New ‘Man Of Steel’ Television Spot #6 
UPDATE: At Least Seven Bidders For Hulu 
Hammond On Cannes: Suspense Builds To Sunday’s Palme … 
Record-Breaking Memorial Weekend 2013! ‘Fast & … 
Cannes: Un Certain Regard Winners Include ‘The … 
SAG-AFTRA Sued For Witholding Foreign Residuals And … 
Harvey Weinstein Closes Prolific Cannes With Deals For … 
Cannes: Competition Movies Divide Critics; How Much Do … 
Zach Braff Ends $3+M Kickstarter Campaign 
Fox Unscripted TV Czar Mike Darnell To Exit 
NBC Sets Oklahoma Tornado Benefit Concert For May 29 
Cannes: Directors’ Fortnight Honors ‘Les … 
SHOCKER: Tom Cruise Exits ‘Man From … 
A+E Rebuild: BBC’s Jana Bennett To Run Bio And LMN … 
RATINGS RAT RACE: ‘Hannibal’ Hits Low, … 
‘Katie’ Shakeup: Rachel Miskowiec Replaces … 
Hammond On Cannes: French Hero Jerry Lewis On His Return To … 
Cannes: Another Jewelry Heist? $2.6M Necklace Missing After … 
Hammond On Cannes: Leo DiCaprio’s Moon Trip Tops … 
Specialty B.O. Preview: ‘Before Midnight’, … 
2012-2013 Season Network Rankings: CBS Sweeps In Final … 
UPDATE: Hyphenate Wasn’t Ratted Out By WGA’er
EXCLUSIVE: I’ve learned that the WGAW’s new Strike Rules Compliance Committee (SRCC) called in a high profile TV writer-producer today. 
He reported to the WGA offices at noon to appear before the disciplinary board. According to a source, the hyphenate is facing allegations that he has been breaking the WGA strike rules on his current TV series and two more projects. Though he denies the accusations, he has been confronted with a letter detailing the WGA’s “proof”, the insider says.
The SRCC is comprised of 12 WGAW members whose “mission is to discourage violations of the Guild’s Strike Rules by investigating allegations that writers are undermining our strike efforts by engaging in strike-breaking activities or scab writing and, in appropriate instances, by recommending action against such writers,” the WGA said when announcing its formation. “By doing so, we hope first and foremost to discourage such writers from breaking the Strike Rules.”
AMPTP Nick Counter, days after the disciplinary panel was formed, last week accused the WGA of “using fear and intimidation to control its membership [by] asking members to inform on each other and creating a blacklist.” People inside the Alliance representing studios and networks have decried the SRCC to me as a “rat squad”.
(FYI: I cannot name the writer for legal reasons. Please refrain from making named accusations in your comments, even obliquely, or I will have to delete them.)
Editor-in-Chief Nikki Finke - tip her here.
Loading ...
Witch Hunt! Wheee!
I’m looking forward to the movies made about this. Persecution! Paranoia! Drama! It’s riveting stuff. Tom Hanks for the beset hyphenate. Jim Carrey in a dramatic turn as Chairman of the Committee.
Yeah, I tried to get his name out of a member of the committee on Friday, but he wouldn’t give it up. They have a lot of evidence against this guy. Scripts, etc. And he has apparently been pretty vocal on the lot he works at.
I hope we find out his name – but we won’t pry it out of anyone on the committee.
I wonder if I am going to be the only one who is allowed to post because I have absolutely no way of knowing who this individual is?
I have to say that I am sorry for the strikers though. The political in-fighting and the coming witch hunt that are about to ensue could very well break the guild before it has had a chance to successfully barter with the AMPTP.
Word of advice: Chill
WGA or not people have problems and they are scared. People have families to feed and bills to pay. Work on helping each other out instead of cutting each other down.
Paul Quencé Merritt
I would like to know what studio this alleged scab works at…
also, what are the remedies available to the WGA? Explusion? Taking back money already earned? Or, does the scab writer simply go fi-core and thumb his/her nose at the WGA?
Nikki, it would be great if you could keep the identity of people accused as vague as possible (including how many other projects they have, gender, etc..)
