United Hollywood Is Now Moderating Comments

From their site:

We're moderating comments now because we are getting legitimately spammed. Dissenting opinions are not being deleted.

This appears to have just started.  

The problem here is that moderating comments is a slippery slope; we'll never know for sure what has been deleted.  When does a strongly dissenting opinion cross the line into spam?  

In general, I disagree with much of the spin I see on the UH front page; but I also genuinely respect the publishers of the blog.  I give them the benefit of the doubt for now, but I still think this is a terrible step backwards.

We'll see if dissenting comments will continue to be heard.

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In a related issue, Nikki Finke's Deadline Hollywood has also been moderating discussion.  

My last two comments were never posted there, and anyone who reads my posts regularly knows that while my opinion differs from that of the WGA hardliners, I am not confrontational and try to keep all the comments civilized.

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Christmas Eve Update:  Comment postings have really slowed, and the last few front page stories do not appear to have comments enabled at all (though, at this point, I'm chalking this up to the UH guys wanting to spend Christmas with friends and family instead of moderating their blog).

There was one post from commenter "DP" which appears to have been editorially deleted, but he reposted and UH allowed it in its entirety. 

The moderating is something to keep an eye on.  It's their blog, they can do whatever they want.  But as UH has grown in importance, I think it's important that we make sure we all understand where they stand in terms of comments.  

If UnitedHollywood want to limit comments to pro-strike rhetoric (and there's no indication that this is happening), they have the right and they don't need me or anyone else to tell them so.

But should they indeed change their stance, it would behoove those of us with dissenting voices to ensure that others understand that UH (in that case) would not represent the whole of Hollywood.

Indeed, it was my strong reaction to their original slogan, "We're all on the same page" and the constant early mantra that the Writers somehow had all of us workerbees behind the strike that caused me to start DividedHollywood in the first place.  As UnitedHollywood has been an open and valuable forum, my postings to my own blog (ie, here) have been minimal, as my concerns are actually better heard on their forum.  Hopefully -- and I have no current reason to doubt otherwise -- it will continue to be.

Now I, too, am taking a break for Christmas.  I hope everyone can put the current troubles aside for a day or two and truly have a very Merry Christmas.

WGA Denies Waivers to Golden Globes / Oscars

The WGA has denied a request from the Golden Globes to allow guild writers to work on the show.  WGA has also denied a re-use request from the Academy for its upcoming Oscars telecast and has said that if the Academy requests a waiver, they too will be denied.

We have to wonder -- what's the point?  In this time of financial and creative turmoil, would waivers to two shows honoring the achievements of the past year's entertainment REALLY undermine what the guild is trying to do??

Honestly, wouldn't more good than harm come from allowing writers to work on these two telecasts?

This latest move merely demonstrates further the ultra-militant stance taken by the current Guild leadership.  To dig in your heels to this extreme is further proof that Verrone and gang are out of touch with reality and completely lost in their own power.

I still believe that a compromise may still be reached between the WGA and the AMPTP in the next few months.

But I also believe, quite seriously, that if things break down completely; if, 6 months from now, this strike is still bitterly ongoing; if a real fissure occurs both within and outside of the WGA;

Then we may look back at this rally, at this day when the WGA symbolically turned its back on celebrations of our talents and livelihoods; 

And we will remember it as the day when it all went wrong, when the Writers went too far.

You may accuse me of overreacting, but I really can't believe that the Guild took this action -- that they didn't see the underlying symbolism in what they were doing.

It's a slap in the face. Not to the AMPTP -- they don't care. But to working Hollywood.

Not 8, Not 9, But 12! New Posts on UH - None Note WGA Waivers Coming

The WGA Negotiating Committee sent a letter to Membership yesterday informing them that tomorrow (Monday) they would announce that some shows would receive Waivers which would allow them to restart production immediately.

This is something we have argued for since the AMPTP most recently walked out of the negotiating room. When we post such comments on UnitedHollywood, however, we're labelled as AMPTP plants. So is Patrick Verrone an AMPTP plant as well??

To make matters more puzzling, UnitedHollywood has posted a slew of new front page stories - 8, actually -- since the email went out (and was subsequently posted on Nikke Finke's Deadline Hollywood), but none of these stories mention this latest development.

This action by the WGA is the only reasonable approach to the Strike Disaster now that it is clear that AMPTP will not talk until a DGA deal is complete (or until WGA submit a deal that only concerns itself with new media).

Why has the unofficial mouthpiece of the WGA not made any mention of this action? We are generally big fans of the site, but to ignore the most significant news of the past week is to do a disservice to the many people who go to UH first and foremost for their strike news. It is also proof positive that no one should be getting their news from only one source.

