — February 3, 2008 @ 5:55 am
Let’s go back to work.
Comment by Punch-Up — February 3, 2008 @ 6:03 am
Dear Feature Film Writer -
Unless you wrote “No Country For Old Men”, I wouldn’t get too smug about how much better movies are than t.v.
At least we t.v. writers write for adult 18-49. You guys are writing garbage for teenagers 12-stupid.
I’d be more than happy to be in a separate union than you, though. But if you wrote “No Country”, please disregard.
Oh, and by the way…? “Entourage” is not substantive - it’s fluff for horny movie writers who never got any and who wish they were stars instead of writers so they could finally get some.
OK - that’s pretty much it.
Comment by brian — February 3, 2008 @ 6:18 am
What is it with some of you writers? Why can’t you just wait for official word from the WGA rather than believing every so called news story that seems to gather a life of it’s own? Your leadership said that there is a news blackout and when there is something to report they will make an announcement.
There are a couple of things that are out of sorts with this story though, that the WGA leadership are going to brief the negotiating committee? Wouldn’t one expect that to be the other way around if the deal were anywhere near complete? Jumping directly from informal talks to a deal. Just seems suspicious, one would expect to go from informal talks to formal negotiations.
On the positive side though there is the fact that not only is this being reported in the press, but there are links to the story from the WGA page itself, and on United Hollywood. One would expect if there were no truth to it, the WGA would not link to such a story.
Then of course there is no immediate denial either. Of course surely we all remember that certain bloggers (cough) reported the week before talks broke down, that a deal was done and all that had to happen was to put it on paper. (cough Nikki) And a week later the AMPTP walked away from the table.
But speculation is fun isn’t it? Still, until I hear from both parties that a deal is imminent, I won’t hold my breath. You all realize this whole story stems from a single reporter at the NY Times quoting an unnamed source? Right?
Comment by Chips Down — February 3, 2008 @ 6:40 am
I think that Gavin Polone was actually correct in a lot of ways. Yes, the writers will get a better deal than the previous one as far as residuals, but they seem to have hurt themselves, and many many others in the long run. As someone else pointed out, the major result of this strike on the TV side is less pilots, less overalls deals and smaller staffs. That translates to less jobs for not only writers, but everyone else. So yes, you writers got your residuals, which for those writers who don’t write shows or films that are major hits, will amount to far less than the security, or at least hope for, of being constantly employed. With less pilots and overall deals, the writers have hurt themselves. And, I think the producers now only have contempt for the writers and have used this opportunity to completely change the paradigm of the industry. If writers have any hopes of making real money, they better learn to produce, act, direct or finance. At the end of the day, the writers will walk about with a new contract, but the producers will walk away with the victory and I know of many non-writers and non-producers that are angry at writers for taking such extreme cautions in striking. A moral victory only goes so far and it certainly doesn’t pay for food or shelter.
Comment by frustrated19 — February 3, 2008 @ 6:56 am
“Al Manheim” is a great pseudonym. Look it up, people. Still, I don’t know about any “showrunner walk out fiasco” that he mentions. Also, why don’t we wait and see what the deal *is* before we decide whether Gavin P.–or anyone– was right.
One of the biggest losers in this strike is The New York Times. Cieply’s god-awful coverage will forever taint my reading of that newspaper. It was once the paper of record. Now it’s the paper of Bill Kristol, Judith Miller and Michael Cieply. I’ll still read the book section but I’ll take everything I read with a heaping teaspoon of of salt.
Comment by a writer — February 3, 2008 @ 6:59 am
I so hope this news is true! This strike needs to end NOW!
So many below the line people are suffering from all of this. The people that devote 15 hours a day, day after day, to helping make a project are suffering the most.
Many are already losing their medical insurance, pension points and now people are losing their homes.
As a Below the Line person myself, I am sure that this news comes as a great relief to those drivers, grips, electricians, props, hairdressers, make-up, wardrobe, P.A.’s, A.D.’s, Craft Service, Stand-Ins, Background Actors, Set Dressers, Construction, Camera crew, Sound crew and everyone else that has been affected deeply in this town by this strike.
Let the strike end now and let SAG make a deal next! Let’s get this town back to work!
Comment by Cassie — February 3, 2008 @ 7:48 am
To “Al Mahneim Glick” and his “production crew”:
1) Gavin Palone said we wouldn’t get a better deal by striking, a ludicrous comment that has already been proven wrong even if we took the DGA deal as is. He also said our maximum amount of leverage was BEFORE we struck. Seems to me that bringing all television and film production to a halt, as well as causing the demise of the Golden Globes and having the obvious ability to do the same to the Oscars should we choose, is what brought the CEO’s to their knees this week. Your “production” crew probably had the Cowboys in the Super Bowl also.
2) The showrunner walkout was a fiasco???? Excuse me sir, but the showrunner walkout is what made the strike a success. We SHUT DOWN television production completely. It was SHUT DOWN. These companies are in the TV business — hence no TV, no business. Maybe you are looking at it as a fiasco because your “production crew” lost work. We are sorry for any below-the-lines or others who lost work, but it was the studios who walked away on December 7th and did not come back till last week. It was the studios who made the decision to wait and bargain with the DGA first, not us.
As for your claim that the WGA leadership had no plan to deal with the DGA reaching a deal before us, that is just wrong. The leadership told us from day one that the DGA would reach a shitty deal first and the WGA plan was to remain firm (along with SAG) and insist on a deal that is acceptable TO US. And that is exactly what happened.
3) Don’t waste your time with “Feature Writer” as he is just a paid shill spewing nonsense on behalf of the studios.
Comment by Clever pseudonym — February 3, 2008 @ 8:10 am
Wow! reading all these comments this morning I couldn’t help noticing that:
AMPTP, Jerks that they are, are not going to negotiate a fair deal….”The sky is falling….the sky is falling!”
