Carl Icahn Now Wants ALL Of Lionsgate 
Action Comedy TV: Showrunner Matt Nix 
SAG National Board Approves Joint Bargaining … 
- "Box Up Personal Items When You Leave Work Thursday": WGA's Strike Checklist
- New WGA Proposal Included Movement On DVDs, New Media, Jurisdiction Issues
- IATSE Sends Warning Memo To Members
- URGENT: Talks Come To An Abrupt Halt; Thursday's WGA Meeting A Strike Call?
- DHD UPDATE: Strike Comments Starting!
- WGA Fingers Agents "Lying" To Writers
- Update: New WGA Proposal On The Table
- WGA To Offer New Proposal Tomorrow: Expect A Few Days' Strike Delay?
- Rename It The 'Fear Validation Program'
- Another WGA/AMPTP Pre-Strike Update...
- AMPTP Suddenly Feeling Teamsters' Heat
- WGA Lobbies Crews & Teamsters; The 411 On Federal Mediator
- 'Most' Hollywood Teamsters To Honor WGA Picket Lines, Says Union Insider
- AMPTP's Nick Counter Stays On Message
- Verrone Forsees 'Threats' And 'Low-Ball 11th Hour Offer' By AMPTP
- Federal Mediator Will Attend WGA Talks
- WGA/AMPTP Talks Still Going On
- Tricks & Treats At WGA Strike Talks Today (...All About The Chairs)
- Finke/LA Weekly: Strike Happy H'wood
- AMPTP To WGA: Show Up To Hear New Offer
- SAG Emails; AMPTP Sends Letter
- WGAW Says Variety Scoop Has No Reality
- Moguls See New TV Season As Dead Already
- Strike Vote In For WGA: 90.3% Say "Yes"
- Results From WGA Strike Vote Delayed
- WGA Authorized To Strike ... As Expected
- Wow, The WGA's Paranoia Just Worsened
- SHOCKER: Is Writers Strike Now Averted?
12:01 AM: Writers Contract Has Expired
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It’s with a sad heart that I wish everyone luck in this (mis)adventure.
And so it begins.
May the spirit of Clifford Odets preserve us all.
I can’t help notice the irony that while many of us preach about the futility and hopelessness of a real war that our country rushed into alone, and which clearly neither side will ever be able to claim victory for, we writers are so hasty to rush into a professional war, where the finish will also likely result in a bloody draw (just as it did in 88). The studios are trying to fuck us. No question. But I am concerned with the quickness and bitterness with which we seem to be rushing into a costly strike, with what appears to be minimal backing from our sister guilds, who also face many of the same circumstances, and will eventually have to fight the same battles. What ever happened to a coalition?
I’m ready for a long strike if need be. Writers shouldn’t give up one red cent.
Thank you for your hard work on this matter, Nikki. I applaud the scholarship and research on display in your posts about the strike.
As with the first commenting writer, I wish everyone luck in this unfortunate misadventure.
And, Nikki, I’m sure you noticed that NOT A SINGLE major news website is covering this like you are. So you’re our primary source. Keep us updated!
Outstanding reporting, Nikki. As usual.
Hope you don’t mind a compliment from a right-wing neocon.
I’m usually an avid fan of your work, which is intelligent, informative and entertaining. Your coverage of the current WGA strike is brilliant. Thank you.
Good morning…
The above comments by “writer” break my heart. Does he actually believe that a steelworker or an autoworker can walk into the office of the CEO and ask nicely for a fair deal and expect to get it? Why does he think a writer is any different? No one wants to strike, but the willingness to do so…and to do the hard work involved in striking…that’s the only tool we have. If you disagree, then when we win…and actually see some piece of the enormous profit made by our writing on the web…you can send that extra money to me, and everyone who walked out to prove that this really mattered to us.
A strike would be bad for all in the business and those supported by the business (down to waiters at Mr. Chow).
I think CAA should mediate talks. They’ve got good relationships with both sides, they’re manipulative, and if they want to keep up on rent at the Death Star, they have a vested interest to do what’s best for all.
Thank you, Nikki, for your great courage and coverage.
I deeply understand the anger from the writers. I’m a sound engineer on a show that most certainly will shut down when the strike happens. I don’t know what I’ll lose: home, whatever. I couldn’t sleep last night. But here are some thoughts that swirled around my head:
1. The strike will only give the Studios another opportunity to learn how to make programming without writers.
2. The WGA will lose the moral high ground as soon as they strike, the studios will really be able to claim victimhood here.
3. The studios have an endless supply of evil and greed, none of us has the equal amount of cash.
4. If, the day after the strike happens and an ad in the NY Times calls for scripts from anyone for any of th scripted shows, my prediction is they will receive, in the first week, about 12000 scripts. About the same number as members of the WGA.
I pray for peace. It is attainable. I’m truly sorry we have to deal with such cynical employers. My union’s always rolled over for them. Now I’m off to work on what could be my last day. Happy Holidays.
Why not bring in an ADR firm to mediate the talks?
I don’t mean to sound like this is a life and death struggle, but I want to make a point about the greater implications of this potential strike. Things have been going against the middle-class for many years now. Less health-coverage, less “real” pay, and a bigger workload.
