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So I’ve just been told that Peter Chernin did make it to Super Bowl XLII after all. (Heck, it’s News Corp’s Fox Sports televising it, and Phoenix is only an hour’s corporate jet ride away.) And the mogul is telling Hollywood folk there that “the strike is over”, according to emails coming fast and furious out of that venue.
Editor-in-Chief Nikki Finke - tip her here.
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This is the kind of thing that gets over-analyzed to death on these blogs. Yes, Chernin decreeing the strike is ‘over’ is meaningless until the contract is ratified. (Or at least until the board approves it.) But the idea that he told his Super Bowl buddies that the strike is over as part of some sort of diabolical plan to get it leaked and sow false hopes is nuts. He has a few beers, makes some small talk during half time, some jackass calls Nikki, and suddenly everyone spews conpsiracy theories. Oy.
Ruthie,
If this Variety piece is indeed true re: deal points… I agree, it doesn’t look very appealing…
Not after all the sacrifices we have made thus far.
Second quarter is staring the Companies in the face, their stocks are underperforming and SAG contract looms. May be better to wait for a better deal.
SAG (Allen and Doug) already weighed in on the weaknesses of the DGA deal and basically said it was unacceptable… they were talking for both of us and have now taken the lead in the PR battle IMO.
Of course, we have to see what is what here, but based on the DGA deal alone it doesn’t look promising…
Also, based on what our Negs have said, we will need MORE leverage to negotiate a better deal this week.
And if the Moguls and their PR machine try to convince everyone there was a deal and Writers walked and start blaming the WGA it will backfire, again…
Both WGA and SAG will air their views bigtime when picketing the Oscars and when all the dust clears Chernin and Iger will be known as the Moguls who lost the Oscars…
“Variety: Industry sources said the WGA’s streaming deal still included a combination of a flat fee for the first year (excluding a two- to three-week window of free usage for promotional purposes) followed by a percentage of distributor’s gross.
On the issue of paid downloads, the WGA’s proposed pact is said to be identical to the DGA deal, which more than doubles the residual payments from the old homevid formula for titles that sell more than 100,000 units. And on the issue of new-media jurisdiction, the terms also are said to mirror the DGA agreement, giving the guild jurisdiction over projects with budgets of more than $15,000 per minute, $300,000 per program or $500,000 per series, whichever is lowest.”
I hope so, although this strike has killed us “below the line” workers, and after selling most of my belongings, my car, etc. the bitter taste of this strike will last a long, long time…..
Sounds to me like Peter Chernin is churning peters again, trying to find one that fits.
‘Course, they probably ALL fit, upon entering the FOX chunnel.
Considering the letter sent out to the WGA membership, why are so many now ready to believe this story? Writers were told that it is by no means over and that they shouldn’t be paying attention to these rumours, yet they persist. Nikki, this is just the wrong way to be reporting on progress.
While I might very well be wrong, I am very much a skeptic of this ‘story’. Really surprised that some of the WGA membership are all too willing to believe this over thier own president though.
I am getting frustrated by the negativity of so many of my fellow members, and while I of course want an offer that is fair, I am leery of having my future in the hands of so many vitriolic, paranoid and bitter people.
What do you think our end game will be? Do you think we’ll get more in say, September, after we’ve been out with SAG then we would now? You think they’d in essence reward us for staying off the job so long?
We have to stay strong, but I say beware of striking and/or voting ourselves into our own destruction. College educations, health and home payments and more are being sacrificed and all for a good cause. But we have to be mindful of diminishing returns at some point.
NOBODY won in ’88. Don’t forget that. How can we “win” this time? If not win, how can we force a tie and get back to work before we’re all obsolete?
Chernin is starting to worry about how much he’ll be earnin’ if this thing goes on any longer. He wants it to be over. He is unhappy with the bad press the moguls have been getting lately even though he’s very happy with American Idol’s ratings. FOX has already given up “24″ this season and Chernin knows they don’t really have much besides more stupid Darnell reality shows. Coming soon: Are You Smarter Than A Network Executive?
the minute nikki posted this, you knew this reaction would be logical.
First of all, it wasn’t a direct quote.
Secondly, it’s not up to the WGA members to call off the strike. You gave your executive board authorization to strike. They can call it off she. They want to, as they have your permission. Ratification is the only formal role you have at this point.
Calm the heck down. Chernin doesn’t speak for you. Only your board does. If anything, he may have felt that the deal was pretty much up to the lawyers to hammer out the details. We heard similar comment from WGA leaders at the beginning of all this.
Don’t dis this deal (if there is one) until you see it. It won’t be what Young and Veronne promised you back in November. It will be the best deal they could negotiate. You trusted them to do it, you have to live with it. Or, you can vote it down. Be prepared for the consequences if you do. It’s one thing if this is an AMPTP game, but it’s another if it is a deal your leaders made.
