Paramount & Dreamworks Animation Open Cannes: Sacha …
Cannes: Hot Film Titles For U.S. Buyers
Bill Block’s QED Gets Cash Infusion From Media …
Aaron Sorkin To Script ‘Steve Jobs,’ Based On …
Warner Bros Tops $1B At Global Box Office
Waterstone Enlists Chris Pine And Pals For Indie Comedy …
Jimmy Kimmel Skewers ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox & The …
Steve Jobs Biopic Starring Ashton Kutcher To Cannes: …
Alexander Payne Wants Bruce Dern And Will Forte To …
Amy Adams In Talks To Venture Into ‘Dark
ABC’s ‘Mistresses’ Summer-Bound, …
Alec Baldwin And James Toback Team On Cannes Docu …
RATINGS RAT RACE: No Howard Stern Surge For ‘America’s …
CBS Films Acquires ‘Ends Of The Earth’ At
Student Academy Award Winners Announced
Can Cannes Make A Major Mark On The Oscar Race Two Years In …
Single-Camera Comedy Mayhem: ABC, NBC & Fox To Clash …
2012-13 ABC Schedule: Comedy Block On Friday, …
2012-13 New Series Leads: Strong Year For Black Actors, …
Rebekah Brooks First Person To Be Charged In News Corp …
David Yates Confirms His Exit From ‘Your Voice In My …
The AMPTP just issued this statement today:
The members of the Directors Guild of America have ratified the sensible labor agreement we concluded. Our negotiations with DGA proved beyond any doubt that when both parties are prepared to bargain seriously, groundbreaking new media labor pacts can be reached without resorting to harmful and unnecessary strikes.
Editor-in-Chief Nikki Finke - tip her here.
Loading ... Loading ...
Kevin….
Just one example of DGA crossing a picket line….JJ Abrams, Director and member of the WGA… can you say “Star Trek”. I do believe there were picket lines at Paramount. But, I’m sure there weren’t any re-writes going on, I’m sure the script was shot “as is”, yea, right. The DGA wasn’t on strike, so they had every right to work….. just don’t act as though everyone supported the writers.
I think this statement from the AMPTP, shows how much these studios don’t care about ANY of our unions, or ANY of the people who work so hard to make their product. I find this statement to be a slap in the face to the WGA. I think the writers are the most important element in the process of what we create. I think they got screwed, the WGA talks about new media, but the new ticket is “Blue Ray”, so hows that 4cents per DVD working out for you? I see all this arrogance and I want to scream. I have this fantasy that the next time a union is getting screwed by the AMPTP, that every person just walks out, no matter which union you belong to, no matter if you have a no strike clause…just walk out…all of us. I remember the day when you would get whatever you needed to do your job… well, those days are gone.
O.K., I’m done ranting
As usual, you nailed it dead on Nikki!
jake Hollywood said:
@Kevin: YOU object? I OBJECT! To those pansy-assed directors who took the easy way out, agreeing to a deal when their contract wasn’t even up for another six months, and who undercut the WGA writer every fucking chance they get. I object to those directors who claim story credit on a film they can’t even spell the title of, let alone not having anything at all to do with writing the script. But I resent even more your indignation at being called a scab and denying that directors crossed the picket line. You and I both know that’s a fucking lie–because we both know that some did. Insult to injury indeed.
So, Jake, what i hear you saying is that you, and the WGA are victims. VIctims of the AMPTP, the IATSE, the DGA, the Gov’t, the economy, victims of pretty much anything except for the misguided policies of the WGA leadership.
Early negotiations have been going on for years. In fact the WGA started them. To feign surprise that the DGA entered into and completed negotiations prior to their contract expiration is amateur hour. To have expected them to wait until the WGA came to some kind of resolution w/ the AMPTP is just plain bizarre, unless there had been some kind of agreement stating that the DGA would, prior to the WGA striking. Same thing as far as support from the IATSE and other BTL unions, to show up on the picket line and expect any kind of support from unions under contract, w/ no strike clauses, WITHOUT first reaching out to those unions is asinine. To blame anyone but yourselves is even worse.