AMPTP/WGA on the verge of making a deal………………”The sky is falling….the sky is falling!”
Comment by independant producer — February 3, 2008 @ 8:25 am
Thank god this is almost over. I want to get back to work and stop reading the freakishly hysterical comments from WGA supporters on here. Then again, regardless of what the deal is, I’m sure a significant portion of you will still complain.
On another note, what the heck is ‘bronchial flu’ anyway? I don’t think there is such a thing…
Comment by Edward Lewis — February 3, 2008 @ 8:30 am
The result of the strike for me: I hate writers.
I didn’t before the strike… Well, I did shortly before, when I heard some writers start saying that crap about how it all starts with the word/script/story or whatever.
This is not like writing a novel where you can sit in your house for a few years or months (if you’re a hack) and get something out into the publishing world with little initial investment.
The truth is, while the AMPTP may have been behaving badly themselves, writers need to realize that in this business it all starts with the money. Without money none of us work.
I’m sick of the arrogance. I’m sick of people being called shills if they express views contrary to the ditto-head views I read on this board. I’m sick of Nikki siding entirely with the writers (and as a consequence rarely including my posts). I’m sick of all of it.
Most especially I’m sick of being out of work.
Remember what the Stones say: “You can’t always get what you want…”
I hope you “get what you need” and we can get on with OUR lives.
I can’t wait to see your next script that some director or editor will have to rescue!
Comment by btl who's bored with y'all — February 3, 2008 @ 8:42 am
TO Anti-anonymous
Typical response. Can’t you be more original? And you call yourself a writer?
I am a visual effects artist for film and television. I would be glad to meet you in person and give you my card so I can tell you directly what I think of you and your strike. Over on Scribe Vibe one person in her first post asked me why I was so negative against writers then in her next post said “Honey, if I didn’t write, you would have nothing to effect.” This is exactly the attitude that me and all of my fellow co-workers hear coming from writers and you people need to get over yourselves. That show you wrote would look pretty stupid if it aired with all those black frames where it says “visual effects” wouldn’t it. You need every one of us in production to get those shows on the air. So anytime you would like to confirm my identity just let me know. Of course it is ironic your anonymous when your trying to be anti-.
Comment by k3d — February 3, 2008 @ 8:51 am
It won’t matter what the deal might be, it obviously won’t be good enough for some of you no matter how good it is. Let’s hope that you are the minority of the WGA and the majority will actally pay attention to what is offered and listen to the recommendations of the WGA leaders. Have a little faith in your team please.
BTL 399
Comment by TranspoBill — February 3, 2008 @ 9:03 am
Is it me, or is there an aura of desperation coming out of United Hollywood lately? Reading the posts and the commentaries, they seem positively fear stricken with even the notion that the strike could be nearing an end.
Its as if the people running the site (and most of its readers) feel so empowered by their cause, that its conclusion — even with a result that benefits writers — would come as a soul-crushing blow.
What’s so frightening is that these same people seem to constitute the engine that drove this fiasco, which cost so many writers their deals and so many crew members their jobs and even their homes.
A final observation: I watched a documentary on Youtube the other day. In it, a British film crew travels through North Korea, filming the starving, enslaved populace, which are under a constant barrage of slogans and propaganda that seeks to bolster the personality cult that constitutes the regime.
I recommend watching this documentary, then switching over to United Hollywood and doing a little reading. There’s more than a slight similarity here — it’s a slavish devotion to militancy and a disconnect with reality that’s absolutely chilling.
Comment by Dissident — February 3, 2008 @ 9:43 am
I’m a paid shill and I’ve been trying to organize an AMPTP Shill Union. We’re considering a walkout– will WGA members strike in solidarity with us?
Comment by Mike — February 3, 2008 @ 9:45 am
hey, i’ll post anti-WGA for $13.50 an hour…heck i’ll post it for $12.00 an hour its better than what we’re getting now…who wants me?
Comment by below the line guy — February 3, 2008 @ 9:55 am
QUESTION: say the negotiating committee does indeed approve the terms.
Does anyone have an ETA of when writers can actually write/get paid again?
I assume the Oscars will get by on a waiver because when all is said and done, it’ll be a good month to flesh it all out/approve and draw up. Yes?
Comment by Smarts — February 3, 2008 @ 10:17 am
i refuse to get my hopes up b/c i only end up depressed when the talks don’t pan out … i am not cautiously optimistic, but i definitely don’t have the stomach for much more of this work stoppage.
Comment by Anon — February 3, 2008 @ 10:38 am
Satto -
“Sorry that you’re missing Scrubs. I can’t imagine how hard that is on you.”
Well I’m missing 24 and yeah it sucks. I’d think you’d want your fans to be chomping at the bit to get their favorite shows back on the air - we are after all who you are writing for. Doh!
“Try being on strike battling for your family’s futures against corporations that don’t care about fairness and honor or your family’s futures.”
There is no fairness and honor in business anymore and I’m not sure it ever really existed in the first place.
I worked for the Mouse for over 10 years, with great success, but found myself on the side of supporting the integrity of the brand and thus on the losing side of a power struggle as the forces of darkness prevailed. It was clear then that you can’t have people in power who can see that the Emperor has no clothes. So I had to go. LOL!!
Writers aren’t the only ones who have been wronged by corporations and they won’t be the last.
“it will cure you of your pesky optimism.”
Or you can choose whether you’ll allow circumstances to define you or not. It is your choice in the end.
Now let’s all hope that their is something good behind all these rumors and that everyone will be back to work soon. If it’s a cruel joke - then harness the resulting frustration and keep fighting till you prevail.
Only you can deflate yourself and your passion.
