AMPTP on Worldwide Pants deal: Joke's on WGA members

AMPTP not surprisingly was none too impressed by the pact WGA unveiled last night with David Letterman's Worldwide Pants, paving the way for CBS' "Late Show with David Letterman" and "Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" to return Wednesday with their writers. We're awaiting clarity on the AMPTP's assertion that guild is "misrepresenting" Worldwide Pants' status as an AMPTP member. The company's corporate Worldwide Trousers Inc. entity was included on the list of struck companies that WGA West has posted on its website.

Here's the AMPTP's statement:

"While it is good news for viewers that the jokes will be back on the late night shows, the biggest joke of all appears to be the one the WGA's organizers are pulling on working writers. The people in charge at WGA have insisted on increasing their own power by prevailing on jurisdictional issues such as
reality, animation and sympathy strikes. Yet today the WGA made an interim agreement to send writers back to work that by definition could not have achieved these jurisdictional goals -- gains that would at a minimum require the company making an agreement to actually produce reality and animation
programming.

WGA's organizers are also misrepresenting the fact that Worldwide Pants is an AMPTP member. Today's agreement is just the latest indication that the WGA's organizers may not have what it takes to achieve an industry-wide deal that will create a strong and sustainable economic future for writers and producers alike."

Comments

[JS]

"WGA's organizers are also misrepresenting the fact that Worldwide Pants is an AMPTP member."

Worldwide Trousers, the WWP subdivision that produces the Late Show, is an AMPTP member.

[HM]

So, let me make sure I understood the press release properly. They're saying that the WGA has pulled a "joke" on members because they've been trying to make jurisdictional gains in reality and animation (moves which the AMPTP said were roadblocks to a deal -- citing them as the reason for breaking off talks on Dec. 7) and here they cut a deal that didn't provide any -- rather, it provided for the gains in new media that the WGA "organizers" have been after since before the start of the strike? So, for those keeping score: they DIDN'T craft a deal with the "roadblock" provisions for reality, they crafted a deal with new media provisions their members were looking for.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't this the reason they've been striking? And somehow we're to believe that the fact that WGA been able to craft a workable deal in new media with a company (without reality provisions that only the AMPTP objected to) is a sign that the WGA's leadership is...unable to craft a deal?

If there is any joke it certainly seems like it's in the AMPTP's language, if nothing else. Tragically, without writers the AMPTP has proven themselves unable to craft a coherent press release. Even if I were siding the with them, I wouldn't be sure what to make of their statement.

[Angela]

What is this, freakin' junior high school?? I am so unbelievably tired of this stupid back-and-forth nyah-nyah-nyah press release finger-pointing bullsh*t. Grow up, for the love of god, and get back to the negotiating table. Work it out there. People can't feed their families. What is wrong with you people?

[Josh]

Are these guys serious? Last I checked Letterman isn't a reality or animation show so who gives a rip if Letterman writers have a reality/animation deal - as they point out in their own press release, it's completely beside the point. And since, as a daily variety show, if the BTL guys strike there isn't a show regardless, sympathy strikes obviously aren't a particularly important here either. There's no point in thinking up jokes that are going to be dated tomorrow for a show tonight that isn't going to be filmed anyway because all the camera people are on strike.

[Jack]

Will these writers going back to work share their largesse with their brethren of the other late night shows?

[Members of the tire union]

We, the members of the tire union salute our brothers in the union guild. We feel their pain. We only get paid when a tire is sold. But the traveling public drives on our tires every single day and we do not get a red cent as a residual. If you wing your battle could you loan us your union leaders. We salute you the the union worker as the backbone that breaks America

[Members of the tire union]

The nasty studios have made slaves out of the poor writer. The poor misunderstood union writer cannot purchase health care on their own as other Americans. In fact, we demand, that you hire 1 person for every three writers to make out doctor appointments for us and of course to find our notepads. The dictators of our business are not benevolent and do not take kindly to saying the dog ate my work. The poor writer cannot put up their own money and make their own movies or tv pilots. The risk is too great. The writers are not asking for much. The writers deserve a Tom Cruise contract. They cannot survive on a Reese Witherspoon payout. Somebody has to pay for their mercedes. A 90% government backed guarantee is needed, to keep up the self esteem, of this great union for rejected scripts.

[Moses]

Taketh my people back, sayeth Moses, the leader of the scribes, to the great satan. Sire, we have grown used to our palaces, mead, servant girls and boys as well as the personal physician. We know not how to get these services on our own. We have fallen into sloth as you can tell by our movies, Redacted and Rendition, and no new TV hits. You have showed us the door and to reconnect with the people we serve. But you have made slaves of us all. We can no longer live on our own. We demand that you take us back on our terms. What's that. Do not let the door hit you on the way out. We will march. We will picket. We will tell others of the Great Satan. What is the Great Satan doing? Is he putting up a sign. Freelance Writers Wanted. NOOOOOOOOOOO. I knew we should gotten Charlton Heston

[Bill]

Hi Moses! You sound like Jack! Anyway, your little story is so cute and funny. Can you do me a favor? I have a single mom friend with a baby who's only managed to make ends meet because of residuals -- can you send her a copy? Oh my god, she's going to laugh! Can you trump up the part about how all writers are rich and have personal physicians? Thanks! It's so true, after all.