Think about it and calm down.
I hope there is an offer. I hope the strike is over.
But I have faith the the membership will not ratify a bad deal. So, Pete, if you think you have addressed all our needs – by all means present us you best shot.
If the deal is a fair one, we’ll ratify it. If not -me thinks you spoke to soon. (if indeed you spoke at all).
Faux News: Cause You Can’t Handle The Truth!
PISSY BOY: “Jebus! You writers are certainly ready to keep fighting until all of us Below the line folk are broke. How thoughtful of you. It must be hard for you Above the line folk to cut back on your maid, and your starbucks. Please stop thinking about yourself: I don’t care!”
I don’t even BELIEVE in Jebus!
Since you’ve quoted Simpsons, I’ll do you the justice of addressing you like you are what you say.
I don’t have a maid, but if you’re really hurting, maybe we can discuss some work as one. For ME, not you. If you’re a regularly employed BTL guy, then you made more than I did this year.
I lost the one piece of employment I had this year because of the strike, but that is the cost and duty of what we’ve chosen to do. I stand with not only my fellow striking writers of today, but those who struck so I could have health care, pension, etc. Those things weren’t freely given in the past, they were fought for. Without the Guild taking the current action, we risked our own demise.
As unfortunate as I feel for all collateral damage this has done, I’m feeling it firsthand and am convinced as I was from Day One that we have done right. We are fighting for our survival.
So please, do yourself and all of us a favor and sell your guilt over at the AMPTP website. Let Chernin or Iger know they can make do with one less ivory backscratcher and settle this thing.
Sorry about the tone, but I get testy when I’m in this fight, negotiating with my utilities to make sure my lights aren’t shut off, and read your tired, false, lazy characterization of “rich” writers.
Grab a seat. We’re in this for as long as it takes.
I figure about 90% shills on this blog.
The strike is not over by a long shot. Go to UnitedHollywood.com or Michael Russnow at The Huffington Post (also quoted as below on UH) and see for yourself:
I guess the Huffington Post doesn’t print irresponsible rumors as presumptuous facts.
Here’s the thing. The writer’s have to agree to a deal. Before that happens the AMPTP has to go into a formal session with the WGA and draft a formal legal contract. Go figure. WGA people won’t go with a handshake or even media rumors.
Anyway, since all this irresponsible news media rumor milling is coming from informal talks, and none of it is legal or has even been presented to the WGA members in actual writing, it’s non-existent. There is no deal for the WGA to agree to. Please show me otherwise.
Neither has the WGA had an opportunity to review said deal, it’s fine print, and potential loopholes. You usually have to print it first before that can happen.
So why the media blast the the strike is over? Because the AMPTP is affiliated with the big media and has put this word out to make the WGA look bad when they don’t agree to the non-existent deal. It’s a typical win-win for the AMPTP. Only thing is, the writers actually have the brains to see through the smoke screen.
Too bad AMPTP. Maybe you’d better get back to that Wylie Coyote drawing board and stock up on some new Acme blueprints.
hi punch-up,
you ask “How can we “win” this time?”
we can get fair and reasonable payment for the work we create (a payment that keeps up with inflation at the very least.) we can make sure that it will still be possible for us to retire one day and have a pension and health insurance. we can guarantee that future generations of writers will still be able (with a lot of hard work and luck) to make a living as a Hollywood writer and they too will one day be able to retire with a pension and health insurance. these things will not be possible without the tiny residual payments we are asking to get from new media.
we are asking for very little out of the huge pie we help create for the studios (with their money, hence they get most of the profits.) when we get the crumbs we are asking for, which will guarantee all of the above, then we will have won. and it will have been worth all this hardship, for without these basic demands being met we are truly lost.
To Punch-Up:
You’re wrong. The companies won big time in ’88, because the WGA leadership was crap and the union disorganized. We’re organized now, and our leadership has proven to be tough (with the execrable exception of taking DVDs off the table, a move as bad as some of Tom Brady’s passes today).
If the WGA is to win this time, we can’t take another “please sire, may I have more gruel” approach after so much sacrifice.
So, PETER CHERNIN says the strike is over. C’mon people…in this town?! What does that mean…NOTHING!!! How is this news?
If the terms described in Variety are true, I will vote a hard no for this. It is awful.
WGA Writer
Punch-Up, nobody won in ’88 because we took a bad deal. That’s not going to happen this time.
I’m with Punch-Up. What Ruthie’s calling a “shitloaf” might be the bones of a good deal. Might not. But might.
The AMPTP’s early posturing was complete, utter, unrealistic horseshit, yes. But the WGA has said some things that they too know is merely an initial stance, merely bargaining fodder, and that’s fine. That’s how bargaining happens.