These people are accused of doing scab work, not found guilty of doing scab work and should be considered innocent until that time. As you can tell by the comment by “anony”, who already wants this person’s name even though nothing has been proven, a witch hunt is indeed possible if we’re not careful.
Also, we have to make sure there is a sysyem set up where the person accused can defend themselves fairly. If not, some people will start putting old enemy’s names on a list of scabbers and folks like “anony” will quickly believe it. And reputations will be ruined.
I think it’s clear by all the commentators who immediately jumped on the “Jimmy Kimmel hates writers” band-wagon because of the out of context joke you printed on here last night, we see how fast people are to judge others harshly. (And I too feel you owe him an apology for printing the accusation without a chance for him to refute it first. Printing his response a day later after his name has been smeared isn’t enough.)
As the great Stan Lee said: “With great power, comes great responsibility.”
Your amazing reporting during the last few weeks and the popularity it has given your site has given you new power in this town, Nikki. Please use it wisely.
Not everyone scabbing has a family. I know of an assistant who did a deal with the network as soon as the writers walked. Some people just have no moral compass and don’t care who they hurt. There have to be rules and there has to be consequence for those who break them or there’s chaos.
Also, I disagree that this will break the union. I’m on the strike line every day and I’ve never seen such a strong union of people. I leave the line every day proud to be a member of the union.
I don’t get why this is so onerous. In any strike, if people don’t follow the rules of the union they belong to, they are disciplined. Basically, it’s a way that the union ensures some sort of power against management. (Management certainly discipline’s its own ranks…)
It’s the same if Guild members try to do projects that are outside established WGA labor rules and don’t try to work it out with the WGA.
Yes… people have problems and they are scared. And yes… people have families to feed and bills to pay. All of this is true. But what does that have to do with observing the rules of a strike and in doing so honoring your peers? Whoever this individual is… he (or she) should have found another source of income… one that didn’t include spitting on the hard-working writer’s who stand for a principle and are striking for a better tomorrow.
Also, easy on the “witch hunt” talk. There has not yet been any sign of a witch hunt. The Guild has been provided with quite a bit of evidence against certain individuals. Scripts, witness statements, etc. For others the evidence is more sparse. They investigate and put in a personal call to the singled out member. If the evidence is strong, they are called in for questioning. The Guild is handling this very well and trying to keep things under control.
The is no reason to tell people to “chill” yet.
I would like to see this dealt with quietly. The writers are very united during this strike. The overwhelming majority are behind it or, at the very least, obeying the rules. It’s a matter of course that there is going to be a very small minority who don’t see the big picture. It doesn’t do us any good to publicly call people out. It only makes the WGA look bad and maybe even creates a martyr. No need to tar and feather scabs; they aren’t murderers (as far as we know). The scabs should be dealt with in a private, civilized way. They’ll be kicked out of the guild or fined or whatever it is, and nobody but the rules committee will know who or why, and we’ll keep the infighting to a minimum.
This is unfortunate. This is just what the WGA needs before going back to the negotiating table…
Speaking of which Nikki (or anyone else that can lend info), do you know if the federal mediator will be at the bargaining table who can make sure that the two sides sit and actually talk? Can Bryan Lourd and Jim Berkus be a part of the negotiations? How do we make sure that progress is made this time around???
Don’t worry, we’ll all find out soon enough. You know the AMPTP would love to publish this person’s name and let the in-fighting begin. They’re counting on it.
Stay strong and stop the finger pointing. I see a light at the end of this tunnel…
Someone in Hollywood without morals and doesn’t give a damn about anyone but him/herself? All so they can fill their own coffers with even more money than they already managed to con out of people?
Never!
If every big-time WGA scab got outed, there’d be a lot of empty parking spaces on the studio lot because it’s hardly a small number that are doing this.
And don’t get me started on those million dollar writers who rushed to finish drafts hours before the strike (a la Paul Haggis).
Or those writers who are directing from scripts they wrote (and are making changes as they go).
People who work during a strike are undermining their union, and so all the people who belong to that union. And they are during it at the most critical time in the life of that union.
If writers are allowed to work during a strike, then we won’t have a union anymore, just a bunch of writers who do whatever they want, including working for whatever pay they want. The object of a union is to set minimum standards. One minimum standards is not to work while the rest of us are not. Otherwise, a strike is meaningless.