Comment by 24 fan — February 3, 2008 @ 10:47 am
Paid Shill @11:31 P.M. at Fib & Liar Headquarters:
“we are mere mercenaries, not traitors. The traitors come from within.”
Is that like saying that there’s honor among ass-holes?
C’mon. Your “traitors from within” comment is just another version of HOPING that the WGA is dividing– or the other favorite LIE of the last 88 days– that the “writers are rich egotists.”
Haven’t we seen enough of these IDIOTIC LIES?
I suspect that 100% of the WGA will wait and see the deal–if there actually is one–which is presented to them by the WGA Leadership.
A WGA Supporter
Comment by A WGA Supporter — February 3, 2008 @ 10:59 am
I think the tin foil hats are cutting off the circulation to some of your brains…
Comment by goodness — February 3, 2008 @ 11:14 am
Paid Shill wrote: “I suspect, as do my fellow shills, that these moderate pussies are”…
Lovely. More childish vitriol from the angry Left. What ever will you do when the strike is settled? Go back to blaming Bush for all your misery?
Get off the film writers. We stood by you while you thumped your chests and sobbed about the damned residuals for which you feel entitled. And if I hear one more selfish hack claim it’s all about the next generation, I’m gonna puke.
Comment by biopic dude — February 3, 2008 @ 11:30 am
The 10% who voted against striking are now going to vote to take this half-assed deal along with another 80% who are tired of picketing. There will be another hardcore 10% who vote against this deal. Time to wake up you hardcore diehards. The strike is over. 90% of the membership will be voting in favor of taking the deal. You remaining 10% should continue picketing though. Don’t you dare go back to work. Stay on the sidewalks. You must have the courage of your deeply held convictions now. This is no time to cave in and start writing again. Keep on picketing to teach those greedy moguls a lesson they’ll never forget!
Comment by Anonymous — February 3, 2008 @ 11:38 am
I’ve been reading this site with interest for quite a while as I have friends and friends of friends in the WGA.
IMHO the best post I saw was from the conflict attorney who said that the job of the attorney is to let their client think they have everything under control and that the client can rest comfortably knowing that the outcome would go their way. His point was that the only way to get what you want is to make the top brass sweat from outside pressure.
From what I have seen, the CEO’s have got to feel uncomfortable now. It seems to me there is no reason for the CEO’s not to want to settle now. They can congratulate themselves for getting rid of a lot of what they consider dead weight and saving tons of money. If the strike goes on any longer they have problems from no Oscars, problems with advertisers, big problems with the actors and any other planned awards show. Plus, the WGA did not go down quietly and are making side deals, and who knows what else they will come up with if things don’t go back to ‘normal’.
I think there is reason to be guardedly optimistic about the end of this strike as it will not benefit the CEO’s to keep the writers out any longer and the WGA can play on their natural paranoia to get a good deal.
Comment by Outsider in San Jose — February 3, 2008 @ 12:11 pm
Nikki, you’ve done a stellar job throughout this issue. Hope your health gets better; you’ve certainly earned a break.
Comment by LEe — February 3, 2008 @ 12:14 pm
I don’t know what you are smoking Al Manheim, but while the WGA may have made some miscalculations, the AMPTP has done much more damage to themselves.
1. They made several press releases that were better left internal.
2. They walked out on negotiations not once but twice. The first time was on November 4th because the WGA didn’t call off or postpone the strike, and the second was when the AMPTP hated when the WGA didn’t listen to any of their demands and walked out. That latter one had Nikki super mad. In the former, the WGA made a concession and the AMPTP failed to respond. If the AMPTP had said that all animation would be allowed to join the guild, then maybe the strike would have been postponed another week or two. Heck, the WGA could have put off picketing until after Thanksgiving.
3. The AMPTP never had the gall to save the TV season but wanted award shows? If they wanted a fair deal, they would have gone to the writers and sat down and stayed until a fair deal was reached, and this would have been long before the strike started.
4. You guys in the WGA have done a masterful job of undermining the AMPTP’s position. Sure you have the SAG to thank, but everyone in the WGA has done their job to explain the issues to the public at large, picket with large crowds almost everyday, and keep up everyone’s spirit with funny videos and so on through the dark days of this strike. (Who knows, but you writers might need more adrenaline shots later this week.
5. When the AMPTP broke off talks, the WGA leadership decided to go with interim deals. Sure they have been coming in at a trickle, but those deals help make sure that writers get back to work. In the event that there is no deal at the end of this week, that trickle will likely grow into a flood within the next few weeks.
6. Remember that the most people to benefit from the Oscars going on as usual are both FOX which does have quite a few movies up for Oscars while ABC would benefit from the ratings. Also, keep in mind that the only person that doesn’t benefit is Les Moonves who doesn’t own a movie company, however he does benefit through the fact that he would avoid an confrontation with congress if there is a deal.
7. If there isn’t a deal, or if a deal gets a negative enough reaction from the WGA rank and file to pull the deal from consideration, the DGA could reject their own deal. In turn, this would hurt the AMPTP’s position because they have to start all over again with two guilds, and a strike by the SAG is about 60% certain at this point. If July comes and we have three guilds striking, the AMPTP would be in major trouble.
In this short post, I have shown you what moves the idiots at the AMPTP have made. If the deal is bad, let’s not fear the AMPTP as having more leverage. All the WGA has to do is explain why they rejected the deal, why they’re still on strike, and force the moguls before congress to explain why they can’t give the writers a fair deal.
Comment by Jessy S. — February 3, 2008 @ 12:19 pm
In the words of MISTER SEÑOR LOVE DADDY, “Yo! Hold up! Time out! Time out! Y’all take a chill…”
It’s a bit frightening how we spew such bitter vitriol with little care behind the cloak of internet anonymity. We are all people. Human beings with feelings. And every person deserves to be treated with respect, even if their point of view is different from our own.