To claim to be victims of the AMPTP is just as odd, since the WGA decided to not start negotiations early, but instead waited to minutes before the contract expired, and since both parties were at the table when the WGAe left negotiations by beginning their strike.
The WGA unilaterally took on the AMPTP, trying to force major advances and changes, without having nearly the leverage to succeed. To blame anyone else for that is just plain silly.
btl teamster, you hit the nail on the head. much as the WGA members have argued that this was a strike for “all of us” (and as an indie producer, i don’t even have a selfishly motivated guild to promote my interests, so i’m mostly jealous of writers) there never was a real ahead-of-time effort to make this strike universal.
of course, per your comment, a true universal walk-out (one i would have joined even from my precarious perch as an indie) would have SHUT THE TOWN DOWN. and we would all have been in the same boat, fighting to make a rising tide lift us all. but that was never what this was. it was simple: a group of people in hollywood (and an indispensable one) tried to get some more “feather their own nest” money from the greedy bastards who own the town. that’s it. it’s not exactly Matewan, now is it? i for one don’t really get why anyone would think anything else. the WGA fought for its members, and if there were other casualties along the way, fuck it, c’est la guerre. given this, it is the height of inept illogical stupidity to complain that the DGA did the same thing–looked after their own. dude, you’re a teamster. you are in a real union. you guys do this the right way. you’re in the wrong town if you think anyone else is going to give a shit about you.
This isn’t about “sympathy strikes,” Frusto, ol’ buddy. What the DGA did by jumping in six months early and negotiating when they did was nothing less than undermine the strike action of another union. It’s a betrayal of one of the fundamental labor organizing principles — fellow unions are expected to support each other.
And I’d be careful with the name-calling. It has no impact on me, but it exposes you as incapable of sticking to the actual points of an argument. Plus, I’m waaay bigger than you.
btl teamster, as I said before, I wasn’t making a blanket statement that every single member of the DGA, WGA or even of the Teamsters honored the picket lines. I was objecting to the blanket statement that sounded like someone thought that every member of the DGA was crossing the picket lines. writer bob clarified that he did not in fact mean that. Such a blanket statement would be as incorrect as saying that since JJ Abrams crossed the picket lines at Paramount, that therefore the WGA members could be described en masse as people crossing their own picket lines. Calling the DGA and its members a bunch of names does not change the fact that on my show, the DGA team really did honor the picket lines, all the way up to the director of the episode in progress at the time. A blanket condemnation ignores the people that were trying to do the honorable thing. As for supporting the strike, that’s a different matter. You don’t have to agree with a strike to honor a picket line.
I agree that the no-strike clause in all of our contracts is truly an albatross. I asked our negotiating team to move ahead with the same conscience clause that the Teamsters have, but my request was clearly not followed. I was similarly hoping to see the WGA go for that clause, but that was apparently not done. The only movement I saw in that respect was an attempt to remove the no-strike clause itself, which hasn’t been a possibility for any other guild or union in this town.
Writer Bob, I need to ask if you have a response to my comments to you. What would have been your solution given that no negotiations were taking place, or were likely to take place any time in the near future? By opening negotiations, the DGA broke through the impasse between the AMPTP and the WGA and established a pattern that could be followed by the other guilds, one that establishes distributor’s gross as a basis for residuals. The result is that the strike is over and many writers are now back to work. Would you have preferred to stay on strike through the summer? Would that have gotten the WGA a better deal somehow? I’m assuming that like Jake, you have a regular WGA job you’re returning to, or have already resumed. Keep in mind that for many of us, our jobs have simply disappeared for the duration. (And this has nothing to do with being prepared for a couple of months of unemployment per the usual hiatuses. I don’t know too many people who prepare to be unemployed for upwards of six months at a time.)
