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Bloggers and commenters seem to be split on the value and merits of the DGA deal, especially when discussing whether the WGA should sign the same deal.
The most common refrain is something along the lines of "we didn't strike all this time to get that deal."
This is a common emotional response to negotiations, but it is the wrong way to look at the deal that's on the table (or soon to be, in this case).
What's done is done and it can't be changed. So the Writers have to try to forget (for a moment) that they've been on Strike and look at this deal with fresh eyes. They need to examine its merits and its faults and weigh whether it is acceptable versus an alternative of months more striking in exchange for an uncertain deal.
In short, pretend that the Strike never happened. Pretend that the WGA MBA expires on January 30. The DGA deal is presented by the AMPTP. Do you take it?
If the AMPTP had been this reasonable way back in October, would this deal have been good enough to avoid a Strike?
If the answer is yes, then every businessperson in the world, every economics professor, would say you should sign the deal now.
If the answer is no, then you have more work ahead of you. Now you have to determine what you might realistically gain by Striking. And that has to be compared to the costs of Striking.
In all likelihood, a WGA dismissal of this deal would amount to a Strike which lasted until July or August. The AMPTP would have more leverage than they have had at any time during this Strike. And they have large coffers. They won't budge from this, at least not in the short term.
This Strike has lasted 2 1/2 months. Are you financially ready to go 6 months more?
There would likely be a wave of Fi-Core writers. Maybe it's a handful, maybe it's dozens, maybe it's a hundred or more. But no close observer of this Strike could honestly believe that the entire Guild would hold strong after rejecting a deal that many of its Members believe to be good. How would this affect the Strike and the negotiations?
Finally, what is the added benefit that the additional strike would earn? Could you get $2000 for new media streaming? Is that worth 6 months of Strike and defections of the Membership? Could you get Reality and Animation jurisdiction? Would that make up for the current Members that you would lose?
This deal is not perfect. In fact, it's far from perfect. But this deal is good. In fact, it's actually very good. It offers new payments and jurisdiction that the WGA never had before. And it forms the foundation for the next contract, when you can negotiate for an even bigger portion of the pie.
This deal is worth signing.
Please, approve the deal and let's all get back to work.
15 comments:
Your fancy logic about 'fresh eyes' is exactly the kind of propaganda expected from an AMPTP Shill. How will the WGA hard liners keep preaching about what a turd the DGA deal is if you're gonna go around and spew your reasonable thinking? God!
Don't worry bts, they "hardliners" at the WGA will never get a chance to read BTL Guy's post as opposing viewpoints and free thinking are not allowed among the wga flock at UH.
Now let's see if Verrone and Young really betray the DGA's trust and the rest of us BTL by rejecting this offer. Let's see how many of my fellow Teamsters put up with this crap any longer. I for one will no longer support the WGA in any way if they prolong this mess.
Support THIS mr Hardliner!
http://artfulwriter.com/?p=318
Beautiful explanation by John Wells
And of course, the hardliners are already saying that they don't trust John Wells, so now they're doubly suspicious of the deal.
And there's still been no announcement by the WGA other than for some new picketing events. I find it stunning that there's a deal and a negotiation offer on the table, and the priority goes to announcing a picket over the Oscar nominees. (Picket Theme being something like "Awards are Nice, but a fair contract would be nicer")
I truly hope that the hardliners are not calling the shots right now.
Okay, two new things have just popped up in the trades.
According to VARIETY, the WGA Negcomm will meet tomorrow to discuss the deal and their future plans. This would explain why we haven't heard anything. Although I would ask what they're doing right now that's more important than finding a way to negotiate their way out of the current situation. VARIETY immediately cited the Wells endorsement as soon as Mazin put it on. They also noted the negativity we've all been seeing from the hardliners on the message boards.
The REPORTER on the other hand is quoting an unnamed source as saying that informal talks may begin by next week between WGA negotiators and Bob Iger. Normally, I'd consider this simply a rumor, but this isn't coming from Nikki Finke, UH or any other blog. If we're lucky, whoever the source is knows what they're talking about.
They are already talking on the phone arrainging tomorrows talks.
I think they will get back to formals next week and then look for Verrone and Young to begin the sales pitch to the WGA rank & file shortly thereafter. They told the DGA what they needed at minimum before they went in talks with the AMPTP, and the DGA got what the WGA needed. Now lets see how the WGA leaders can sell it to the tough talking strike captains.
Very loud trash talk on the UH comment board right now with moderation set on highest level to keep out opposing views. It's like listening to Talk radio for accurate news and current events.
