Last Gasp Picket At Disney Tomorrow?

COMMENTS (81)

• “final mass picket of the strike”

  Wouldn’t that be nice!

  Comment by Bill — Wednesday February 6, 2008 @ 6:17pm PST  Reply to this post

• What time is this mass picket?

  Comment by WGA supporter — Wednesday February 6, 2008 @ 6:30pm PST  Reply to this post

• Last gasp? I think you mean victory lap…

  Comment by tf — Wednesday February 6, 2008 @ 6:36pm PST  Reply to this post

• Hey,
  I’d go all the way. Daytime fireworks, the Main Street Electrical Parade music, and, finally, as the strikers lock elbows… “It’s, a Small World, after, alllll…

  Comment by Jack McCrew — Wednesday February 6, 2008 @ 6:36pm PST  Reply to this post

• I hope so, oh, I hope so. WGA, don’t take a bad deal, but please don’t throw out a deal unless you’re sure you can get something better by making this thing can last. Only if it absolutely must go on should it. And if it should, it will. But please, please, let this be the end.

  Comment by Caitlin — Wednesday February 6, 2008 @ 7:00pm PST  Reply to this post

• Does that make them Picketeers?

  Comment by deathbychichi — Wednesday February 6, 2008 @ 7:14pm PST  Reply to this post

• Who the hell is describing it as the “final mass picket of the strike”? Disney? The AMPTP? The trades?

  Everything is bullshit and conjecture until the WGA membership votes on a deal that it hasn’t even seen yet.

  And from my well-placed sources, the proposed deal is a steaming pile of shit that the membership will wholeheartedly reject.

  Comment by Fussy Protocol Droid — Wednesday February 6, 2008 @ 7:14pm PST  Reply to this post

• This is not the last mass picket of the strike. It MAY BE the last mass picket of the strike. We of course hope it is. But if the deal isn’t one the writers can embrace — and if the contract language doesn’t reflect what the WGA leadership has been promised by the companies — the writers will not have it jammed down their throats. Everything we hear is potentially AMPTP spin. This is still an on-going negotiation.

  Comment by Sylvie Q. Katz — Wednesday February 6, 2008 @ 7:38pm PST  Reply to this post

• Actually it’s being described as “what could be the final mass picket of the strike!”

  The “what could be” shouldn’t be left out, Nikki.

  Thank God the AMPTP finally came back to the negotiating table and thank God the two sides seem so close. I pray that as of Monday we’re done striking, but that might not be the case. And sadly, until the day the incredibly important details of the deal are worked out and are on paper, we have to keep up the picket. Again, sorry, Oscar.

  Comment by Jenny C — Wednesday February 6, 2008 @ 7:59pm PST  Reply to this post

• What’s being described as the “final mass picket of the strike” will be held at the Magic Kingdom headquarters on Thursday.

  “Described as” by who?

  Calling the strike over before we vote is exactly the kind of shit that’d make me vote to stay out even longer. And if I have even the smallest misgivings about the deal, I just might.

  Comment by Writer Bon — Wednesday February 6, 2008 @ 8:01pm PST  Reply to this post

• Honestly, I don’t think that this is the last gasp picket. If reality is any concern, I think you are going back into negotiations. Before that Bob Iger and Peter Chernin will be known as the duo that lost the Oscars, and got Washington to hold hearings on mogul greed. That is what will happen when you guys reject a bad deal on Saturday and Galvin Polone is too scared to admit it.

  Comment by Jessy S. — Wednesday February 6, 2008 @ 8:07pm PST  Reply to this post

• Awfully presumptuous to assume it’s the “final mass picket of the strike” isn’t it? What does ‘mass picket’ mean anyway? Aren’t all pickets mass? At what point does a picket hit critical ‘mass?’

  Anyway, who ever comes up with this stuff should really consider checking in with the thousands of obviously very skeptical writers who have yet to decide it’s over, and it’s only they who can do so. Is it not?