The DGA was under no obligation to hold off on its negotiations, but it did so for two months out of respect for our sister guild, as Michael Apted publicly stated. Once it was clear that negotiations were not going to be happening with the WGA, the DGA stepped in. This wasn’t to undermine the WGA strike, and to my understanding, it did not do that. In fact, many WGA members have publicly stated here and at United Hollywood that they believe that the DGA benefited from the leverage of the WGA strike, and that the WGA in turn benefited from the DGA leverage. Michael Apted made clear that the DGA had waited as long as it could, but it could not jeopardize its own membership any further by waiting on the sidelines. When the talks started, several hardline WGA members here, at United Hollywood, and on several of their own blogs, made comments that they anticipated that the DGA talks might break down due to the intransigence of the AMPTP. When the talks instead quickly led to a new contract, many of those same voices made comments that the DGA must have sold out. (Note the same premise fueling both sets of comments – the AMPTP won’t make a good deal, therefore the DGA will either walk out of the talks or they’ll “fold like pup tents.”) What about the possibility that the DGA may simply have prepared well for the negotiations and been able to secure a new contract in spite of the obvious challenges? It again saddens me to hear the anger of the hardliners continuing. When my show finally does come back up, it will be hard enough for us all to try to work together without that.
Writer bob says:
It’s a betrayal of one of the fundamental labor organizing principles — fellow unions are expected to support each other.
I’m sorry, Writer bob, but that’s pure unmitigated bullshit.
What about fundamental labor organizing principles such as not raiding the jurisdiction of other unions? The WGA has spent the last 3 years trying to organize bargaining unites that, right or wrong, are traditionally covered by the IATSE, animation and editors.
And, as I noted earlier, in our industry, a ‘labor principle’ has been early negotiations to attempt to ensure continuing work. No matter how the WGA and it’s supporters decide to parse the new contract, IATSE members that work in the episodic TV market will never recoup the money they lost during the last three months.
Contrary to conventional wisdom here and at UH.com, a large portion of IATSE membership work steadily, logging 45 -50 weeks a year, either on TV shows and pilots, or like myself, going from one movie to another. It is NOT common to be out of work for 3 months.
You want unified industry unions? then, best reach out to them, not shit on them and/or raid their members. The leaderships of each union, at best, answer to their members, not the members of other unions.
you know what’s “pure unmitigated bullshit”, dan, and others?
it’s spouting off on this and other forums anonymously. if you are trying to poison our town for the foreseeable future, where all of us are wondering “is that the guy who said that really vicious thing?” than by all means, continue to post anonymously. and dan, i don’t mean to call you out–everyone (other than a few bloggers and as far as i can tell only me in comments thereon) does it. and it sucks. my imdb page is easy to find–look under “robert green”.
otherwise, dan, i think your analysis is spot on. kevin as well.
writer bob, if you are so big, do tell–what are you working on these days?
@ Kevin:
Since you’re a little hung up on being singled out–but how could I do that since I really don’t know who the fuck you are–I’ll clarify:
Every union cocksucker who crossed a picket line is a scab. Period. I’ll exclude those BTL folks who would’ve surely been fired for not crossing the line to do their job because I understand just how much a paycheck means to you (though you have to wonder If nobody went to work how quickly a contract would’ve been in the offing)–however, for those two assholes who were on their way to work and tried to run my ass over while picketing (yeah, they were BTL people), anytime, anyplace motherfuckers. Just get out of the car…
Who am I’m ranting at? Writers, directors, and actors–if you’re in a Guild, you had a choice. And you made the wrong one, if you crossed the picket line, in my opinion.
There are writers–writers I know personally–who refused to picket, who had secret meetings with studios, who did scab writing–some of whom were close friends and associates, I’ll never speak or work with them again in any capacity. I find scabbing to be that personally offensive. There were directors and actors who crossed the line to work, which I find to be a indirect level of “scabbing.”
All I know is, if SAG goes on strike I won’t cross their line (in fact, I’ll walk beside them). If by some miracle, come next contract the DGA goes on strike I’ll walk beside them–even if, overall, I find their leadership gutless.
I know that no one can force me to go against my conscience. No studio, no member of my own Guild, no individual. When I look at myself, I want to be able to say to myself, and to anybody else who cares, that I stood up for the right principle. And scabbing, whatever form it takes, is the wrong principle. And I’ll never do it.
Kevin, I don’t know you personally or maybe I do, but I’ll say this to you: if you’re offended by my “blanket inclusion” regarding my definition of scabbing, then so be it. Only you know if you scabbed in the technical sense or not. But in my mind if you crossed a picket line and worked, and you had a choice not to, that makes you a scab. The choice made makes all the difference.