The reality is this struggle exists in every business, because it is just that, business. Profits vs. expenses. It’s extremely easy to be critical of corporate profits, but the truth is, it’s not our business. We don’t own it. Employment is a privilege. We are not entitled to it. Thousands of people brave the barriers of our borders just for a shot at it.
As employees we trade the enormous responsibility of creating and managing the business for the freedom to slide in, work hard and do our job, then slide out with a paycheck.
But this is America. As a writer, as an artist, as anybody, we have the freedom and the opportunity to start any business we can imagine. The freedom to do things the way we think things outta be done. And to potentially reap the rewards, even if they are not monetary.
While I do feel disappointment when my employer pays me as absolutely little as the market bears, I also know I can increase my earnings by either starting my own business or by simply increasing my value as a better writer with a better product, service, or skill to offer to my employer. It’s only a matter of how much responsibility I’m willing to take on and the amount of effort I’m willing to put into it.
That is why we live in the greatest country my friends. America is truly a place of hope. Something as human beings, we all share in common.
As a writer, our best assets are our minds and our passion. No deal can ever take that away from us.
Comment by John McMillion — February 3, 2008 @ 12:46 pm
sick of shills, ya got me on ‘in other words.’ even overly-educated people can be careless. there were many other typos in my post, as well. but the lion’s share of ignorance belongs to you. my point about fewer jobs for middle class writers is the simple fact that fewer talented young writers will be able to sell pilots, fewer actual scripted series will be broadcast, and on those shows left, there will be smaller staffs. all of that hurts the middle class writer. i’ll grant you that we were heading in that direction already, but this protracted strike made it happen a whole lot quicker. and to whomever posted that i’d be going to back to work serving coffee to john ridley, sorry, but i’m going back to the show i’ve been staffed on since spring. my fifth in six years.
Comment by anonymous — February 3, 2008 @ 12:59 pm
To the extent we writers believe the deal is done, we play into the Companies’ hands. If I were them, I would spread such rumors. Get us on a hair-trigger to accept whatever comes our way. I urge you to believe nothing until you see it.
Any blog post which has the effect of pitting one group of writers against another should be suspected as a Company plant. If I were them I would try to stir up divisions among writers. I urge you to resist the impulse to play into these “divisions”.
Walk the line until you see a deal you can vote for.
Comment by 20year writer — February 3, 2008 @ 1:00 pm
INDEPENDANT PRODUCER (his misspelling, not mine): “Wow! reading all these comments this morning I couldn’t help noticing that: AMPTP, Jerks that they are, are not going to negotiate a fair deal….”The sky is falling….the sky is falling!” AMPTP/WGA on the verge of making a deal………………”The sky is falling….the sky is falling!”
So it’s a fact that the AMPTP/WGA is on the verge of making a deal? And you know this how? Because you read it in the AMPTP-owned papers? Right. And I’ve got a bridge to sell you.
What are you noticing, Bud, is that regardless of whether or not things are going well, the AMPTP would still leak to the press that things are going well. If they are, they are. And if they aren’t, then it sets up the writers (FOR THE THIRD TIME) to take the fall. What you are reading is healthy skepticism borne of familiarity with the AMPTP playbook. I’m not saying there isn’t truly good news. But if there really was good news, it wouldn’t be in the form of faceless, nameless rumor. It would be actual news.
Comment by tTo Indepedant Producer — February 3, 2008 @ 2:24 pm
And here it is again from the Writers, as said above by “Clever pseudonym”: “2) We are sorry for any below-the-lines or others who lost work, but it was the studios who walked away on December 7th and did not come back till last week.”
YOU, the Writers, at the last second threw in Animation and Reality, KNOWING it would muck things up.
Look, I’ve said it before and many others have and we’re called shills for it, when all we are is the people who work WITH Writers to get tv on the air (even though the writers seem to think only they make tv possible)…..this whole thing is the Writers mess and they need to shut up and get their arrogant selves back to work. Yeah, they’re tough and shut down the industry, and when SAG strikes they will shut down the industry. Let’s see the Writers get tv on the air with no actors.
Face it, Writers, many thought of you as boorish jerks before, now everyone hates you, and yes, we will still have to work with you every single day, but you will feel the hate.
Comment by Below The Line — February 3, 2008 @ 3:31 pm
Or, is it just a tactic to put on the Oscars?
Get something signed before you agree to not strike at the Oscars. Is the only leverage there is.
Peggy Lane O’Rourke
Comment by Peggy Lane O'Rourke — February 3, 2008 @ 3:42 pm
“Face it, Writers, many thought of you as boorish jerks before, now everyone hates you, and yes, we will still have to work with you every single day, but you will feel the hate.”
Ha ha! What’s that, the curse of the Cat People?
Comment by slk writer — February 3, 2008 @ 5:17 pm
Below the Line, I can’t believe that you believe that Patrick Verrone threw in WGA membership for Reality and Animation writers at the last minute. I am not a WGA writer, but I know for a fact that isn’t the case. Reality and Animation has long been a platform of Patrick’s and I believe there was a bit of hub-bub last year over the WGA trying to unionize the staff at America’s Next Top Model.
Now I just want to clarify two things. First is the fact that the DGA has until July to ratify their deal. I could be wrong, but there could be a chance that the DGA rank and file is waiting until any deal could be done to decide what to do with their deal. Any WGA deal that comes into play needs to be ratified by February 24th or at least accepted by the Guild.
Second, though the moguls can cut down on script and pilot orders, the SAG can bring that number back up by making any balance between reality and scripted programming in primetime a issue. This past fall, the ratio of reality to scripted on primetime (94 hours total) was 30:70, by this May, it will be 40:60 or maybe even 50:50. The truth is that the SAG would probably like that ratio to be about 15:85 reality to scripted.
