Strike, day five
Yesterday was the big rally at Fox Plaza, drawing 4,000 protesters to Century City for speeches in front of the Die Hard building.
Zack de la Rocha and Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine kicked it off with a set, followed by remarks from…
- Jesse Jackson
- WGA president Patric Verrone
- WGA negotiating committee chairman
RobJohn Bowman - WGA executive director David Young
- SAG president Alan Rosenberg
- Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane, and
- Norman Lear
I’m listing the speakers because unless you were standing pretty close, you’d have had no idea who was talking. Between the picket signs, the helicopters, and an under-powered amplifier, probably half the gathered crowd only cheered because they heard others cheering.
Still, the mood was quite celebratory. It was amazing to see that many writers in one place. I bumped into many people I forgot I knew. Probably my biggest happiness was introducing myself to Jane Espenson, whose blog on TV spec writing is so generous I feel the entire town owes her dinner.
Jane shared with me the plight of young writers caught in the prestigious Disney Fellows program. Disney is requiring these non-WGA writers to keep showing up to write their specs — crossing the picket line and jeopardizing their hopes of ever joining the WGA. (If you’re one of these fellows, please write in, anonymously if you need to. This is bullshit apparently getting resolved. See the update.)
I forgot to get a picture with Jane, but remembered in time for a few other snapshots, which I put up on Flickr.
Update: Jane wrote in with encouraging news:
Hi. My current understanding is that the Guild and Disney and their Fellows are all working together on some kind of solution as we speak. This Fellowship gave me my start and I believe in it and the people who run in. As I think about it now, I’m certain that the right thing will be done and no one will be required to either cross the line or to resign their fellowship. There are only three months left in the term of the fellowship anyway — certainly they will let the kids collect the small amount of pay and benefits owed to them and not give up any chance of ever working again. I have faith in the people involved in this extraordinary program. I’d suggest that we stay cool on this issue while they work out the details.
There’s a lot of talk about “cooler heads prevailing,” but it’s great to hear an example of this actually happening. Thanks for the update.
Articles
November 10th, 2007 at 5:13 pm
I’d like to think people could pick Seth McFarlane’s voice out of the din — it’s so distinctive — but I guess maybe not.
Holy frickin’ crap, that really sucks about the Disney Fellows. I support the strike but I have no idea how I’d handle that situation.
November 10th, 2007 at 5:21 pm
John just a couple of questions in regards to the strike and WGA strategy.
Why would the studios offer anything close to what the WGA demands till then given it will set a bad precedent: i.e. if u want more then what we offer than just strike and eventually we’ll cave and give it to you. The studios and their bean counters obv. knew how much a strike would cost them yet they still didn’t significantly soften their terms during negotiations.
Do you think the WGA will get a better deal than what they might have gotten if they had pushed back the deadline and kept negotiating?
How many weeks after a strike before studios can start terminating deals?
If the DGA agrees on a new deal in the next 2-3 months doesn’t that basically give a ceiling to what the WGA might get given the writers will never get a better deal than the directors?
Good luck with everything and don’t forget yr sunscreen.
November 10th, 2007 at 6:35 pm
John,
With the stance of the Disney program do you think the strike will impact other writing programs like Sundance?
Michelle
November 10th, 2007 at 7:19 pm
John,
I know the WGA has a strike fund, but is it possible for someone like myself to donate cash to the fund. I live in Arizona, and while I wish I could walk the line with everyone, perhaps I can help in another way.
Take care, Phil
November 10th, 2007 at 11:04 pm
Rob Bowman was a director on X-Files. I think it’s John Bowman who spoke. Just FYI. Love the site. Go Writers!!
November 11th, 2007 at 1:48 am
It’s terrible to hear Disney forcing those young writers to cross picket lines. Of course, I’d hope the WGA would take their situation into account – given what a precarious position these new writers are in.