And hey, Jack, whoops Moses, this huge "freelance" talent pool you want to draw on? You should go ahead and do it! In fact, why haven't you done it yet? After all, if men who are all about business could get a whole huge workforce for so much less money, why hasn't it been done yet? Maybe some of those tire workers could do it, after all, anyone can write, right? So it's settled. Since freelance writers are so readily available, you hire them. James Brooks, Woody Allen, Coen Brothers -- take a hike!

And tell you what, you know those weekends off we fought for so many years ago? You can have them back! I mean, after all, we all have palaces, two days off every week is just too generous, you take it back. And health benefits too, we only had to give up our copyrights to get those, you take them back! After all, it's the season of giving, isn't it? Thanks, Moses! Can't wait for your next post! Maybe you'll start calling migrant workers racial slurs, that seems like it would be right up your alley!

[Bill]

Oh, by the way, Jack, who do you buy your health insurance from? I'm assuming you don't get it from your employer, 'cause the Moses I know may be cruel, but he's not a hypocrite, am I right? Anyway, can you send me that number? Maybe Les Moonves will need it to. Ha! Just kidding, Moses!

Anyway, I have a feeling this strike will be resolved at some point, but I almost wish it wouldn't be. That way, all the networks would eventually take the path of the dinosaurs, and writers would indeed have to find alternate paths to make their stories via the internet. That's kind of where the music business is now, isn't it? All the talentless fat cats leeched too hard, and now they're in the sh*tter. Meanwhile, many artists are just selling their music directly to the public and making a nice living. Oh, I'm under no illusions, Moses, I know it would be hard, a struggle. But it would be worth it to cut no-talent bean pushers like you out of the equation, don't you think? Oh well, here's hoping!

Hey, does AMPTP pay you per post, or per inaccurate generalization? I hope it's the latter, you're making a lot more that way.

[Jack]

Flatfoot Bill

Why not band together with a few of the other scribes and start your own studio. Make your own rules. Own your material.

I did not mean to step on your toes and there are exceptions to everything. But come on, migrant slurs next. Have you no sense of humor. Food for thought. Do you really believe the union is making your life better. The unions exist not for the benefit of the writers or actors or whoever. They exist for the studio. They get all of you to play by one rule. This saves the studio time and money by not having to negotiate separate deals. They pay little for the first time writer or veteran with a new script that does not have a track record. Also track records, you are only as good as the last thing you've written. Advice or not, humor or not. Reading the above has not cost you a thing. Do not let it get you down. I am self employed because I do not like the rules of others. Insurance - do not have it. I negotiate with the doctors for cash. You might be surprised at how much doctors will discount their services when they can skip the paperwork. I could careless for the free lance writer. Just picked term up in other comments.

Hope your next year is better

Big believer in owning your own business

Your friend and mine

Jack

[Bill]

The Mighty Jack:

I don't know about other unions, but this union got me residuls. Health care. Pension. Damn right I believe that it's made my life better.

And I have a very tough time believing that a "self employed" mildly interested third party would post as often as you have. Regardless, we're standing up to our "partners" in this business. We understand AMPTP is not used to anyone standing up to them. And they'll stop at nothing to discredit our leadership and our guild. And we're not buying any of it. Nothing you post, nothing you cite can sway me from the things I believe right now. So whether you are who you say you are, or an AMPTP stooge, understand that I, and the majority of the guild, believe that what we are fighting for is fair and just and right.

And banding together, creating our own product was exactly what my last post was about. It may come to that. We'll see...

As far as not having a sense of humor, well, I didn't think your posts were even mildly funny. But at least you tried, not like that JK, or "the Margaret Dumont of Scribevibe," as I like to call him. And even though I don't think you're funny, I still love you.

Thanks for your well-wishes

Bill

[Bob Fately]

IMHO, this deal means little - the entire strike apparently centers around remuneration for shows delivered by "alternate media" - e.g. - episodes of "Lost" or "Desperate Housewives" downloaded via iTunes, etc.

So what does Letterman have to lose? I mean, how many times is anyone going to download an episode of a late night talk show? These are not episodic affairs that might tempt fans to view a missed airing - how many people will pay for last week's interview with Alec Baldwin or whatever?

The point is, for all the folderol, this seems to be a pretty insignificant "advancement".