We think that this is a good thing.
But we'd like to see the WGA go further.
In it's letter to the Members, WGA leadership points out that:
Worldwide Pants has accepted the very same proposals that the Guild was prepared to present to the media conglomerates when they walked out of negotiations on December 7.
Our question, and the one we have been raising for weeks, is: why hasn't the WGA proposal been presented to the absentee producers by way of the Mediator?! Especially, since it's obviously complete and ready for such a presentation...
Stop saying you want to negotiate, and actually negotiate!
Having said that, there is one aspect of this deal that bothers us. By getting one company to sign this deal, does that embolden the leadership to dig in its heels even further and decry that this plan is the plan -- the only one it will sign? We certainly hope not.
Without knowing the details, one can not say for sure how fair this plan would be to the major studios and networks. And, yes, it does have to be fair to them, just as it has to be fair to the Guild. And fairness is subjective.
As has been pointed out elsewhere, many of the issues that currently concern the Guild are not issues that directly affect WorldWide Pants. Episodes do not run in perpetuity online (though non-paying, fan-posted clips are notorious on sites such as youtube), for example.
At any rate, this deal is done. Some are worried that the move will divide the Guild members (especially feature writers), others see this as a big step towards dividing the AMPTP members.
What do you think?
2 comments:
I think this will have little effect on the strike. As I have said elsewhere... What will end this strike is the force majeure letters that will be delivered to agents and managers starting the week of the 7th and the deal with the DGA which will be done by the end of Jan. You will then see movement by the Producers and writers. SAG members may not cross now for late nighters other than Letterman but give it ten days and they will.
This means shit, really. It can be spun any which way you want.
--It's great: writers are going back to work and getting everything the Guild wanted. Dave's a hero! The WGA is genius!
--It sucks: why do these millionaire writers get to go back to work while the rest of the Guild gets ready to pound the pavement? This will merely divide the Guild which is just what the AMPTP wants.
--Who the fuck cares? I work in a foundry in Olathe, Kansas, and my idea of late-night TV is the local news.
Sad, really, that any movement whatsoever these days is turned into a "victory" for everybody regardless of stance, when the cold, hard reality is that the minute David Young decided to enlarge his penis with this strike, everybody lost.
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