If you don’t believe in disciplining scab workers, then you can’t believe in having a strong union. Calling the disciplining of scabs a “witch hunt” says you don’t believe the union should do anything to protect itself. A union can’t allow people to work during a strike, or the strike and the union will both be meaningless.
I worked at The Lot today, shooting outside the “Writers Building.” Every parking spot was occupied.
Poseurs.
I am disseminating revised pages on pretty much a daily basis on the few remaining shows we’re shooting. Who’s doing all the rewrites that the networks are approving? People at the networks? The producers who want to distance themselves from the AMPTP because they want to PRETEND like they’re on the side of the writers, when they’re the ones hiring scab work (Am I the only one not in the dark about this?)? For the Disciplinary Committee to single out this one guy is a joke when all the showrunners know about all the non-guild members doing scab work as they hope that the scripts don’t turn out like crap. Just disgraceful all around.
I feel I should answer Sherilyn’s comment — it is a prefect example of someone’s name being dragged through the mud for no reason, and shows why the person accsed of scabbing should remain unnamed until a verdict is in. I was interviewed with Paul Haggis a few days ago for Movie City News. I learned then that Paul refuses to direct anthing, even finished work, since he is a writer and knows that doing so requires interactions that, to him, come under the aegis of “struck work.” Before the strike, everyone was required to abide by the terms of the unexpired contract. This situation is delicate and complicated. I don’t know anybody with a job that required writing close to the deadline (this includes me) who didn’t work as hard as possible and do the best possible job. As far as finishing projects badly or too soon — nobody was doing that and nobody wanted to. But we love our work and we didn’t stop work until we had to. Nobody wanted this strike, and I, personally, don’t know anyone who isn’t honoring it. We want a good contract. Period.
No one jumped on a Jimmy Kimmel is a scab bandwagon, so ease up on Nikki
People jumped on the Jimmy Kimmel is a no-talent schlub bandwagon
the companies are powerful, and about to get more so if the fcc thing goes through on dec. 15th. ALL WE HAVE is this union, and the other unions in concert. it’s the only way we can ever get equity.
script coordinator, are you kidding me? i guess i’m really naive, because that is inconceivable to me.
It can be dealt with quietly, but it should be dealt with. I know the guild committee is a very sober, non witch hunty group.
Writers can write specs or originals, they just can’t turn anything in.
But i just don’t buy there’s that much scabbing going on.
Hey Script Coordinator,
Why don’t you turn these scabs in? They are taking future work away from you as I’m sure you are working to be a future guild member. And why not turn the Producers in? They are no friend of the writers as they are the ones prolonging this strike. As for doing all this “quietly” PLEASE. This is Hollywood and I think one thing keeping most people from being scabs, sadly, is being caught. So keep the heat on.
The WGA is beginning to sound like the Gestapo, and I’m afraid a lot of the people commenting here are as well. And Nikki, I urge you to use caution as best you can. I love reading you, and I love that you’re on our side. But I am becoming concerned about your willingness to jump to the worst conclusions about people.
re: Paul Quence Merritt: Are we supposed to believe that a showrunner “has bills to pay?” That if he’s doing struck work that he should somehow be given the benefit of the doubt because he has bills to pay? By all means give him the benefit of the doubt because every person should be afforded the assumption of innocence, but certainly not because he has bills to pay.
If that’s the case, then please, Mr. Showrunner (if you’re nervously reading these comments praying to not see your name), hire yourself an assistant who knows how to use Quickbooks, ask the Mrs. to go on a budget, clip a few credit cards in half, give up the half-share in Malibu, but whatever you do, don’t actually cry poor. You will be laughed at mightily…
land surveyor k,
you are obviously not in the industry.
go out to the picket lines and find a showrunner, and ask him/her how their shows are being produced and more importantly, how the scripts they/their staff turned in to stockpile the studios are being rewritten as they get produced. They’ll probably tell you they “have no idea…”
The WGA should have kept negotiating without triggering a strike because now, things are getting messy.
Script Coordinator shouldn’t HAVE TO be a whistle-blower and play a part in this crappy affair that is seeping out to light. If I’m the WGA, I’m settling this fast.