  Comment by Jon Raymond — Wednesday February 6, 2008 @ 8:37pm PST  Reply to this post

• STORM THE DISNEY GATES! THEN JUST SIT DOWN ON THE LAWN OF THE TEAM DISNEY BUILDING AND CHANT PROTEST RHYMES. PRETEND IT’S AN ANTI-WAR SIT-IN FROM 1968. LET’S SEE THE BURBANK POLICE TRY TO ARREST 3,000 WRITERS FOR TRESPASSING. YOU CAN CHANT “ALL WE ARE SAYING, IS GIVE US MORE MONEY.” OH AND BURN BOB IGER IN EFFIGY. THAT’S HOW THEY DID IT BACK IN THE 60′S IT WAS ALWAYS GOOD FOR A SHOT ON THE TV NEWS. YOU CAN ALSO BURN BUSH & CHENEY IN EFFIGY IF YOU WANT TO WIDEN THE PROTEST.

  Comment by Anonymous — Wednesday February 6, 2008 @ 8:43pm PST  Reply to this post

• Jesus H. Christ, everyone. All this “the strike is over” BS is the result of leaks– leaks coming directly from the AMPTP. Yes I’m talking to you, Mr. Chernin.

  This strike is *NOT* over until the membership votes on a good contract. All this “last gasp”, “almost there” crap suggests one thing to me:

  A shitty offer may be coming our way. Steel yourself.

  Obviously, there’s been a focused effort to create a wide expectation for the imminent end to this thing. I can’t wait for those PR flacks Chris Lehane and Mark Fabiani to give interviews about their pressure strategy, “Operation Raised Expectations”.

  Only it won’t work, guys. Because when the time comes, we’ll carefully look at the deal- and if it is truly bad– that is- if it’s just some reheated version of that peice-o-crap DGA deal, we’ll know it, and it’ll be a “no”.

  Whether the work stoppage is lifted or not. A bad deal will not fly.

  Joss Whedon really says it better than I. Be clear AMPTP– I’m ready and willing to go to June if we need to. And so’s pretty much everyone (~85%) I’ve talked to on the line.

  The writers, and BTL folks- we all deserve resolution and are looking with hope for a serious offer we can agree to. Because a serious offer alone is the only thing that can end this strike.

  JW’s right. It ain’t over. Not even close.

  Comment by WGA Writer — Wednesday February 6, 2008 @ 9:03pm PST  Reply to this post

• No matter what happens, I’m still never going to get rich as a writer. I’m okay with that.

  Comment by Ted Striker — Wednesday February 6, 2008 @ 9:20pm PST  Reply to this post

• To those writers like “Simon” who have posted–While I appreciate your need and right to stand up for what you deserve, I don’t think you understand the gravity of the situation for others in your industry. You say you have lost 350K and a pilot–and while that is huge, it sounds as if you are in a better position to take such losses. My husband is an animator who has been laid off as a result of the strike. We have been struggling just to make rent and have to choose weekly between which bills are more important to pay. He knows many in his position with families who are losing houses. But here is the difficulty–again, while I appreciate your full right to get what you deserve, you and others with your opinion that you will strike until after SAG gets involved in June, don’t realize that so many of your co-workers in the industry will be utterly destroyed if you do. It’s one thing to make a stand when it’s only yourself who will be hurt by the losses you incur. It’s quite another to make a stand that affects thousands of others and hurts them incredibly (most of whom make far less than you do) WHEN THEY HAVE NO VOICE OR SAY IN THE MATTER. My husband and his co-workers do not have a vote in the writer’s guild. Yet, they have been directly affected. You speak about getting your fair share–and normally I would agree with you. The producers are greedy bastards who seemed to want to punish labor by striking in the first place. But the time has come for this to end. If it continues, THERE SIMPLY MAY NOT BE ANY JOBS TO RETURN TO, and then what will all of this have been for? There is a tipping point that has long been passed where you have lost far more–and the entire city has lost–far more than anything you might have gained. I hate to let the big corporate types win; I’m a political activist myself. But with so much at stake, with so many others’ futures on the line with no voice in the matter, it’s irresponsible to be so inflexible. This goes for all of you. Both sides need to end this, to give a little and compromise like adults. The survival of the entire industry is at stake, which may be irrevocably damaged if the strike were to continue much longer.
  It’s better to cut your losses, if need be, than to lose everything for yourself and everyone around you. If more shows are cancelled, more seasons shifted to reality t.v.–what will any of you have won? The contract you begrudgingly agree to won’t be worth the paper it’s written on–there won’t be any jobs remaining for it to apply to. And in the meantime, those of us in the industry who depend on these shows for our daily bread will be victims of TWO bullies who simply wanted to show the other side up. I urge both sides to do the mature thing, compromise, despite all the weeks of negativity. Your and our very survival depend upon it. Be the bigger men and women. Show the producers you are strong, united, in pursuit of fairness, but not reckless to the point of self-destruction at any cost. That cost will be everyone’s future, not just yours.
  May practical, calmer, mature heads prevail.