So we’d be idiots to hold out for the WGA’s initial demands over a deal that our leadership recommends.
For instance – the idea of internet streaming having a two-week “free window?” That’s not so outrageous, particularly not in a world of HBO and other cable networks (with their initial run-it-all-the-time window) and Tivo (hey! we don’t get paid for people Tivoing!!). It’s a “save” for viewers who didn’t set their machines, and has clear promotional value that could result in more cash for ALL down the line.
And the WGA leadership KNOWS that. I’d be shocked if they didn’t give that away (perhaps for a small fee) in exchange for better residuals.
So let’s strike. And wait. Possibly, today’s leak is exactly what it appeared to be – a guy yammering to his friends at the game after a long week. For those of you who doubt that, who think the moguls each and every move is Machiavellian posturing designed to break us… trust me – they’re really not that good.
Okay, here’s the thing. There is so much anger here on the boards especially from below the line people who are the first wave of combat in the strike. Most of these people belong to IATSE and have never gone on strike themselves. And if they dared to, they know that the writers would not support them, but have them immediately replaced. Most of that anger stems from there.
For me, I work as an actress and get the occasional residual. I get what the writers are fighting for and it’s worth it. There are more down times then work times for most writers, and actors. And it’s a paycheck that for a lot of people is their survival. I know it’s mine.
I also work below the line on a sit-com. I wouldn’t have that job if the writers didn’t create the show and sell it, and get some one to buy it. Period. But here’s the other side, I’ve also worked on a lot of shows where the writer/producers can’t even be bothered to say hello to the crew. Maybe, when we all get back to work ( if our shows have survived this ), showrunners could actually take the time to express their gratitude to their crews. We’re not “families”, I know, families help you in a time of need, not actually create the time of need, but we ARE a team. A team where any player is free to negotiate a better deal. Please remember your teammates. We are sacrificing our apt.’s, homes, savings, retirement funds, college funds, insurance earnings, health and pension qualifying benefits, and even the holiday season for you to get a fair deal. Don’t act like we’re not even there or that anyone could do our jobs. A little common courtesy and respect go both ways.
Respectfully,
Peggy Lane O’Rourke
The strike and picketing continues.
SAG solidarity organizers have called, with the WGA, for a day of all-guild picketing at Disney this Thursday. We know the importance of hanging together on this for as long as it takes (full disclosure: I’m a SAG member who gets out there to picket when I can).
Variety’s pro-corporate stance throughout this strike doesn’t help to lend credence to their reports about what the WGA negotiators may or may not have accepted. I personally doubt the Variety report’s accuracy.
I know from conversations with strike captains on the lines that the negotiators are under significant pressure from a LOT of guild members to not negotiate a bad deal, because the membership will not hesitate to vote it down and stay on strike.
Our solidarity must be unwavering. Much as we all want a deal, we all NEED a fair deal. Solidarity will end this strike more quickly than vacillation.
I do hope this ends very soon. The latest series of Desperate Housewives and Grey’s Anatomy have only just started in New Zealand and I don’t want it to stop mid season like in the US.
Writers, Stand Strong!
Networks, Grow some balls and sort out your mess!
This is just another tactic by the other side to get your hopes up, then crush you when it isn’t true. Comes from Nick Counter’s “How to Negotiate Without Integrity 101″. Listen to your Leadership; you cannot believe anything the other side says.
Just because one loud mouthed mogul says it’s over, doesn’ mean it’s over. It ain’t over until the membership votes.
To the “TV is all crap” people:
There are a lot of excellent TV shows on the air as there are a lot of excellent films in the theatres. CBS’ The Unit is one example of an excellent show. All of the L&O are another, Brothers and Sisters, yet another.
I’ve missed and continue to miss all of the good films out since Nov 5 when I started my boycott of feature films.
Until the membership votes and this strike is *truly* over, I will continue to not give the studios one cent of my hard earned money.
Yeahs, you WGA members keep convincing yourselves that your is a noble cause. Keep slapping lipstick on that pig for the reality is that it’s all about money and you wanting yours which doesn’t make you a heck of a lot different than the other side. We knew the producers were a greedy, self interested lot, we just didn’t know you were the other side of the coin.
Your strike has been done on the backs of we BTLers and when this is over you will have made gains while we will never get back our depleted savings, homes, healthcare and lives. And yet all you do is whine and cavil about how bad the deal you haven’t seen yet is and threaten to stay on strike until September.
Is your union made up of spoiled 12 year olds? Are there no adults among you?
Pissy Boy-
I don’t have a maid. None of my writer friends have maids. You’re lumping the 1% of wildly successful writers in with the rank and file. We struggle, too. We’re all struggling. When you generalize, your point becomes meaningless. And you sound like you don’t really know anything about the industry.