When I spoke with my bank again today about possibly deffering a month's mortgage payment due to the strike they said "when is that thing going to end?" Of course they they wished they could help, but.....
Keep the faith brothers and sisters
BTL 399
Home for short sale in Simi
Not my strike
Unemployed
The problem that so many of the Hardline "reject this offer" folks have is: they simply don't have the facts on their side.
The DGA spent $2M and two years studying the internet. Guess what they came up with? $1200 per episode per year is actually fair.
NBC/Universal's trade show boasts aside, the internet simply isn't a get rich quick goldmine, at least not yet.
Furthermore, the barriers to entry are so low that literally anyone with a camcorder can compete with Desperate Housewives.
Most importantly, television reruns are not going anywhere. To repeat the opposite is a Carl Rove mindtrick -- say something enough times and suddenly it is "truth."
Reruns of The Office and Mad Men and Battlestar Gallactica and Desperate Housewives will be on as long as the first run episodes continue to air.
Repeats of CSI Miami have beat first-run airings of anything NBC can throw at it (sorry Studio 60, Black Donnellys and Journeyman -- all of which I liked better!).
Reruns are here for years to come.
There will eventually be a convergence of TV and Internet. It's not here yet, and it won't be here tomorrow.
Incredibly smart companies have tried to speed up that convergence and failed. Apple TV has been a flat-out flop - -a rare admission from Steve Jobs confirmed it.
Hulu? Innertube? Complete jokes.
Amazon Unbox? Can you name one person who has used it?
So, at this point in the game, ANY residual on the internet is new money. It is not a rollback.
Far more importantly, jurisdiction over the internet provides protection for the Guilds and their Members when that convergence finally happens. (I'm sure it will, just not nearly as soon as everyone seems to believe).
Now, if anyone can point me to a comprehensive study which disputes this notion, I'd be happy to retract this statement.
But I don't think DGA flushed their $2M report down the toilet.
My guess is that when the Writers' NegCom sat down with the Directors' NegCom and got one look at the Directors' report, they probably sighed a collective "oh....".
The money's not there yet. The jurisdiction is.
Stop the bleeding.
Sign the deal.
Note - I just submitted the above post on UnitedHollywood as well. I self-edited the last line to read "This is a good deal."
BTL guy, what discussion should your comments be posted under at UH?
Hopefully they post it, makes complete sense to me.
Hey there. The comment is up under "First Glance at the Deal Summary."
As I have said numerous times, I think the moderating is hurting the discussion; but, except for the one post yesterday, everything I have ever written has been posted.
John Aboud even gave one of my posts front-page mention.
Not sure what happened with the phantom post yesterday, and it makes me concerned that other voices may not be heard, but my gut tells me that the non-post was just as likely a computer error as anything else.
If anyone has had comments go missing on UH, be sure to mention it, but for now I give them the benefit of the doubt.
"If anyone has had comments go missing on UH, be sure to mention it, but for now I give them the benefit of the doubt."
Well BTL Guy I doubt the benefit of even trying to post there. The last six times I have tried (with the same ID and matching the little letters correctly), I have not seen my posts appear. Not even gone or deleted, just not posted. I almost think that there are just a few people there who post under alias a bunch of times - but that would be a conspiracy ooooh!
There has not been meaningful discussion on UH for quite a while. Just one sided 'stay strong, stay tough" rhetoric. Mob rule.
Of course the WGA will attend the informal talks and they will go on to formal talks and a proposal will come out of it. The "hardliners" will find that they are a just few loudmouths and the deal will be sour grapes to them while the rest of us get back to work.
One day one of them will grumble about the deal on the way to set and I will stop and kick their ass out of the van.
heh heh heh....
TranspoBill
Wow.
My post has been removed.
Well, I guess we can now surmise that:
1) there's dissent within UH about moderation
2) there's an agenda with the comments about the deal
I have to say, I am surprised and very disappointed by United Hollywood.
Yes BTL guy, I saw it on UH right after I posted previously, and now it's gone.
They are under no obligation of course, and hoping that open minded writers wouldn't censor opinions.
Or, maybe your post wasn't considered "Rational Debate" !!!
Hopefully just an error.
They are a closed-minded minority. I don't discuss the strike with them for the same reason that I don't discuss politics with Limbaugh listeners or race issues with klan members.
I just read an article entitled "Writers Strike Could End in Two Weeks as Key Players Show Clout" at hollywoodtoday.net.
I'm sure UH would (or maybe has already) call this B.S.
I'd like to think that this could be true. Now that we're out $20,000 bucks in lost wages and savings spent getting through this thing.
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