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UPDATED: AFTRA Defends Ellen; Rep Says She “Has Done Nothing” To Violate WGA
The Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE) issued this statement today:
Ellen DeGeneres went back on the air this week after honoring only one day of the writers strike. In anticipation of her plans to tape shows in New York City on November 19th and 20th, the Writers Guild of America, East is extremely disappointed to see that Ellen has chosen not to stand with writers during the strike. Ellen’s peers who host comedy/variety shows have chosen to support the writers and help them get a fair contract, Ellen has not. On her first show back, Ellen said she loves and supports her writers, but her actions prove otherwise.
Ellen has also been performing comedy on her show. Even if Ellen is writing those segments herself, since those segments would normally be written by the writers on strike, she’s performing “struck work”. Ellen is violating the strike rules that were clearly explained to all of the comedy/variety shows.
We certainly intend to let Ellen know our dissatisfaction in person if she decides to proceed with the shows she has scheduled in New York on November 19th and 20th. We will also make our voices heard the preceding week if she tries to pre-tape comedy segments on location.
We find it sad that Ellen spent an entire week crying and fighting for a dog that she gave away, yet she couldn’t even stand by writers for more than one day – writers who have helped make her extremely successful.
Every show and film set has a production staff and crew that is beloved by their writers. Ellen’s staff is no more important than the rest of the industry. When shows refuse to stand with us they create huge revenue streams for the companies and that prolongs the strike for the thousands of staff and crew members who are noble enough to honor our picket lines. We find this situation hurtful to those people and extremely unfortunate.
The writers did not cause this strike. The companies’ greed caused this strike and it could end tomorrow if they were finally willing to negotiate a fair deal. We ask Ellen to cease doing shows immediately. She should stand by all writers and help us bring this strike to a quick conclusion. We owe that to the thousands of people who are caught in the middle.
Editor-in-Chief Nikki Finke - tip her here.
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Yo, ‘Below the Line’ and Carl,
First ‘Below the Line’, next time your union or trade needs help from the WGA, fat chance! So much for labor solidarity and showing how absolutely selfish and shortsighted you truly are.
Second ‘Carl’, true Ellen is not a writer and she could just be greedy and do her show. And in the future, a writer would give crappy jokes for crappy treatment.
Otherwise, let her write her own goddamn lines.
“… they could have extended negotiations for one more day or even continuing to work while they occurred.
“The companies’ greed caused this strike and it could end tomorrow if they were finally willing to negotiate a fair deal.”
Then suck it up and go back to the table, someone has to blink. If the WGA is that willing to negotiate then be the bigger “person” and go back to the table.”
Get your facts straight, the WGA has given the AMPTP a proposal that the AMPTP has yet to respond to. The ball has been in the AMPTP’s court since Sunday. Why should the WGA blink yet again? The WGA already took the home video residual increase off the table Sunday and that STILL wasn’t good enough for the AMPTP. Stop believing the interoffice propaganda from the suits, the AMPTP forced this strike and they know it.
You know, I found out today that there were people who didn’t know about the strike until they learned of it on today’s Ellen — I heard it from a middle-aged woman who don’t really watch anything /but/ Ellen, mind you, but still. There’s some modicum of increased awareness.
Below the line,
“Yes they did, they could have extended negotiations for one more day or even continuing to work while they occurred.”
C’mon, you sound like a reasonably intelligent person. Why can’t you pay attention to the facts? At least educate yourself on them so you know what you’re speaking about.
We offered to negotiate with the AMPTP for months. They’re the ones that waited until the last hours of the last day to take a meeting. We were the ones, in that meeting, that took off one of our biggest issues, DVD, which they said was “the issue” holding up negotiations. WE TOOK THAT OFF THE TABLE. And did they come back and negotiate in good faith? No. did they honor their promises to move on issues once we moved on the biggest? No. Then they get mad at us for actually doing what we said two years before we were going to do. How would that have made any strike look if you cancel a strike at the last minute after the other side has kicked you in the balls YET AGAIN? You were given a brain. I know you feel passionatly about this argument-as we all do-but don’t go with the wrong side simply because it’s the easiest way to keep your life unchanged. Some times you have to be a man (or a woman) and support what’s right. WHAT IS RIGHT.
Dear Below the line –
the writers ask the AMPTP every day to return to the table. EVERY DAY. We have met with the mayor, the city council, had talks with the governor, the federal mediator… we will talk to anybody who we think can get the producers to come to the table in an effort to make a FAIR DEAL. FAIR DEAL. That’s all we ask for and we want it to be over. We want to be working.