@Frustrated Worker: Jerk-off? Is that the best name-calling you can do? I’m disappointed in you. Give me your address and I’ll send you a dictionary and a thesaurus. You can look up some really cool insulting words to toss around. I look forward to your new vocabulary skills.
Re: this gem re the DGA/WGA contracts — They are virtually identical. After you get the dictionary, look up “virtually,” please FW? I’m pretty sure you’ll discover that “virtually identical” is “virtually” impossible.
Make no mistake though, FW, both deals are crap. It’s just that the DGA deserves it and the WGA didn’t want to be left out of the taking shit department so the leadership settled before they had to. I’m guessing SAG won’t be so stupid.
Just one more reason this writer is glad to have voted NO.
Hope I have plenty of company.
Kevin, as far as the “impasse” was concerned, the correct “solution” for the DGA was to stay out of our shit. Period.
“Many WGA members have publicly stated here and at United Hollywood that they believe that the DGA benefited (sic) from the leverage of the WGA strike.” Well, yeah, under the circumstances, what else could they say?
Dan, our organizing proposals in animation only extended to writers not currently covered by a union contract. There was no encroachment on IATSE’s Animation Guild territory — having said which, animation writers should ultimately be allowed to choose which of the two unions (or both) to join.
Robert, since you asked, I’m currently doing a Page 1 rewrite on one film and a polish on another, neither of which I’m the original writer of. Deadlines are tight thanks to the strike, so the odds are good I won’t be rewritten before shooting. By the same token, I won’t get a final crack at a script I did originate, which is painful. In my spare time I’m practicing Tae Kwan Do and bike-training for this summer’s San-Francisco-to-L.A. AIDS ride.
It’s easy enough with the info I just gave you to find me through WGA circles, but given all the lingering animosity I choose not to abandon my anonymity further — I’m listed in the phone book, for crying out loud.
I agree with Jake; the 2008 MBA is a crap deal and should be rejected, however unlikely that possibility seems now. But if by some miracle it doesn’t pass, the WGA has shown strength enough that negotiations could be reopened without resuming the strike, something I hope my fellow writers are aware of as they vote.
dan, the WGA has spent years trying to organize bargaining units that don’t want to be covered by IATSE and would prefer to work under the WGA contract (just ask ‘em). I’m sure many IATSE members are really happy, but many others kind of would love to be represented by a union that has a strike fund and whose leader doesn’t have his lips surgically attached to AMPTP members’ asses (unfortunately for the most part that’s impossible due to jurisdictional issues, but I hope they get liberated from their own sucky leaders, no one deserves being stuck in that position). It’s not a matter of poaching, it’s a matter of wanting to work under a union contract that benefits them, not the AMPTP and their favorite stooge.
Jake Hollywood, I’m not completely certain how to handle the additional vitriol in your response. Do you really need to know my exact identity, since you have not revealed yours? And since your position is an above the line one, whereas mine is below the line, it sounds like you are asking me to risk my career while you pontificate about it. So I’ll stand by to hear exactly who you are and what your credits are before I expose myself to potential major career jeopardy.
You sound like you don’t like BTL people, of which I am one, as a DGA AD, as you already know. For myself, I only know that I never crossed a picket line in my life, including the WGA ones that existed for the week and a half that my television series filmed during the first two weeks of the strike. And I know that nobody on my DGA team crossed the WGA line, and this included a day where the picket line followed us to location. Your judgment on this appears to condemn us all as what you perceive as “scabs” if we weren’t walking your picket line, rather than simply refusing to cross it. I can’t tell – your anger over this issue makes it hard for me to tell your position. But calling people from any guild names tends to detract from your ability to maintain a logical position. What I do know is that the end result is that my entire DGA team has lost what will amount to about six months of work while we honored your picket lines, and this income will never come back. And by way of thanks, I can now enjoy the insults you have piled upon the injuries thrust upon my staff.