Comment by Jessy S. — February 3, 2008 @ 8:03 pm
Amen, BTL Bored. I used to feel a kind of kinship with writers as I believe I had shared feelings about a love of movies (and yeah, TV). But don’t think everyone on the crew won’t be giving them the stink eye when they sneak to the front of the pizza line on set, and waddle back to the bungalow with a plateful of pepperoni (when they asked for vegetarian!).
Comment by Crewguy — February 3, 2008 @ 8:58 pm
Below the line-
Animation and reality were not thrown in at the last minute. They have been on the table all along and the AMPTP knew that. They just told the public that they were thrown in at the last minute to rile people like you against the writers. Sorry if this doesn’t mesh with your vision of the strike, but it’s all true.
Frankly I think it’s sad they were taken off the table before the WGA got anything in return.
Comment by Where is the line? — February 3, 2008 @ 8:58 pm
Honestly, I am done….
I have walked the lines, marched in Hollywood, and stood with my union brothers and sisters in solidarity, but I am officially finished.
I cant believe how arrogant these “writers” have become. For months we have had to hear how this town will shut down without them. It seems that none of us are smart enough to understand the complexities of the industry. It is amazing how they expect all union members to stand in solidarity, yet they have all but buried the DGA in their attempt to get a “good deal”. If I were to believe the writers, the directors are just idiots who will take any deal.
THEN, one of my own union presidents, (I am in 3 unions) sends me an email to berate the DGA even more. This is solidarity? These are the people we are suppose to stand beside? Are you kidding me?
My favorite quote is that this is for future writers….okay, so once the strike is over I suppose all of you will step aside for a while so some of these future writers will get a shot right?
No, you will all rush in, take all the work, and ride this strike on the back of all of your quote “brothers and sisters”. I have lived in Hollywood for 8 years and had to survive 2 strikes…
NOW, at the slightest glimmer of hope, people are saying they will vote against a deal unless it is exactly what they want….are you kidding me…
SO, I am officially off of this site, off of the picket lines, and on to bigger and better things. When people complain that they will only get a meaningless $1200.00 for an online broadcast….
I’ll tell you what, you got to africa, spend some time in Kenya, and get back to me on your selfish request.
Comment by John — February 3, 2008 @ 10:15 pm
It’s truly alarming how much anger and vitriol are still out there, even at this stage. And there is plenty of misinformation being posted by both sides, although here and at UH, it primarily comes from the pro-strike side of the equation.
Let’s correct some of the more outrageous comments before anyone mistakes them for the unvarnished truth:
Jessy S, your post is filled with inaccuracies and slanted statements.
You present the WGA side of the breakdown of talks that happened when the writers walked out on Nov 5, but you fail to mention that the AMPTP was in the process of putting together their internet proposals (which eventually was presented in late November and then modified by the DGA), and had asked the WGA to hold off on the pickets while negotiations continued. The WGA refused, effectively ending the talks at that time. When the talks were resumed for PR purposes after Thanksgiving, the understanding between the parties was that they would be talking about internet issues and not jurisdiction over animation or reality workers, many of whom are already covered by IA. When the WGA insisted on bringing the animation and reality matters back up, along with a doomed attempt to remove the “no strike” clause from their contract, the AMPTP made clear that these issues, along with 3 others were non-starters and needed to come off the table. Rather than negotiate about this, David Young by all accounts refused to discuss the matter with Nicholas Counter when repeatedly asked, until Counter and the AMPTP team finally left, telling Young to send them a letter when they were ready to negotiate. As you know, it is not up to the AMPTP to offer a contract giving the WGA jursidiction over all animation when the matter is disputed by IA. When WGA organizes those people, they will become members of WGA, but mandating it in the MBA is an inappropriate channel. And Nikki Finke being “super mad” about anything is irrelevant.
You castigate the AMPTP for not going to the WGA and sitting down long before the strike began, but you fail to note that they attempted to do just that. They were rebuffed by David Young, who refused to begin negotiations until July, as part of a “crisis negotiations” strategy now being used by SAG. As the AMPTP pointed out back in early December, had the WGA gone into early talks as requested by AMPTP (and practically begged by Tom Short), the strike could easily have been averted.
You assume that the AMPTP’s position has been undermined. Presumably, this was through tactics such as mounting parody websites and trying to get the LA Dept of Public Works to deny filming permits. These tactics, along with the others, were effectively ignored by the majors, who simply waited for the DGA to open talks and establish the pattern now being used by the WGA. It’s true that public opinion regarding the strike has been in favor of the WGA, but that has had no effect on the negotiation position of the AMPTP.
You cite the interim deals made with independent producers as possibly growing from the present “trickle” to a “flood” if talks break down. Wile this is certainly possible, it’s also irrelevant. As you must know, all those interim deals contain language that convert them to the eventual AMPTP deal that is hopefully coming very soon. Further, it is noteworthy that WGA members who asked about the idea of the membership voting on those deals were told that such a vote wasn’t needed since the deals were interim and temporary anyway. And finally, it is more than possible that many of the scripts written under the interim deals will find their way to the major studios, even in the scenario of an extended strike, thus undermining the leverage the WGA was hoping to achieve by making those deals.
You cite the idea of a “confrontation with Congress” if the strike continues. There is no indication that there will be any such investigations, unless you’re referring to the letter sent this past week. If you read the letter, it doesn’t commit that body to do anything other than the hope that the negotiations will lead to a new contract soon, for the sake of all the other people that have been affected by the strike. The idea of congressional hearings is as far-fetched as the notion that a Bush-appointed NLRB would do anything other than encourage the private parties involved in these matters to settle their own dispute and not ask the government to do it for them.
