A few items of note:
They're calling the latest proposal a rollback, despite the fact that there are no cuts to existing rates or residuals. They get paid the same or better on everything covered in the existing contract, plus new residuals are on the table. This is a step forward, not a rollback.
They have consistently hammered the AMPTP for walking away from the negotiating table on November 4; and yet they have now walked away from the table. The argument before was never that concrete to begin with -- the Producers walked away from the table only after the Writers walked away from their jobs. Writers provoke, Producers respond. No one was surprised by the Producers leaving the bargaining table.
The Writers claim that it is the Producers' fault that we're all out of work. This is the single biggest falsehood of the whole strike! This is a strike, not a lockout. The Writers could have kept negotiations going by staying at their jobs. They didn't get what they wanted and THEY WALKED OUT.
Finally, the Patrick Verrone memo from yesterday bashes the AMPTP for presenting "in essence their November 4 package with not an iota of movement on any of the issues that matter to writers."
Well, what exactly did the Writers present? Was there any movement on any of the issues that matter to Producers? Why is it incumbent on them to present you with the offer?
And why the hell are you taking 4 days off?!
Get back to work, so the rest of us can, too!!
12 comments:
I understand that you must be frustrated and that you want to go back to work. However, the writers would never have been able to get anyone to budge if they hadn't walked out. It's what they had to do. I respect that. I hope they will get a fair deal so that things can resume. But the offer they received wasn't fair, so I can see why they would reject it.
Writers should definitely be paid for content that comes from the internet just like musicians. Think about the Apple TV product. It's just a matter of time before there are more products like that. People will begin to use online services in conjunction with those products to watch on demand shows and movies. There's no doubt about it. I just hope all the parties involved can agree on a realistic and fair revenue structure.
Kara,
I agree that the Writers do not yet have a good offer. I agree that they deserve a cut from the internet.
But we will never know where the negotiations would be right now if the Writers had not gone on strike.
The latest offer from the AMPTP leaves a lot to be desired. Surely we could have arrived at least as far as this, though, had the Writers not picketed but rather stayed at the bargaining table for the past 4 weeks.
They could have rejected the offer of the time AND kept negotiating. Instead, they went to the picket line and the Producers walked away from the table.
One of the big rallying cries from the Writers since the start of the strike was that the Producers left the negotiation, not the Writers. The WGA has repeatedly pointed to that action as an example of how deplorable the Producers have behaved.
Now they have done the same thing. They Writers have walked away from their jobs and now they have walked away from the table.
Yes, there's at least a scheduled return (next week), but it doesn't erase the fact that they have walked away. It leaves a very sour feeling for all of us affected by the Strike to have no say in the matter and see both sides behave so poorly.
And I appreciate your even-keeled comments both here and on UH. It's sad to see that some people can't disagree in a civilized manner, as evidenced by some of the comments directed your way on UH.
They didn't walk away from negotiating. They're taking the necessary time to figure out a response. It's a negotiation, not an interrogation.
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.
The AMPTP said they did not have the rest of their proposal ready to present. They're still noodling on it or something. The writers have had their proposal, with numbers, ready for months.
I know that we differ on tactics, but I want to thank the creators of this site for adding to the pressure to get this wrapped up and settled quickly. I personally appreciate the support for a fair contract that you are advocating. We are all in this together, even if we aren't on the same page.
VDOVault,
I'd understand needing the time off IF they thought that, on the surface, it was a deal they could live with.
However, within hours of being handed the presentation, they were bashing it in an online letter.
Where is the WGA's proposal? I keep hearing that the Producers aren't offering enough, but I haven't heard concrete numbers as to what the WGA wants.
John,
Thanks for the support. Differing voices aren't necessarily jerks or trolls or whatever.
We may approach things from different angles, but we're all after the same thing.
I know you guys don't want to be out of work any more than we do!
"I know you guys don't want to be out of work any more than we do!"
Yeah, but it might be easier to stomach if you're expecting a check at the end.
Not to mention the residual checks that they will continue to get during the strike.
Oh...don't forget the strike fund that is available to them for emergency loans.
Also, that they were able to vote on the strike.
But other than that we probably feel this about the same.
How's this B*%tch?:
Maybe you picked the wrong industry if you can't stomach the union negotiations. They come every three years. It's part of the job. And, yes, if one group goes out on strike, it affects the others. That's always been the case and we all plan accordingly. If you are unwilling to accept that situation then I suggest you find a business with more stability.
UnitedWeSit,
I think the previous comment was basically reflecting the frustration that many crew members have in regard to the strike affecting us harder than those of you who are actually on strike.
We all know that contract negotiations come every few years. Thanks for pointing it out. But strikes are far less common. And a lot of us feel that striking was not necessary in this case.
Nonetheless, you are on strike and there's not much we can do about it.
But as you picket, many of you are also working on specs. That is to say, you are writing. And you will get paid later for the work you do now.
Meanwhile, a boom operator can't boom and a camera operator can't shoot, and scripty can't check continuity.
Crew members are far more likely to be living paycheck to paycheck than are Writers. The impact of your work stoppage hits many of us harder and swifter than it does you.
So maybe you might want to cut the previous poster some slack, show some sympathy, and move on.
And by the way, none of the comments to which you seem to object were false.
Yes, but remember that this thread started on an entry of yours asking why the hell writers were taking four days off. But we now know that the writers didn't ask to take those days off. The AMPTP said THEY needed more time to prepare the second half of their proposal....which they still haven't turned in.
If you could at least acknowledge that the writers are not slowing things down here--except by our desire to hold out for a fair deal that recognizes our intellectual property.
Also you wrote: "But as you picket, many of you are also working on specs. That is to say, you are writing. And you will get paid later for the work you do now."
It's very nice that you think anything we write will sell. My personal experience has been that for every spec script I've sold, there are three I wrote that didn't. In fact, you probably have no idea how much writers are forced to work for free. Studios are always requesting treatments so "we can see your take." Then they take your take and give it to someone else.
It's years of abuse and being taken advantage of that has led to this sad strike.
Helen,
So there's a 25% chance that whatever you are working on right now will earn you money.
There is a 0% chance that I can earn money in my current line of work until this is settled (or I get a gig on a feature).
I think it's clear that the WGA, at the very least, didn't object to last weekend's break. Today's letter from Verrone pledging to stay at the table is a welcome change in posture, however.
So I do give credit where credit is due, and I applaud the pledge to work "day and night" and through the holidays. Let's see if actions back up the words.
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