Writer Bob, you still have not provided a solution other than telling the DGA not to negotiate their contract. Please tell me what your solution was to the fact that no negotiations were happening between the WGA and the AMPTP. Or would you have preferred that the strike simply continue for the next five to eight months while everyone tried to find a way to save face? As you know, the DGA was not involved in your business. The DGA was trying to negotiate its own contract, and held off for over two months out of respect for the WGA. When it became clear that no negotiations were forthcoming, the DGA did what it had to do to protect its members. Please read Michael Apted’s statements again if there is any confusion for you. You still have not addressed my questions, and I am still waiting for your response.
And I’m sure you’re aware that if the WGA were to reject the current offer, we’re looking at a labor stoppage that would extend all the way into and past the summer. You still have not responded to my question of whether this is your intention.
I appreciate your support for the AIDS Ride – I have sponsored riders in it several times in the past, but cannot this year due to the lost income from the strike. And I appreciate that you are being paid to rewrite other WGA members as we speak. I am currently waiting to hear when I may be employed again – a delay that will likely extend for the next three months, thus extending the work stoppage for me for upwards of six months when I could have been employed for most of that time.
I appreciate your correction of my spelling, almost as much as Harlan Ellison appreciated the correction given to him at United Hollywood. But you still did not address my questions with anything other than vitriol. Like I said, when we finally return to work on my show, the situation is going to be uncomfortable enough without hardliners from either side trying to make the situation any more difficult. I hope that your on-set experience will tell you the same thing. If it doesn’t, that betrays an above-the-line attitude that can be quite counterproductive when we work to film the scripts that you write.
Jake Hollywood:
vir·tu·al·ly — for the most part; almost wholly; just about.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary
virtually — In fact or to all purposes; practically: Almost but not quite; nearly.
American Heritage Dictionary
Thanks for the union lesson WB. Did you or Jake H. speak up about your misgivings re the contract at the meeting at the Shrine? I didn’t observe any major opposition at that time. Why aren’t more WGAers being vocal about their problems with the agreement? Maybe you’re all too busy blaming everyone else for your “crap deal”.
Jake, have you noticed these guys’ practice of reasking the same questions you’ve just responded to, then criticizing you for never having answered their questions? Me too. Done playing now.
@FW: very good. Now that you understand what “virtually” means, could you please explain how something could be “virtually Identical” (the operative word is “identical”)?
Did I speak up at the meeting? You probably missed it (I’ve done nothing but expressed my views on “the deal”), I mean, since I’m so quiet and all.
@Kevin: Really, I don’t actually care who you are. I’ve already stated, rather emphatically, too, I might add, my view of scabbing. But here’s a refresher: If there’s a picket line and you crossed it (and you’re in a union) you are a SCAB in my book. This may differ slightly in the technical sense (the rules are more forgiving than I am personally), which allow people to cross who aren’t actually part of the striking union. and if you didn’t cross the picket line, you’re not a scab. Got it?
Except…
You have admitted that you worked during the strike: And I know that nobody on my DGA team crossed the WGA line, and this included a day where the picket line followed us to location….Ummmmm…if you were followed by a picket line, doesn’t this mean you worked during the strike?
Ooooooo…I get it. You didn’t cross the picket line (and by default and your logical thinking process you’re not really a scab), it followed you, so how could you cross it, right?
Except…you were a scab (in my book anyway).
You’re seeking some sort of justification (look how much money I lost), doesn’t wash for me. I’ve already said what SCAB is in my book–and you qualify.
So, now every time I work with somebody named Kevin, they’ll be suspect. And it’s YOUR fault.
And, Kev? The DGA (of which I’m a member too–and yeah I’m against our deal too) leadership always acts in their own “best” interest. And Gil Cates (as I’ve said to him personally) can kiss my ass. The best thing that could happen to the DGA would be a change in leadership–some leadership with balls and who can see the BIG picture not its own myopic interest.
So we’re clear, Kev, since you’re so obviously confused, I didn’t criticize every member of the WGA, SAG, or the DGA–I just bitched about those individuals who crossed the picket line. It’s THOSE people who I (me, myself, I) consider SCABS. Technicalities aside, that is. So, if the band aid covers it, let thy scab weep.
@Writer Bob: Yep. These fuckers are exhausting.