Here is an excerpt from the WGA letter:

We want to do everything in our power to move negotiations forward and end this devastating strike. We have therefore decided to reach out to major AMPTP companies and begin to negotiate with them individually. As you may know, bargaining on a multi-employer basis through the AMPTP is an option for the WGA, not a legal requirement. Each signatory employer is required to bargain with us individually if we make a legal demand that it do so.

Note, too, the spin of the letter. They're calling this "negotiate with them individually;" the reality is (and we'll get confirmation tomorrow) that they will be giving waivers to The Late Show With David Letterman (independently produced by Worldwide Pants) and several other shows.

Note: no sooner do we post this, than UH puts up another post. It's now 9 posts since the announcement, yet no mention...

Checking back in -- 10 posts now on the front page of UnitedHollywood since the announcement. Still no front page mention of the news. (10:45am)

Update at 3:30pm on Sunday -- there are now 12 new posts on UH since this story broke, including a video interview with Letterman's writers, and still NO MENTION OF THIS DEVELOPMENT. What is going on over there???

FINAL UPDATE - 15 Minutes after I posted this question on one of the UH Posts, there was finally a front page article about it.  My guess now is that it simply got lost in the shuffle.  UH is run by volunteers, I believe.  It still serves as an example of why everyone should read multiple sources for their news and editorials.

The WGA Letter That Should Have Been...

Yesterday, Patric Verrone put out a letter to the WGA membership advising them that he has filed an unfair labor practice charge with the National Labor Relations Board.  He continued slinging mud at the AMPTP, which, though we share his disdain for the AMPTP, gets us nowhere.

Here's the release I would have preferred to see:

December 13, 2007

To My Fellow Members:

As you know the AMPTP walked out of negotiations within hours of requesting the unilateral removal of several provisions of our contract. We were in the middle of preparing a counter-proposal that would have addressed most of their concerns, but we were not and are not prepared to remove items from our proposal merely in exchange for the privilege of negotiating.

As we have repeatedly said, however, we remain committed to negotiating and we wish to resolve the strike as soon as possible.

To that end, earlier today we delivered to Mediator Bryan Lourd our latest proposal with instructions that he deliver it to the AMPTP Negotiating Committee.

While we prefer not to negotiate the details of our contract in public, I wish to assure you that this proposal addresses each of the AMPTP's demands individually and separately, and does so in a manner that is fair to both sides.

We believe that our latest proposal, which also includes revised numbers to the new media payment schedule proposed by the AMPTP, continues to address the goals which are most important to our Membership, while allowing the AMPTP financial feasibility and maneuverability in this exciting, but constantly changing, new world.

It is our sincere hope that the AMPTP will resume negotiations immediately, as we continue to work towards a strike resolution which could see all of Hollywood returning to work in the New Year.

Again, we prefer to keep the details of this proposal between the two Negotiating Committees for the time being, but rest assured that the full proposal will be immediately available to you should leaks about individual elements of the proposal suddenly start appearing on the internet or the press.

In the meantime, I urge everyone to continue to stay strong and unified. We will get a great contract at the end of this difficult time.

Best,

Patric M. Verrone
President, WGA West

Now THAT would have been nice...

DGA To The Rescue!

Looks like DGA has had enough with the WGA flailing about.

This is the letter sent by the DGA to members of the WGA who had written letters to the Directors asking them -- against all reason -- not to start their negotiations.

Dear Member,
We didn't want to let too much time go by before we answered your letter. We want you to know this response comes from our heartfelt understanding of the difficult times we are all in together.

The DGA Negotiations Committee had its fourth meeting yesterday and we discussed your letter. We mention this so you will understand that this response reflects the very open discussion we had with your fellow Guild members.

To begin with, we understand the importance of new media and its potential impact on all our futures -- and on those who follow us. DGA has spent close to 18 months developing research, meeting with outside experts, and talking to our members about these issues. They have been discussed by the Board and the Negotiations Committee for well over a year.

We understand well the importance of protecting our members. We will not rest until our members get a fair and equitable deal for the work they create in both old and new media. Since its founding, the Guild has consistently fought hard for that goal. For more than 70 years we have managed, often without fanfare, to negotiate good deals for all of us and we are proud of the strength of our Basic Agreement. We have no intention of letting our members down or betraying the rights of the directors who went before us. There is a reason that few in the industry ever accuse the DGA or its members of being pushovers. We've never been that and we don't plan to start now.