Believe it or not that applies to writers. I work eighty to ninety hours a week and I don’t make a hell of a lot of money. That’s right. Most writers in Los Angeles are middle-class writers. And just like other middle-class workers, union or not, we’re expected to do more for less pay. I’m not comparing my job to yours in other ways other than my relationship to my employer. They want a bigger and bigger piece of the pie and they want us to shoulder more and more of the financial risk.
Well, finally we’re going to stand up for ourselves. The actors would have had to do it. The directors would have had to do it. The electrical workers would would have had to do it. So, we’re doing it first. If we win, it’ll benefit everyone. If we lose, it’ll hurts us terribly and the other unions may not follow suit because we lost.
I wish I knew the intricate details of the recent auto strike to get a feel for who “won” or whether, in the end, it was a reasonable compromise. But I don’t know enough about the specifics to comment. In general, though, from the health care settlement, it does appear that it was all about shifting more and more financial risk onto the individual and having less liabilities for an employer. I’m not saying we should put all the liabilities on the employers, but there should be a balance.
I believe that’s what the teamsters and SAG understand and that’s why they support the WGAw. I have no idea why the DGA doesn’t understand this.
But that’s what this strike, should there be one, is about. Holding the line on some kind of balance.
To BeenDownsoLong,
You completely missed the whole point I was making. I was not saying I believe we can just walk in and ask nicely for a better deal. I wasn’t even saying I didn’t think we should strike, eventually. I questioned the path which our leadership has taken to war. Your post assumes victory if we just have the courage to strike long enough, whereas history tells us that a longer strike doesn’t necessarily equate with a better deal. In fact, the longer the guild stays out the more the leverage shifts to the studios, as they find solutions to working without Guild writers.
Victory is by no means guaranteed. And when I say ‘vicotry’ I mean raising the home-vid formula. That’s what this whole thing is about.
It is essential the Guild play every move on the board perfectly, because all that matters is getting a better deal. Not which union is the best, or the most powerful, etc. I ask again: Why go it alone? Why not hold out on the strike for awhile, build a coalition with the DGA and, more importantly, SAG, and then negotiate together in the spring? If we’re still not happy with the deal, walk out together and really cripple the business.
Eat the rich! Hint: When the wildfires torched Malibu, the rest of the Country roared with laughter.
You think anyone’s gonna care about piddling writers in a dying genre ???
TV died years ago. 1985—perhaps the last best year for TV.
They’ll always be a need for lawyers!
I’m a writer who is not yet in the WGA. Even though I have projects that are in play at several companies and a new script ready to go out, I fully support striking to get a fair deal. If we fold now, we will never, ever get a deal that is better than the one negotiated decades ago for DVD residuals. I think management wants to scare folks and let us strike, then they’ll eventually offer a penny more and hope we jump at it and get back to work. They HAD to know the WGA would strike. And they have to know that the WGA members will hold out until they give. I fully expect them to give only just a little. A penny, maybe a half cent. They know the other guilds are going to go after the same thing so they need to make a stand with us. It’s in their best interest to be tough with us so that the other guilds know how stingy they’re going to be with them. HOLD STRONG WGA MEMBERS. TRUST IN THE PEOPLE YOU ELECTED TO FIGHT FOR YOU.
Oh dear, what does one wear to a posh strike? Will Dockers and crocs strike the perfect blend of casual insoucience, yet pained fortitude?
I can’t wait to see the chic picket-line fashions!
I’m a writer now producer/director. I lost a lot of real dollars in the 1988 strike, which I never recouped. this time around the writers are going to war over nickels and dimes in DVD, internet and mobile sales, when in fact the vast majority or writers will never see any appreciable income from those areas regardless of any gains in the the contract, or increased sales. Are we fighting for principal or to make a few writers on hit shows and movies richer. Doesn’t make sense to me. Fight for a good contract but make sure it’s about real, not illusory dollars.
Maxine,
Do you really have nothing better to do with your Thursday morning then pointlessly harass people who are having a discussion that affects their lives?
Please drop down to the thread below. It’s much more your speed.
To Maxine,
I checked out your website, thanks for the recipe for Sugar-free, no-bake, low-fat pumpkin mousse pie. Scintillating stuff. Will definitely give that a try.
Um… This may sound naive, but how’s this for a possible proposal from either side:
Propose to do the “study” on the business model of New Media to ascertain how much money’s made on downloads, web video, etc. Do it for, say, 18 months.
At the same time, create an interim contract with AMPTP to include retroactive pay increases on all New Media work once the 18 month “study” is done… so, at the end of 18 months, AMPTP has this important business data to kmow what revenue is coming in (and we know there’s freakin’ revenue — which they’ll be required to report) and then WGA can negotiate their percentage at the end of the 18 months, and get paid retroactively for new media work done since 10/31/07 in one lump sum.
How’s that?
I’ve seen this done in another industry (where my day job is) wherein a union negotiated their new contract past an expiration date, and it included a retroactive pay increase once the new terms were settled.
Anyways, just an idea… save me the flaming on “fuzzy math” and “creative accounting” and “remember the DVDs” — I know the implications of this… I’m a writer, too, and I’m just throwing out possible solutions.