Writer Bob, the problem is that you actually haven’t been answering the questions I have asked you. Your only response was for the DGA to “stay out of our ****.” You still have not answered my question about how you would have suggested that the impasse be broken. You also have not answered my question about whether your preference would be for the strike to continue through the summer. So my comments stand – I’m still waiting to hear what you have to offer as a positive solution. That’s not an insult or a criticism – it’s a genuine request for a logical, non-vitriolic answer.
And while I don’t agree with the practice of name-calling by anyone, including Frustrated Worker, I think he has a genuine point. If this deal is so horrible, why wasn’t there an outcry at the Shrine to demand a better deal? Why has that outcry only appeared anonymously here or at United Hollywood, when it could have had a real effect at the meeting? I don’t think FW should be calling you or Jake names, and I agree with you that it’s both rude and doesn’t add to the discussion in any positive way.
On the same subject, I am continuing to await Jake’s apology for calling me a scab, particularly after I have repeatedly stated that my DGA team honored the WGA picket lines, even when the rest of our crew crossed them.
I don’t see this discussion as “playing”. This is quite serious business, and it has resulted in 150 people on my crew being unemployed for what will be at least 6 months for the vast majority by the time we get back to work. (I acknowledge that a small number will be able to get day assignments or land on this or that pilot, but most of our group has continued to be unemployed since we shut down in mid-November.)
Jake, you’re clearly still quite angry, and the vitriol is continuing.
I completely disagree with your assessment of me and my crew, but I will not resort to the name-calling of which you seem to be fond. As I said, I respect that you and Bob are actually working WGA writers who actually have something at stake here rather than people cheering from the sidelines.
So we’re clear, the WGA put up their picket lines AFTER we had gotten to work for the final episode we finished after the strike began. So there was no line to cross. And when the line was put up on location, I and the other DGA members didn’t cross it. Instead, we parked outside and spent that part of the morning talking to the picketers (who were comprised of our own writers and producers.) The picket line was taken down within two hours of our crew call, and the picketers left the location. The shoot continued for another 12 hours or so with no picket line present at any point. So no, my team did not cross the line, however you wish to view it. And I get the impression that you don’t care about the collateral damage of lost wages and work – which is truly unfortunate if you really think that way. As a working writer-director, I cannot believe that you would dismiss your crew that easily.
You indicate that you now wish to hold every Kevin you ever work with as suspect. I truly hope that this is your anger speaking. If you are a writer-director that makes decisions on that small of a basis, that’s a truly unfortunate way to work. And I hear you that you don’t like Gil Cates or Michael Apted. I recommend that you vote Apted and the others down in the next DGA election, and better yet, that you run for office yourself. And I hear you that you’re not criticizing EVERY member of the guilds – although your own admission that you now find everyone named Kevin seems to contradict that.
If you’re truly that exhausted, I strongly recommend basing your arguments on reason rather than anger.
Kev, Kev, Kev.
So, Kev, you’re still upset that in my opinion you’re a scab. and you’re awaiting my apology. Ummmmmm…I wouldn’t hold my breath if I were you.
Read on:
I’m not angry, and my argument is based on reason. And here it is. Again. And Again.
MY VIEWS ON SCABBING: A person is in a union and let’s say they’re in a union (or a Guild), and that union is divided up according to job title. Now let’s say ONE of those guilds/unions goes on strike because they think they’ve been treated unfairly. Now let’s say the other two unions/guilds KNOW that that the first guild/union has gone on strike. And certain members of the other guild/union crosses the picket line (whether one is present or not, in a physical sense) to go to “work.” Now let’s say, they go to “work” because they want a paycheck, think they might get sued, disagree with the principle of the strike, etc. etc. etc. Pick a reason–doesn’t really matter–I’m sure justification is easy enough for some people.
Now let’s see how this idea applies to you and your situation. Ummmm…let’s see. There was strike and you knew about it. There was a picket line and you waited for it to disappear before crossing it. YOUR OWN ADMISSION PROVES THIS AS TRUE: So we’re clear, the WGA put up their picket lines AFTER we had gotten to work for the final episode we finished after the strike began.