This issue is not between the DGA and the WGA. To make that the fight only strengthens the other side. But sharing a goal is not the same as sharing tactics and strategy. And our differing views of the best way to achieve our goals may lead us to act differently. Traditionally our negotiations start early and usually are done by January. This has been our pattern for the past 20 years for a very simple reason: We believe -- and our experience shows -- that this is the most effective way to negotiate the best deal. The WGA has made a different decision on how to handle their negotiations. Out of respect for them, we have done what you asked for in your letter -- we have refrained from commencing our own negotiations. And, at the same time we have refrained from commenting publicly on our thoughts about the direction of their proposals and the progress of their negotiations.

But the reality is that WGA and the AMPTP have been meeting since July -- and, despite a strike that has put tens of thousands of people out of work, they seem nowhere near reaching a deal. Each passing day, more people are unemployed. We are getting calls from members who are worried about their economic livelihood and their families. We're sure you feel the same concern for yourselves and the people who work for you.

Because so much time has gone by without any resolution, we find ourselves faced with some hard questions. Is a fresh perspective -- and additional muscle -- needed to get the job done? Is it our turn to sit across the table from the AMPTP? What we know is that we cannot abdicate our responsibility to our members by putting their fate in the hands of another union whose tactics and strategy we have not been able to influence. Our members expect the Guild to fight for them when things get tough. We promised all of you we would do that in our most recent membership letter. We believe this is the essence of responsible unionism, which is the least you and all our members have a right to expect from us.

Sincerely,

Michael Apted
DGA President

Gil Cates
Chair, DGA Negotiations Committee

Jay D. Roth
DGA National Executive Director

DGA, SAG Need To Step Up Now

For some reason, the solidarity-seeking WGA is trying to stall the DGA in its negotiations with the AMPTP.  WGA seems to believe that DGA would make a simpler deal than WGA.  WGA fears that if this were to happen, somehow their hand would be forced and they would, too, have to sign what they view as an unfair deal.

I've requested more information on the WGA's stance in this case, but have not yet received it.  UPDATE - the reasoning seems to be that if DGA enter talks, AMTP will ignore WGA until those talks are complete.  As the basis of my argument is that this is exactly what is already happening, I still encourage the DGA to step to the table immediately.

At any rate, it is clear now, as it was before the Writers walked, that the AMPTP will not give the Writers anything significant in their current negotiations, unless and until the Studios know what deal they will have to make with DGA and SAG.

It is therefore imperative that SAG and DGA come to the bargaining table NOW, if there is to be any hope of this Strike ending soon.

As regular readers of this blog know, it is our belief that the strongest move and the shortest strike would have occurred if the WGA had waited until the SAG contract expired in an effort to have a "prefect storm strike."  

Through the preemptive hubris of WGA leadership, this is no longer an option.

Our best bet now, then, is to bring the effects of the "perfect storm" to the present and get all sides to the bargaining table.

We would love to see WGA, DGA, and SAG sit together in negotiating sessions, which would bring some needed bargaining skills to the table, as well as eliminate the uncertainty which clouds the AMPTP dealings with WGA and bring true strength in numbers to the labor side of the contracts.

Barring that ideal, DGA and SAG should still immediately commence negotiations in an effort to avoid a strike by their unions, and finally bring about an end to the present one.

AMPTP Walks, Writers Cry "Doh!"

The AMPTP has walked away from the negotiating table.

They are pricks.  Predictable, but pricks nonetheless.

Here's what's going to happen now:

1) Writers will complain.  "Hey, we wanna negotiate.  They walked away."

2) AMPTP will ignore the Writers.  They don't exist.

3) AMPTP will deal with DGA.  Prelim talks are already underway.  Expect a deal to be struck by mid-January.  This is months before their contract expires.  Their deal will include internet.

4) Writers will say "Hey, that's not a bad deal.  Come talk to us."

5) AMPTP will say "We'll talk when you go back to work."

6) Writers will say "No way, man.  You're evil."

7) AMPTP will ignore the Writers.  They don't exist.

8) AMPTP will negotiate with SAG.  SAG will bring in a WGA person to sit and watch, as a token of solidarity with WGA.

9) AMPTP will sign a deal with SAG, probably in March.  Weeks before their contract is up.

10) Writers will say "Hey, that's not a bad deal.  Come talk to us."

11) AMPTP will sigh.  They'll sit with WGA.  WGA will get a better deal than is currently on the table from AMPTP.

12) WGA will declare that it was all worth it.

13) Hundreds, if not thousands, of displaced crew members will return to Hollywood, after having fled across the country looking for work.  The average TV crewmember will have lost about $40,000 - $60,000.  Many will have lost their homes and families.

14) There will be a flood of spec script sales.  The second half of 2008 will be the best 6-month period on record for Writers in terms of salary.

Look, maybe I'm talking out of my ass here, but this is what my crystal ball shows me.  Who's got other ideas?  Lemme know.