The Producers wanted this strike, they caused this strike by lying and double dealing and walking out. They are the ones who refuse to come and talk.
Please direct your anger where it is due – the producers. This work stoppage is due to 6 fat cat mega conglomorates who don’t care about you or your family or your thanksgiving dinner. all they care about it is their stock and their profit and loss sheet. Les Moonves makes over 50 million a year. Tom Freston was GIVEN 84 million dollars when he was fired.. for doing a bad job.
If there’s a problem here with the corporations making enough money, maybe they ought not pay anybody 50 million dollars a year… or then have to fire somebody for 84 million bucks…. That one pay package is more than ALL the writer’s residuals for the same year.
Writer’s are not your enemies. The cold hearted corporation who needs to squeeze another quarter out of you to pay Les Moonves are!
Please direct your comments to them.
I’m not a fan of Ellen, but I admire her for continuing to work. She’s not asking scabs to replace her writers but she is allowing her crew to continue working. They didn’t ask for the strike but the below the line people will be the one who pay most dearly for the strike.
Ellen=Scab.
She should be banned from hosting ANY awards show – forever. Dance your little dance, Scabbie…
The only way this would be vaguely excusable would be if she used some old material from her standup days. But even then, she still should have honord the picket lines.
Gosh the WGA wants everyone to stop working so they can get what they want?
I suggest that the WGA apologize to Ellen and AFTRA for such a move.
She contractually did what she is suppose to do.
She is not a writer, she is not a hyphenate and if she did write, she should be punished for that but that press release was a bad pr move on the part of the WGA, such behavior will start the various unions fighting and that is not needed ever.
Back off WGAE ! Stop being a bully.
Concentrate on the battle at hand, with the AMPTP
i’m a striking professional writer who supports at least a broad majority of the points we struck over, but i think the guild needs to stop using the “we didn’t cause the strike” language. it’s prima facie false, it makes us sound priviledged, ethically and intellectually shallow, and nobody’s buying it. it even pisses off my typically supportive friends and family. 90% of the guild, myself included, voted to authorized this thing, as was our right. our leadership decided to walk out of negotiations due to a perceived lack of progress, as was their right. why not have the courage to say: “that’s right, we caused it, it’s what collective bargaining organizations were created to do, we think our decision was in the best interests of everyone in the industry (do we?) and we stand by it”?
Don’t you see? It fits a pattern. She abandoned the gay community by agreeing to not mention them on her show. She abandoned multiple puppies because they “didn’t fit with her family”. Now she’s abandoning the writers. She seems to be very self-serving.
I heard a rumor that Ellen DeGeneres is funny, but I haven’t had it confirmed.
I’m with the Writer’s on the strike — and I want to be behind them 100%, but then they pull something like this and it comes across as petty. No one should be berated for crossing picket lines if there contract stipulates that they have to. They need to pick their fights, and try to present with ways that don’t come across as petty. Whether they like it or not — they are perceived by the general public as whiney Hollywood millionaires striking for more money. To most, this isn’t on the same level as autoworkers fighting for their retirement. They need to adapt their PR scheme to a) battle the overpaid brat misconception, by saying more than it’s not true (and relying on more than YouTube videos) and b) tailor current press releases to be taking the highroad instead biting at the ankles of the evil corporate giant. The current PR strategy is turning people away. They have a valid fight, the just need a calmer, more mature voice to win over the public. You can still be fiery without being whiney.
I don’t really care for Ellen either. She was horrible at the Oscars and I am not surprised that she came back to work. Ellen is just about done with her show. I hope that WGAe manages to crash her next taping in the studio and confronts her. If that happens, the strike will almost automatically lose two months of life because the networks would be afraid to do new Late Night shows. I don’t think Dave, Craig, Jay, Conan, Stephen, and Jon would like to work while writers are striking either.
its great that all of you people not in this business can so vocally support this strike, but what about all the camera, grip, electric, sound, hair and makeup, wardrobe, locations, etc crews that are going to be put out of work indefinitely by this strike?! we have no control over this and we are not going to receive any compensation when this is finally settled, 2, 3, 4, 8 months down the road, and many lost houses and mounting bills later. why dont you think about that for every writer on strike, there are at least 10 other crew members that dont want to be on strike, that want/need to work for their families.
there are other solutions. in IA contract negotiations in the past, their contracts have been expired but they have continued to work while it was being negotiated. its not necessary, this work stoppage, and right around the holidays too. when you’re writing all this support of the WGA, just think about all the thousands of working crew people that are now out of work too.