You do see the words “picket line” and “strike” and “WGA” in that sentence, right Kev? You KNEW there a strike, right?
So maybe you’re not a scab according to the rule book. BUT we ain’t talking about any rule book. We’re talking about MY rule book. And in it you’re a SCAB. Easy enough to understand, right Kev?
I mean, I know you don’t like my rule book, but it is what it is. And you still want me to apologize? Ummmmm…no I won’t do that.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: if the roles were reversed, and the BTLers went on strike or Ralphs/Vons/Albertson or SAG or god-forgive the DGA (the earth would probably stop spinning if that happened), or anybody else, I WOULD NOT CROSS THEIR LINE either in practice or in spirit. I’m not built that way.
I wouldn’t do it even it meant losing my house, future employment, my car, and everything I own. I am no built that way. I’d shovel shit against the tide for a living, but I’d never cross a picket line and I wouldn’t support in any fashion anyone who did.
That’s just me.
And not to speak for WriterBob, but my answer as to what the DGA should’ve done re their contract: I would’ve waited (and consulted with) the WGA leadership (as opposed to being in management’s pocket) until they and SAG (who also have a stake in all of this) figured out their maximum leverage point and then went from there. BUT what I wouldn’t have done is allowed my people to sell out another Guild by undercutting <their negotiations, even if I disagreed with their methods. Especially if I had six months before my deal expired.
That’s just me, though.
As to dumping Cates and Apted – I’ll do my level best to unseat them.
And, Kev? All the Kevins are suspect now because of you. Since I don’t know you personally, I now have to look at every Kevin I run into as if they’re the one who knew there was a strike going on and tried to justify his behavior by saying that because the was no actual picket line present that it was okay to go to work and crossed the invisible line.
And, in my rule book anyway, that’s a big no-no and qualifies that person as a scab, even if in the technical sense they may not be a scab.
We’re talking about MY rules, since they’re the only ones I live by.
Got it now, Kev?
Jake, first, you can do the courtesy of calling me by my name, which is Kevin, and not some shortening that you seem to enjoy using.
Second, you should know that I disagree with your assessment of this situation, and that your attempts at justification do not bear scrutiny. Your latest post only shows an additional amount of anger and vitriol. A review of your posts here and elsewhere shows that you have been repeatedly asked to deal with this, even by John August, to whom you admitted your issues in this area. I have only asked you to think logically, and instead you have responded with further anger. I regret that I may have inadvertantly provoked you into further expressions of this, but I had hoped that you would act with more rationality.
Apparently, according to your emotional appeal, I should have simply stayed home as soon as the WGA walked out on Sunday the 4th. The problem here has to do with both my assignment and the DGA contract, which, like the WGA contract and every other guild and union contract in Hollywood, contains a “no strike” clause. This means that guild and union members don’t get to choose what they will do without retaliation. I was certainly prepared to face that, as I told our showrunner and the head writers/producers of our series when I talked with them at the picket line on location. I was prepared to honor any picket line and did so by not crossing. But given that no picket line was present when I or my team arrived for work on the few days that we had before the show was shut down, I was never given the opportunity to make that choice. Under your feeling, I would apparently be compelled to simply not appear for work, given that the WGA had announced its intention to walk out. And by doing so, I would be violating my contract with with the DGA and subjecting myself to discipline for that, as well as other consequences from the DGA. Had a picket line been present for me to deal with, I would have instructed my superiors that the line simply couldn’t be crossed. But since no line was present, I couldn’t make that argument. And since there was no line to cross, I couldn’t tell my employer or my guild that I was unable to appear for work. This is simple logic, and it’s surprising that you are unable to grasp it. When the picket line appeared on location, I refused to cross it but instead spent the time talking with the writers and producers of our show, who were quite reasonable and understanding of everything that was happening. Had you been there, you could have seen this for yourself. (The picket line included several people who were not from our shows, but were similarly decent and friendly people who showed none of the rage you have demonstrated here.)