You assume also that if the WGA hardliners reject the contract, the DGA membership would somehow choose to reject the contract currently in front of them. Given that the ballots have been out for the past week, and are due back within the next three weeks, such a scenario is unlikely. You also assume that SAG is “60%” likely to strike, presumably based on the level of vitriol in messages like the one earlier this week concerning the DGA contract. But you forget that SAG has not been preparing for a strike or even for their own negotiations with any seriousness. They don’t have their W&W’s worked out yet, and have not even picked their negotiators. And that’s with less than 5 months left before their contract expires. Your scenario of all 3 guilds out on the picket lines forgets that the likely DGA ratification, coupled with a likely WGA ratification, will leave SAG by itself. And yes, SAG could immediately shut the town down again, but this will most likely be after everyone is just starting to recover from a near 4 month shutdown over the holidays. Unless the hardliner fantasy scenario of WGA staying out until July just to wait for SAG comes to pass. And in that event, there are many other consequences that will come to pass for all of us. And that scenario is the one that really shows gall, because it’s what would really kill not only this TV season but the next one as well.
I continue to hope that the moderate members of the WGA will outnumber the louder and angrier voices that tend to be heard here and at UH. There are many moderates within the WGA that are quite dismayed about how this situation has devolved, particularly the business about being misled by WGA leadership about the realities of their health coverage running out. If a fair contract is offered to them, I believe they’ll vote to ratify it, even if it doesn’t put DVDs back on the table.
Comment by Kevin — February 3, 2008 @ 10:23 pm
Dear Below the Line 3:31 pm
As far as us being jerks, honestly, we don’t even know you guys exist. What do you do — hold a light bulb or something? Hardly a singular talent. I’m more impressed by the guy who fixes my car — at least he does something I can’t do.
Comment by Where it all starts — February 3, 2008 @ 11:37 pm
KEVIN,
Since you’re big on checking others for slanted/innaccurate statements, I figured I’d help you out with a few of your own.
“The AMPTP was in the process of putting together their internet proposals (which eventually was presented in late November and then modified by the DGA), and had asked the WGA to hold off on the pickets while negotiations continued. The WGA refused, effectively ending the talks at that time.”
FALSE. You attempt to blame the WGA leadership for not calling off the strike during negotiations. Nice try, but it was proven months ago that that dog not only won’t hunt but is flea-bitten. I’ll run it again for you. There was overwhelming support for the strike, the deadline was drawn, and given that both sides say a deal could’ve been made before strikers hit the pavement that fateful Monday, the AMPTP was using that as AN EXCUSE TO WALK OUT and paint the leadership as unreasonable. A TACTIC.
One that failed, but you seem to be clinging to it. I’m going to let you, since that’s a lonely position.
KEVIN: “When the talks were resumed for PR purposes after Thanksgiving, the understanding between the parties was that they would be talking about internet issues and not jurisdiction over animation or reality workers, many of whom are already covered by IA.
FALSE. AMPTP Revisionist history. There was NO such understanding for those talks, Kevin. This comes from a source on the Neg Comm.
“Rather than negotiate about this, David Young by all accounts refused to discuss the matter with Nicholas Counter when repeatedly asked, until Counter and the AMPTP team finally left, telling Young to send them a letter when they were ready to negotiate.”
FALSE. David Young was preparing a response (which is what happens in a NEGOTIATION), and Counter banged on their door while they were doing so, and tried to strong-arm the Guild dropping six issues off the table, with giving nothing in return. THEY STORMED AWAY AS A TACTIC. Disagree all you want, but when you write ‘by all accounts’, you’re clearly talking out of your ass, since its clearly an AMPTP account.
“It’s true that public opinion regarding the strike has been in favor of the WGA, but that has had no effect on the negotiation position of the AMPTP.”
Really. Know this for a fact, do you? I suppose they’ve allowed YOU into their informal talks. What is clear is that during the talks, some of the previously discussed six items that the AMPTP insisted had to be removed–and done so IN WRITING–were still on the table, with nothing given in writing and Nick Counter SENT TO THE SHOWERS.
How did it happen? I think it was a combination of factors, but I would not discount the drubbing the studios were getting from the public AND from the community–especially well-known actors.
Your argument attempts to color anyone carefully scrutinizing the actions and motives of the other side as “louder” and “angrier”. This seems like projection on your part.
In a battle situation (and make no mistake, this is a fight), perhaps you would have us go into things blindly, but vigilance and a healthy skepticism is wise. These things are clear to the rank-and-file. We are resolute. And there is a difference.
Hopefully, this will be settled soon. But as you make clear, Kevin, that end will not be aided by half-truths on either side–so perhaps you should start with your own.
Comment by slk writer — February 4, 2008 @ 1:31 pm
>>The showrunner walkout was a fiasco???? Excuse me sir, but the showrunner walkout is what made the strike a success. We SHUT DOWN television production completely. It was SHUT DOWN.<>As for your claim that the WGA leadership had no plan to deal with the DGA reaching a deal before us, that is just wrong. The leadership told us from day one that the DGA would reach a shitty deal first and the WGA plan was to remain firm (along with SAG) and insist on a deal that is acceptable TO US. And that is exactly what happened.<<
They told me well before day one that the strategy was to wait until June to coordinate with SAG. When asked directly about the DGA and pattern bargaining, they had no answer. They had no answer, because they hadn’t thought it through. Once the AMPTP cuts a deal with the DGA, that is used as a pattern bargaining template. We would be forced to use the DGA deal as a starting point, and get little beyond it. And guess what is about to happen?
By the way, you failed to mention anything about the health insurance fiasco. Care to weigh in on that one?
Comment by Al Manheim — February 4, 2008 @ 3:05 pm
Kevin,
Will you marry me? Great post.
