UPDATE - The post below was a knee-jerk reaction to an AMPTP press release which, at the time, seemed credible. The WGA has since denied that they asked for the the break. Neither side, though seems too fervent in their denial of the other's claim.
My interpretation now is that the break was basically a mutual decision, and that whichever side asked for it, the other side quickly agreed.
And we also now know that the groundbreaking deal included compensation of$250 for new media. Yeah, real groundbreaking there.
What was the Writers' response? Let's take a few days off to read it. They'll come back on Tuesday, December 4.
WHAT!!??!!??
Writers have been complaining nonstop that it wasn't them who broke off negotiations (it was merely the act of striking which made the producers leave the table).
So what happens? They get presented a deal. A deal that -- from leaks alone, taken with a grain of salt -- seem fair.
And they want nearly a week to ponder it.
Is this a ridiculously long time? Depends on how you define ridiculous. It's not weeks and weeks, but c'mon, people are OUT OF WORK BECAUSE OF YOU. WGA has a major responsibility to figure this out. Work through the weekend. Sign the damn thing!
WGA -- you have officially lost the last speck of respect that we crew members had. Merry Christmas.
3 comments:
You've saved me a great deal of energy with your posts to United Hollywood. I agree with pretty much everything you say.
Thanks, hungry. Get the word out about both this site and United Hollywood. The writers need to know that we're not happy with this strike even though we understand what they're negotiating for.
They lost any leverage they had when they walked out and their continued arrogance and ignorance is costing thousands of people their livelihoods!
Just wanted to say that the last version of the Minimum Basic Agreement for the WGA runs 624 pages long. As an attorney who has handled recording artist contracts which are far shorter (around 50 pages) it would take me around 8 hours to carefully parse through their agreements with the major labels so that I could then inform them of what they were getting into and discuss with my clients what we could realistically improve and what we were stuck with.
I think 4 days may be a bit too short an amount of time for the legal team to read through the latest from the AMPTP even if they put in 8 hour days Friday Saturday Sunday and Monday. And that is assuming that the relationship between the WGA and the AMPTP was not acrimonious and full of mistrust which it clearly is.
Remember that the writers have to put whatever the deal consists of in front of 12000 people to vote on and since none of the writers on the negotiating committee went to law school or could read and understand the AMPTP deal for themselves much less explain it to the other 12000 members, it would be reckless and stupid of them to not have competent legal advice.
The networks and studios of course understand what is in their proposal...they wrote it. But to badmouth the writers for immediately taking the deal is irresponsible and disingenuous of the AMPTP and makes me even less inclined to believe them much less buy any of their products.
Just thought I'd give you some perspective on why the 4 day break is necessary.
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