November 11th, 2007 at 4:24 am
I would hope that the WGA is smart enough not to hold it against the young writers for continuing with the demands of the fellowship even during the strike. For one, as I understand it, the fellows aren’t developing full scripts but just specs, so it’s not as if Disney is in a position to put one of their scripts on the air and make money off it during the strike; also, considering this is a tough business to break into and the fellows are taking advantage of one of very few opportunities available to them, not to mention that while the striking writers have the full protection of the WGA behind them the fellows have zip backing them up, I think the WGA needs to take all of this into consideration.
(Disney continuing to have the fellows come in, not surprising. They’re the studio – remember, they don’t support the strike. If they were to discontinue the fellowship while the strike was on, that could be construed as being in support of that which they are not, and taken as a sign of weakness.)
I also read reports of striking writers giving Eva Longoria a hard time when she tried to show support by bringing pizzas to the lines; they sent her away in tears on account of this particular group felt her continuing to act during the strike was crossing the picket lines. Except that her union, the SAG, isn’t on strike, and so she’s required to honor her contract or face legal action for breaching it.
I fully support the writers in this; the issue of DVD and new media residuals, the writers absolutely deserve a slice of those pies for their work. However, reports like what happened to Eva Longoria and now the potential for the Disney fellows to be shunned by the union if they should finally get picked up as WGA-eligible writers … acts like this are making it harder for me to maintain my support. The WGA has a lot of public support for their strike and their demands; however, they need to be aware that when they choose to get petty, they lose the battle for public opinion. The less public opinion is on their side, the longer the strike will end up having to drag out. They’ve got to rise above it, be better than the studios in the eyes of the public at large. This is not the way to go about it.
November 11th, 2007 at 4:32 am
Hey, John, what happened to that snail mail letter you sent to Jane some time ago?
November 11th, 2007 at 7:07 am
Marco (#8):
It turns out, you don’t send letters to Jane by snail mail, but rather owl mail. She fed the owl some of her delicious lunch, then sent him on to Hogwarts.
November 11th, 2007 at 8:49 am
Well, that owl is getting sloppy – you’ve sent the letter on April 30th, 2007 and still no words about it… Or maybe she did answer some of the questions from the comments already…
November 11th, 2007 at 8:58 am
I was at the rally, on the Grassy Knoll, and I could hear the refrain of the first song and Alan Rosenberg. Judging from the crowd’s reaction, Alan’s words had great resonance. And I agree that many of the writers only cheered when others did, but mostly that was b/c they were in the middle of their own conversations.
John, I’ll likely be at Paramount on Monday, possibly with my kids. I hope to see you there.
Susan
November 11th, 2007 at 9:26 am
John,
Longtime listner, first time caller. First off, thanks so much for the blog. It’s been a wonderful help throughout the years. Secondly, some of us film school folks were wondering if you had a schedule available for the picket lines you’ll be working this week? We’d love to take you up on the offer to help and show our support, as I know all of us are worried (even more than usual) about finding a way to pay the piper when we get the bill for our loans a year from now!
November 11th, 2007 at 11:13 am
An economist asks: Why are Hollywood unions powerful? http://www.marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2007/11/why-are-hollywo.html
An interesting perspective. The comments section is interesting, too.
November 11th, 2007 at 12:32 pm
John,
Just got done reading about the WGA’s past and how screenwriters’ loss of copyright of their work has pretty much led us directly to where we are today, and to the current 2nd class status writers have in the industry.
Is there any way that this strike could be used to fix the initial mistake: reclaim copyright? That would surely be in the best interest for future writers, but would likely be a fight bigger than an extra 4 cents and internet residuals.
If writer’s don’t or can’t reclaim it now, seems like they never will.
November 11th, 2007 at 12:49 pm
David #8,
It may seem “petty” strike for an extra 4 cents (though the strike is about much more than that, literally and figuratively), but when it’s 100% of your pay for said product, it’s not petty. Also, when 4 cents is 2.5% of the sale of the product, the studios are the ones who should be deemed petty for not giving it up.