Comment by Mike — February 4, 2008 @ 3:07 pm
>>As far as us being jerks, honestly, we don’t even know you guys exist. What do you do — hold a light bulb or something? Hardly a singular talent. I’m more impressed by the guy who fixes my car — at least he does something I can’t do.<<
I just want to apologize to all below-the-liners on behalf of all writers for the above post.
This person has clearly never worked with a crew. And I am quite confident they never will.
Comment by Al Manheim — February 4, 2008 @ 3:09 pm
Even I had to laugh at this (which was in response to a comment of mine earlier): “As far as us being jerks, honestly, we don’t even know you guys exist. What do you do — hold a light bulb or something? Hardly a singular talent. I’m more impressed by the guy who fixes my car — at least he does something I can’t do.” - Comment by Where it all starts.
First, I’ll admit, I’ve been very critical of writers during this process, and my experiences in general are firsthand, I have dealt with and will deal with many writers. There are some very talented and very nice people in the WGA, however there are also a TON of giant a-holes, as “where it all starts” proves. So good comment…maybe you should write for telev….oh wait. You can’t.
In response to “Where is the line?”, who said “Animation and reality were not thrown in at the last minute. They have been on the table all along and the AMPTP knew that”. Wrong. Yes, the idea of wanting them to be included was always out there, but they were NOT brought to the table as a part of the WGA plan until the last second.
Lastly….to every writer out there (and thank you, Al Manheim for your words in an above post): Yes, you do come up with the ideas that power the shows, however, NONE of this happens without everyone, above and below the line. Without us, you’d not have you checks, you’d not have computers to work on, you’d not have production crew putting a look to what you write, you’d have NOTHING!! If you can do what we do, then do it. Write your shows, produce them, do all the grunt work, do it all. We ALL have a place, and while we don’t work if you don’t, your work never makes it beyond the computer you write it on without the rest of us.
Comment by Below The Line — February 4, 2008 @ 7:36 pm
Kevin, I admire your attack against me. However, I stand by my post and I do so because it is factually correct. First of all the DGA ballots that are currently out, 90% of them could come in at the deadline and most of those will reflect the WGA situation as it stands at that point. Most directors support the WGA, but they have a no-strike clause so you don’t see them on the line. Still they can show their support by rejecting their deal if the WGA still doesn’t have one. This could lead to three guilds striking in July and this is something that the AMPTP wants to avoid.
Also, it doesn’t really matter when negotiations begin unless you are very close to a deadline. When negotiations began last July, it was the AMPTP that continued stalling to the point that the AMPTP, at one point, argued about a pointless seating arragement and both sides didn’t get down to serious negotiations until November 4th.
As far as the status of negotiations is right now, there is no reason to save the TV season as of now because the moguls have broken the media blackout. The WGA East members have read about key deal points. Peter Chernin and Bob Iger only want a deal because it would “save the oscars,” and you have some members holding a gun to their heads because they are threatening hearings if this round breaks down, and it likely will. Most of the WGA wants a deal, but they also want it to be fair. When it comes to that time, I am sure that if the deal is pretty bad, (AKA: DVD’s off the table or a internet deal like the DGA’s) almost everyone will likely reject the deal. Don’t forget that pretty much 97% of the guild members supported a strike in the first place knowing that the WGA last struck in 1988 for SIX MONTHS!!!
As for the “confrontation with congress,” it is worth it for the moguls to get a deal done now, but if that doesn’t happen, the moguls will be raked over hot coals by members of congress and some members have been threatening hearings since December.
In any case, I am glad you posted just so you can keep earning your $13.95 per hour paycheck. Just consider this my only answer to you or anybody because I don’t want attacks and so doesn’t Nikki.
Comment by Jessy S. — February 4, 2008 @ 7:55 pm
Dissident, congrats. Against fierce competition, that’s the dumbest thing ever posted in the history of DHD. You even beat out the guy who thinks $1200 is a living wage because they make less on average in kenya.
Below the line, you’re wrong. Anmation and Reality have always been on the table. This is a contract negotiation, our contract has expired, and these issues are part of negotiations. They’re important to many of our members. And you’re right, we all need each other. We couldn’t do what we do without you and vice versa. And if you go on strike and we demand that you take a shitty deal for us while we make it clear we don’t give a rat’s ass about you, repeat bs management propaganda, send out crappy press releases, or do whatever else to try and undermine your strike, then I apologize, because that sucks. You’re not responsible for sacrificing yourself to help me, you’re entitled to look out for yourself and the other crew members.
Comment by come on — February 5, 2008 @ 12:23 am
I suppose I should have expected to immediately get angry responses for my response to Jessy S. I honestly hoped to provoke thought and consideration, not an attack.
Jessy, I was not presenting an “attack” on you, nor was I making personal comments. You have chosen, however, to go ahead and both attack me and imply that somehow I am a “paid shill”, as I believe you would put it. I am actually a DGA assistant director who has a different opinion from yours. Nothing more, nothing less. If you choose to believe something else because it makes your position feel more sound, that’s your option. But just because I disagree with you doesn’t make my statements disingenuous.
I challenged a series of assumptions in your post by offering the additional information that had not been included. Your primary response of insisting that your post was factually correct ignores the challenges and ignores the missing information. You continue to assume that the DGA leadership will or should reject the tentative agreement we’ve all been sent as a show of “support” for the WGA. Based on the members I’ve spoken to, it’s unlikely that this will be the case. This has nothing to do with the WGA’s issues - I agree that almost all members of the DGA support the WGA’s right to a fair and equitable contract. I certainly support that right, and I agree that the AMPTP has acted quite badly during this situation. I’ll further note that the DGA members on my show all supported the picket lines - by not crossing them. While you may take me for a shill, I actually believe quite strongly in the sanctity of unions and picket lines. I asked our negotiators to insist on the inclusion of the conscience clause that the Teamsters have, but was rebuffed because it was felt to be essentially meaningless in the Hollywood environment. I would have understood if the WGA had asked for this clause rather than the elimination of the no strike clause, which hasn’t been possible even for the Teamsters.