  Comment by Morgan — Wednesday February 6, 2008 @ 9:22pm PST  Reply to this post

• For those who don’t know, it’s UnitedHollywood.com that is asking:

  “Could tomorrow be the final mass picket of the strike? One way to help make that a reality is to show up at what could be the final mass picket of the strike!”

  There’s also a good but sobering letter by Joss Whedon posted on there.

  And for those supporters who want to join the cause (we’d love to have you,) here’s the info:

  DISNEY STUDIOS
  Picketing Shifts: 8am-3pm (8-11, 10-1, 12-3)
  500 S Buena Vista Street
  Burbank, California 91521
  Parking Option: Neighborhood streets east of Disney (Parkside Dr.)

  Wear comfy shoes!

  Comment by Michelle B — Wednesday February 6, 2008 @ 9:40pm PST  Reply to this post

• To all you picketers,
  M..I..C..see you really soon…K..E..Y…why, because we like you, M..O..U..S..E. Mickey Mouse, fuck a duck, Mickey Mouse, fuck a duck, forever let us hold our banner high….HIGH, HIGH, HIGH.
  Strikes over when the fat Minnie sings.
  Good luck to all WGA on Saturday.

  Comment by btl teamster — Wednesday February 6, 2008 @ 10:00pm PST  Reply to this post

• Honestly, I don’t think that this is the last gasp picket. If reality is any concern, I think you are going back into negotiations. Before that Bob Iger and Peter Chernin will be known as the duo that lost the Oscars, and got Washington to hold hearings on mogul greed. That is what will happen when you guys reject a bad deal on Saturday and Galvin Polone is too scared to admit it. — Jessy S.

  What she said.

  Comment by Ruthie — Wednesday February 6, 2008 @ 10:02pm PST  Reply to this post

• Honestly, I don’t think that this is the last gasp picket. If reality is any concern, I think you are going back into negotiations. Before that Bob Iger and Peter Chernin will be known as the duo that lost the Oscars, and got Washington to hold hearings on mogul greed. That is what will happen when you guys reject a bad deal on Saturday and Galvin Polone is too scared to admit it. — Jessy S.

  Jessy–
  You just said a cotton pickin’ mouthful.

  That was in a movie (Victor/Victoria).
  Someone wrote that.
  Don’t forget it.

  PS: Don’t hear much from Gavin Polone these days.