You are of course entitled to your opinion, but I do not accept your practice of name calling and vitriol, particularly at this stage, when many other members of the WGA are trying to end this situation with a degree of calmness that you appear to not wish to demonstrate. From your prior posts, I understand that you have admitted that you have issues in this area and I understand that this may be a problem for you. Be aware that in spite of your attempts to bait or use name calling, I still refuse to follow suit. Instead, I continue to ask you to act with rationality and with regard to the idea that you will need to work with not only the AMPTP but also with other crew people who do not agree with your hardline position. If you are incapable of doing this, I strongly suggest that you rethink your choices.
Your blanket condemnation of everyone with my name is curious. You have not given your name. Further, your own blogs indicate that you do not work regularly in this business. Writing and directing the occasional indie film is a great opportunity, but it’s not quite the same thing as working regularly in the field of film or television. Your interactions indicate to me that your experience may not be what you have presented here and at United Hollywood. For the record, I have worked in the business as an AD since 1994, when I began as a DGA Trainee. I have worked in episodic television as a 2nd and 1st AD on a regular basis since 1996, following nearly 2 years of constant employment as a Trainee. I worked on one series for approximately seven of those years. When this strike began, I was employed on a network series which had been picked up for a full season but had that season foreshortened from 22 episodes to 9. I am told that we will be returning to work in another 3 months or so. When that happens, I will return to the set and continue to do my job. I need to ask, quite seriously, what you have been doing in this respect, and what you will be doing come June or July of this year. (I am following the advice of friends who are active SAG members on the various committees, who believe that negotiations with AMPTP will lead to a new contract before July rather than the strike for which the hardliners have been yearning.)
I understand now that your rule book precludes any of the logical arguments I have presented to you, and that you wish to continue on the path you have chosen. You are more than welcome to do so. I strongly hope that you will appear at the annual DGA meeting that will happen this May. As you should know, there is an open microphone period following the committee reports. I look forward to your public comments at that time, and I will be happy to speak with you as soon as you complete your statements to Michael Apted and Gil Cates. I ask only for a few minutes to discuss these matters with you in an open and friendly environment. If you truly are a WGA/DGA member who works regularly, this will not be any inconvenience.
@Kev….err…Kevin,
Frankly dude, you’re boring me.
Once again (and this seems really difficult for you to grasp) I’ll explain my view: Simple really. If there’s a strike and you’re in a guild/union and you cross the line, whether or not there’s actually a line present, then you’re a scab in my opinion. In my opinion being the operative phrase. You may not be a scab in the technical sense, but in my opinion (there’s that phrase again) you are. That’s just me.
Oh, and thank you for allowing me to have my very own opinion – it means sooooooo much to me that you give me your blessing.
I’ve NEVER missed a vote at any Guild meeting. I may not go to all the meetings (frankly those meetings full of people that like being self-congratulatory bore me too), I’m not much on the camaraderie in the film community – I like being a sort of outsider. I tend to work with same people over and over again: BTLers and actors on the films I make. I prefer making friendships and relationship that go beyond the business (they tend to last longer)…
Hope this clears things up for you.
Oops. One more thing. I’m successful (as successful as I want to be, which by anybody’s definition is, very) enough to work on my own terms, so your career advice is both unwanted and unnecessary. So fuck off.
Oh, and one last thing, Kev…err…Kevin…YOU might want to see a professional regarding your incessant need to be liked. Seriously, dude, why the fuck do you care what <i<anybody thinks of you, especially somebody you may or may not know personally or even met.
Think about it, please.
Jake, I realize that you’re sitting on a lot of anger, but the vitriol and the attacks do not help make your point. It really doesn’t matter what you think of me as an individual, but I again point out that the name-calling is both rude and unproductive.
I do have one question for you. Can you explain the following post, which you put on Ken Levine’s blog on November 26: “…Until then as a non-WGA writer I’ll stay on the line and support the cause because it’s the right thing to do.”
Are you or are you not a WGA member? And at the same time, are you really a DGA member? If you aren’t, then I believe you have some explaining to do.
Wrong Jake, Kevin. Not only am I a WGA member, I’m also a DGA member.
I’ll show you mine if you show me yours.
And, more importantly, YOU keep insisting that I’m angry (which I’m not) just because YOU don’t like my definition of scab.
You’ll get over it.