No scribes for Ellen? Who’ll write her dances?
Excerpts from an e-mail from Dale Alexander, a key grip on NBC’s “The Office”:
“Our show was shut down and we were all laid off this week. I’ve been watching the news since the WGA strike was announced and I have yet to see any coverage dedicated to the effect that this strike will have on the below the line employees.
“I respect the WGA’s position. They probably do deserve a larger percentage of profit participation, but a lengthy strike will affect more than just the writers and studios. On my show we had 14 writers. There were also 2 cameramen, 2 camera assistants, 4 hair stylists, 4 makeup artists, 7 wardrobe people, 4 grips, 4 electricians, 2 craft service, 4 props people, 6 construction, 1 medic, 3 art department, 5 set dressers, 3 sound men, 3 stand-ins, 2 set PAs, 4 assistant directors, 1 DGA trainee, 1 unit manager, 6 production office personnel, 3 casting people, 4 writers assistants, 1 script supervisor, 2 editors, 2 editors assistants, 3 post production personnel, 1 facilities manager, 8 drivers, 2 location managers, 3 accountants, 4 caterers and a producer who’s not a writer. All 102 of us are now out of work.
“I have been in the motion picture business for 33 years and have survived three major strikes. None of which have been by any of the below the line unions. During the 1988 WGA strike many of my friends lost their homes, cars and even spouses. Many actors are publicly backing the writers, some have even said that they would find a way to help pay bills for the striking writers. When the networks run out of new shows and they air repeats the writers will be paid residuals. The lowest paid writer in television makes roughly twice the salary than the below the line crewmember makes. Everyone should be paid their fair share, but does it have to be at the expense of the other 90% of the crewmembers. Nobody ever recoups from a strike, lost wages are just that, lost.
“We all know that the strike will be resolved. Eventually both sides will return to the bargaining table and make a deal. The only uncertainty is how many of our houses, livelihoods, college educations and retirement funds will pay for it.”
THIS is why Ellen crossed the lines, to protect the hundred other people who work on her show, who need to get paid as well.
Although I agree with the writers’ stance that the producers are completely screwing them out of Internet money, it’s really surprising to me that the writers have expressed no sympathy at all to the below the line people who are losing their jobs every day because of this strike! Nothing is being said in apology at all to the soon-to-be-unemployed camera operators, grips, makeup and hair people, drivers and other crew members who are just as important to the creation of these shows as the writers. Are the writers going to set up funds or deliver donuts and pizzas to help THOSE people who are being affected by this strike? To writers and producers: just please stop trying to make yourselves out to be these poor abused slaves who are only trying to put food in your kids’ mouths. This whole thing is pretty disgusting.
Of course other people don’t want to be out of work. That’s why a strike sucks and is the last resort. The people striking don’t want to strike either. It’s completely ridiculous to say you’re trying to help “the crew” by finishing up shows. There is a finite time the strike will last, and it’s directly correlated to the length of time work is stopped. To think you are helping yourself or “the crew” by working those last few scripts now is like thinking the days are “longer” in daylight savings. It’s all the same amount of time, it just depends on which end you count.
One question and one comment. Question, do the “below the line” folks ever go on strike? If so, does the WGA honor their picket lines in solidarity?
Comment: people honoring picket lines are not being “noble”. They’re not being ignoble either; nobility has nothing to do with it. Strikes are economically motivated activities. Even non-strikers who honor picket lines are making an economic statement, not a “noble” one.
Whoops, one more comment. Unlike most strike situations, you have here a case where ONE person (Leno, O’Brien, DeGeneres, etc), who decides to honor the picket line, can compel a hundred or more other (much lower-paid) people to honor it as well, whether they want to or not. Hmm, nobility in the feudal sense.
Will the WGAE imdemnify Ellen? If she is sued by those with whom she has contracted and loses millions, will WGAE cover her loses out of ‘solidarity’ with her? I think not. The WGAE is wrong about Ellen not being welcome in NY. They don’t carry that kind of weight.
I love this woman.
Big shout out to “Carl” and especially “below the line”. I agree with you all completely. Here’s to Ellen, my hero. <3
Ellen is a writer and a member of the WGA. All of you need to realize this, do not think for one moment that she did not cross the line!