As far as Eva, who knows that happened? You can’t fault the entire WGA for anything one group of picketing writers “reportedly” did. That’s just not fair or logical. There’s a lot going on down at the lines, and if you’re not there to witness it, reports should be taken with a grain of salt.
And I believe the WGA is smart enough to know that Disney fellows are caught between a rock and a hard place. I think a situation like this could be avoided if the WGA had their own fellowship/competition. I believe they used to, but now all of the top writing competitions are backed by the studios. Studios shouldn’t be the gateway into the industry for new writers. Not when studios don’t respect what writers do in the first place.
November 11th, 2007 at 1:11 pm
Given the siutation, if the Disney fellows were banned from joining the WGA because of this, the WGA would immediality become the bad guy in my mind. It’s a union strike, not a writer’s strike. Why would the union expect them to stop writing, and why would they punish them for something they did before ever joining the union?
November 11th, 2007 at 1:35 pm
John,
Thanks for shedding some light on the Disney Fellowship debacle. The Disney television fellows have been given until tomorrow to make a decision. We must either cross the picket line or walk away from the fellowship (and our paychecks and health benefits).
We will keep you posted.
-Displaced Fellow
Please feel free to contact us at the above email address if you have any more questions or to get our bios and how this is affecting us.
Thanks again!
November 11th, 2007 at 1:46 pm
In England (BBC America)has the show title followed by the writer. That is RESPECT for the writers. Who gets the attention in the U.S.? The directors and producers who are actually the least creative of the bunch. Hollywood should take a lesson from England!!!!!
November 11th, 2007 at 2:44 pm
Paul Atkinson: that’s why the writers unions are so powerful – they can use the threat of banning anyone who writes for a struck company from joining to force non-unionised writers to strike. (I think you basically have to be a union member to work in the US TV or movie industry).
To be honest, I’m surprised all of this is even legal…
November 11th, 2007 at 3:37 pm
Paul,
The idea is that scab work undermines the power of the union. If every writer, guild member or not, agrees to not do scab work when there’s a strike, writers have the utmost power. But when writers do scab work, it just prolongs the strike, as studio don’t feel the full force of a work stoppage.
WGA members who do scab work are punished, so it follows that the WGA would also punish non-members who do the same–by barring them from ever joining. I think it’s fair: if you’re not with them during a strike, it’s hypocritical to try to join in the future. I think a lot of people are going to find out a lot about who they really are, morally, during this whole debacle.
I’m not in the union, but I’m definitely on strike, in mind, body, and spirit. And so are thousands of other non-union writers. This is a writers’ strike!
November 11th, 2007 at 3:46 pm
I am curious about that too. Why isn’t the WGA suppporting a fellowship program of it’s own. Why are the studio’s the only way in to the business. It seems kind of dumb to be operating in way that doesn’t expand your own base. I totally support the writer’s cause. Hollywood makes it’s money off their ideas and talent and they should be paid for that contribution far better than they are.
November 11th, 2007 at 4:25 pm
Paul,
Any writer who continues writing for studios during the strike — whether the writer is guild or not — will be considered a scab and get a lifelong blacklisting from WGA.
November 11th, 2007 at 5:08 pm
Claude – re-read my post. Not once did I ever say that what the writers were asking for was “petty”, and in fact, I said they deserved everything they’re asking for. So please, stop trying to put words in my mouth.
As for the incident with Eva Longoria, it wasn’t something that “reportedly” happened — it was carried in no less than five separate media outlets that I’ve come across (none of which were the New York Times, by the way, or I, too, would question the validity of the story), which also have included strong words from Teri Hatcher echoing basically what I said, the WGA people at that particular picket were out-of-line because the SAG has directed that their members are still expected to work during this strike. And like it or not, they were WGA members, their actions made headlines, and so unless the WGA leadership wants to come forward and denounce their actions by publicly apologizing to Eva on behalf of the organization, they very much DO represent the WGA in what they did.