  Comment by e — Wednesday February 6, 2008 @ 10:19pm PST  Reply to this post

• What is going to happen if you guys reject what’s considered a good deal? Brought to you by your leadership who you’ve done nothing but praise in the face of evidence that they’ve stumbled through this? I find it astonishing that (a) you’ve not seen the deal; (b) automatically assume that it must be horrible (“well placed sources” my ass); and (c) are so eager to throw Verrone, Young, Bowman, et al under the wheels. If the deal is this “pile of shit,” so be it. But some of you seem so full of Strike Fever that you don’t care that this might be the best it may get and that you will quickly find yourselves the villains in a scenario that has held you up as heroes. Don’t turn a righteous cause into a self-righteous self-fulfilling prophecy.

  Comment by Fielding Mellish — Wednesday February 6, 2008 @ 10:20pm PST  Reply to this post

• There is a DANGEROUS presumptuousness inherent in this story. The studios are not only stage managing the ending of this strike, but Nikki Finke as well – SCARY! Is this Deadline Hollywood or Variety? Sure we all want this to be over – but on the proper terms. Please, please please guys – let’s not make this a rerun of ’88 – and realize that we all lost our will and were bullied by a few craven entitled guys who finally got shows under their belts and are throwing their welterweight around. C’MON!! This thing is for the long long run – we will be judged harshly by the future generation if we don’t deliver. Billions will be lost to writers – just like they were lost in ’88.

  Comment by MANYASHOWRUNNER — Wednesday February 6, 2008 @ 10:31pm PST  Reply to this post

• i worry that the least talented, most bitter writers who indicate a glee to vote no to a compromise deal. let’s get back to work, the money’s not the important part. it’s the art and the people you work with who matter way, way, way more.

  Comment by foreign director — Wednesday February 6, 2008 @ 10:47pm PST  Reply to this post

• It’s been very interesting hearing the excitement of my friends who are loosely affiliated with the Industry, as I am. Their excitement lies in the belief that the writers are going to get some kind of decent deal because of the press releases. These friends can’t wait to hear what I might report second-hand from hubby’s reports from the meeting this upcoming Saturday.

  When I talk to my friends about what I consider the “sticking point” of the promotional window, and what I believe is not a small minority of hard-liner writers but what I feel might actually be a sizeable number of writers in the membership who think the original promotional window in the DGA deal is still too much time without compensation, their excitement falls. Then when I talk about the other strategic levels that making this deal could mean, they get thoughtful. The facts outweigh the spin. As much as my friends want something great to happen, they understand the power of evaluation and determination, and are willing to weigh all the options.

  So here’s some of the things that I have mentioned to them. Does the WGA go for it, and call off the strike and just ratify this deal to give SAG a starting point for their negotiations, just as the DGA deal gave WGA a baseline foundation? And then let SAG do the next bit of heavy lifting to see if they can get the deal up more when it’s their turn to come to the table? Or should the WGA hold out for more? Is there more to get without pissing the powers that be off? Or should the WGA take the biggest hit, being the baddest and most hated boy in town and allowing the strike to continue? Or should the WGA “panic” and feel that it should do the deal just so something is set in stone? Will there be a backlash if the membership votes down this offer? Is it true that SAG could really be split when it comes time for them to have to hit the sidewalks?

  What does it really mean if the membership does not ratify this deal? And what would it really take to make the membership happy?

  These are the questions that are relevant right now. NOT who’s the hardliner? NOT Who’s the moderate? NOT Who’s the pussy? NOT Who do we pressure and hate as a displaced and split off discharge for feelings of powerless and frustration for the last 3 months?

  Right now, information and evaluation is the key. Knowing TRULY what the membership is willing to settle for, is the conversation that should dominate on Saturday.

  Comment by Frustrated Bystander — Wednesday February 6, 2008 @ 11:18pm PST  Reply to this post

• What, no one has a glib response to Morgan’s plea for reason to prevail in this stupid pissing contest? No one wants to field her real life concerns about financial solvency, while people she knows are going under?

  I don’t want to make too broad a generalization, but you’re all pathetic, except for Writer Bon. He’s the best waiter in Hollywood.

  Comment by johnnyb — Thursday February 7, 2008 @ 12:05am PST  Reply to this post