As for the AMPTP stalling, I agree that they presented a terrible offer and waited for the WGA to blink first. But they weren’t alone in this, and early negotiations could have addressed this. The DGA regularly starts their talks up to 9 months early, both to eliminate the uncertainty that causes the sudden speedups and slowdowns that mark this town whenever the major contract periods draw near, and to allow the time to work through the stickier problems without being faced with the choice of working without a contract (as the WGA did in 2004) or immediately going on strike, as has just occurred. Had the WGA started the discussions, say, in January rather than July, they could have gone through all the same problems in the talks and still had another 7 months to work out the problems before winding up in the current situation. And the whole “chairs” issue has been discussed at length, particularly here by Nikki Finke, who has made clear in her discussions that this was a petty affair which reflected badly on both sides. To try to solely blame it on the AMPTP is too simplistic, and shows some defensiveness.
I’m truly sorry that you feel that the TV season cannot be saved. I would agree, if the strike continues for another month. But under that scenario, the WGA would have no leverage for at least another 3 months while everyone waited for SAG. The amount of damage that could be done during that time is quite considerable, to all of the guilds and unions. That would be a record strike, that could have a chance of going on for nearly a year before settling. And if the final offer that ends it is only another $300 for streaming, is it really worth that many more months out on the line?
I agree that the moguls would like to not see the Oscars endure the same fate that befell the Globes or the 1980 Emmys, but that’s not the only reason they’re talking. I think they really do want to try to save the pilot season, and they really would like to try to save this TV season and the next one. While they’re not losing as much money as I would have thought, they’d rather have the scripted shows back, as they do make more money for them. (I honestly did not expect American Gladiators to do well, and I don’t understand why it is)
And everything I have seen indicates that DVDs are off the table, and the internet offer is essentially a sweetened version of the DGA pattern. But I don’t think that this will lead to a rejection by “almost everyone”. The WGA members with whom I have spoken are open to such a deal, so long as it is fair. And nobody is asking them to accept an unfair or unliveable deal. Granted, we all define those values in different ways. But the hardline position of “Give us everything we originally asked for, or we’ll stay on strike” only leads to an extension of the current strike until the additional items get taken off the table. It appears that this has already happened. But if it hasn’t, and it takes another five months to do so, how does this benefit the members of the WGA or any of the other guilds and unions? And I’m aware that over 90% of the WGA members who voted were in support of the strike. But keep in mind that a good number of those had just been assured that they weren’t going to lose their health insurance while walking the picket line since the “clock” would stop. The revelation that this was an error is a major one, and I’m surprised that you haven’t addressed it.
And I’ve seen no indications that the moguls “have a gun to their heads” from Congress or anyone else. They simply want to get the TV season going again because it makes money for them. I honestly see no indications that Congress would actually spend time mounting an investigation of the AMPTP, any more than I think that the NLRB will do anything more than a cursory review of the complaint sent to it. I actually hope you’re right - I’d like to see a Congressional inquiry into Hollywood accounting, but I seriously doubt I will see such a thing in my lifetime.
I’m amazed that you think that my corrections of your misstatements could be played as an attack on you. And I’m further amazed that you would find it appropriate to then mount an attack on me, and then try to castigate me for what you have just done.
As for slk writer, I’ll be brief in my responses there.
I agree that the AMPTP’s various actions were tactics. So were the WGA’s actions. Trying to say that one side was using tactics and the other had no choice but to go on strike is a straw-man argument and it doesn’t hold up when you impartially look at the facts. My apologies if I was wrong re the understanding upon the post-Thanksgiving talks. Nikki Finke mentioned that understanding when she was dissecting the reasons why those talks collapsed. As for David Young’s inability to respond to Nicholas Counter’s ultimatums in a manner that could have preserved the talks at that time, this was shown in every account presented, whether that be in Variety, at United Hollywood or here on Nikki Finke’s site. It’s not a matter of saying the man slammed the door or anything like that. It’s saying that at the moment that Nikki Finke has said he was told by Bryan Lourd that this was his moment of “maximum leverage”, he simply couldn’t come up with an answer. As for the resumption of talks, Nicholas Counter has been present, at least according to Variety, which places him at the pivotal meeting last Friday. And the ultimatum items still on the table (distributor’s gross, fair market value) have been established via the pattern of the DGA contract. I agree that the moguls are motivated by a variety of factors, and I agree that these definitely include having the major stars indicate their disapproval, but I still find it hard to believe that a public opinion poll would be the one that sends them back to the table to concede.
You accuse me of projection when I note the level of anger and vitriol in posts like yours and that of Jessy S. I can only tell you that I’m responding in a logical and careful manner. My responses are quite measured. I note that in both your response and in Jessy’s, there’s a bit of shouting. That’s where I’m getting the feeling of loudness. I understand - this is an emotional situation. My crew has been unemployed for three months as a result of it. But calling people who disagree with you names or accusing them of other slights does not change the facts here. And I agree that the half-truths really do need to stop.
Comment by Kevin — February 5, 2008 @ 3:56 am
>>The showrunner walkout was a fiasco???? Excuse me sir, but the showrunner walkout is what made the strike a success. We SHUT DOWN television production completely. It was SHUT DOWN.<<
Wrong.
I am an executive producer / creator on a network show and I can tell you that five episodes of my show were produced after the strike was called. Most series had at least 2 o 3 scripts ready to shoot. And they were shot, with or without the showrunners.
This is actually embarrassing. Wh