All I’m saying is, the WGA have a lot of strong support. Many actors, though they aren’t in a position to walk off the sets and join them, have been very vocal in their support. Many people not related to the entertainment industry at all have also shown support. If the WGA wants to keep that high level of support through this, as an organization they need to be aware of how their actions can be viewed. They need to thank the actors who come out to support the pickets, not berate them for continuing to work (especially since the SAG has instructed them to continue doing so). And, as Paul Atkinson noted so well, they need to recognize that this is a union strike and not a writers strike, that the writers in the Disney fellowship aren’t union, and give them a pass. They’re not scabs; they’re interns, basically.
November 11th, 2007 at 6:40 pm
David,
In the last paragraph in your original post you mention the incident with Eva and the Disney fellows, then talk about the WGA choosing to be petty. I apparently incorrectly inferred that you were implying that these were examples of the WGA being petty. I do apologize for my mistake.
Now I realize that I don’t even know what you’re implying is petty, because neither the incident with Eva (why do I keep saying that like I know her?) or the Disney fellow is petty. I guess you’re just saying, in general, the WGA shouldn’t be petty. I agree.
I still disagree about this being a union strike as opposed to a writers’ strike. The WGA constitution describes what a scab writer is, and it’s anyone who writes for a struck company. So, they are expecting non-unioners, like myself, to support them. The fellows really aren’t interns, since the position pays $50,000 + benefits for the year–which is apparently a lot more than the average WGA member makes.
Anyway, we’re on the same side. Our disagreements just show how passionate we are about this, which is good. Coffee’s on me if we meet on the lines…
November 12th, 2007 at 3:44 pm
Random Assistant, again, I’m not John, but:
Well, that’s why it was such a big deal when the showrunners walked out; they essentially shut down TV, which has a shorter lead time than features, anyway.
And note that the Academy Awards is scheduled for February 24th.
Pushed back the deadline to when? Last time, the Guild went out in March. That didn’t work out so well.
They already have.
No. Most Favored Nation means we have to get at least what they get, and vice versa. It doesn’t mean we can’t ask for more than what they are getting; in fact, that’s exactly what’s happening now.
But you also bring up a very important point: the AMPTP has done the projections, and they’ve concluded that a strike costs them less than meeting the WGA’s demands. To put it another way, does anybody here think that, by holding out in ‘88, the studios have saved themselves less than $500 million in residual payments over the course of the last 19 years?
Yeah, I thought not.
So to really hit them where it hurts, the WGA should lift the ban on working for non-sigs. (Now that the contract has expired, the only thing preventing WGA members from working for non-sigs is the WGA.) Once the AMPTP starts seeing all of this revenue generating content going to their competitors…
At the very least, the WGA should find the Disney fellowship writers gigs at non-sigs.
My 2¢ – M
November 13th, 2007 at 8:48 am
Tried running down a writer this morning on the way in to work, but thought, “No, that could be me one day, when I grow up.”
I am an editor for pay and a writer because I love to write. Though I’ve never been paid to write, I do sympathize with the Writers Strike. But I have to work for a living, like most other people on earth, and need to get to my job in order to do so. It pays for my writing addiction.
What irks me about this strike is that it’s hurting the “below-the-line” people, the teamsters, the grips, the editors, the sound mixers, the engineers, rather than the executives and actors. The people who really work, who bust their asses to make the actors and execs – and writers – comfortable, now have to wait in long lines to get to their jobs, if they have jobs to get to at all with the way television has been shut down.
So, though I do hope the writers get what they want, they still seem to be oblivious to the real damage they’re causing. Ultimately, though, it doesn’t matter. It’s only the entertainment industry and whether or not they get what they want will not stop puppies from being abused or soldiers from dying in Iraq or the Earth from revolving around the Sun.