Below-the-line workers express their feelings

About 500 below-the-line workers staged a rally and march Sunday morning in Hollywood to plea for end to the writers strike.

The "Strike a Deal" event was organized to highlight the impact of the work stoppage on crews and those who work in areas related to film and television production.  The march began at Grauman's Chinese Theater and concluded at Hollywood and Vine.

Event came two days after talks broke down between the Writers Guild of America and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers.  WGA West president Patric Verrone issued a statement Sunday evening about the event.

"The Writers Guild is deeply concerned about the consequences for below-the-line workers impacted by the AMPTP’s decision to prolong the strike," he said. "Despite the companies’ unwarranted action on Friday to break off talks and walk away from the table, we remain ready and willing to return to negotiations. It’s time for the networks and studios to join us in crafting a fair deal that will put this town back to work.”

IATSE President Thomas C. Short had issued a blistering denunciation of the WGA on Friday when the talks collapsed.

“I don’t believe the WGA ever intended to bargain in good faith,” said Short. “And they are destroying a lot of lives in the process. As a result of their irresponsible and irrational behavior, the number of IA members who have lost work is fast approaching 40,000 people representing members all over the U.S. and Canada.

The Strike a Deal organization describes itself on its Web site as "a spontaneous grass-roots outgrowth of the concern and desire of below-the-line industry professionals and vendors whose jobs, livelihoods and futures hang in the balance."

"We urge the WGA and the AMPTP to come to terms NOW to avoid lengthy and devastating damage to our industry, our city and our lives," the org said. "LET'S GET BACK TO WORK!"

— Dave McNary

Comments

[Marc Guggenheim]

Mr. Short doesn't think the WGA bargained in good faith?! Really? I suppose the corollary to his slanderous assertion is that Verrone, et al. wanted to bring the WGA into a strike. For what rational reason, I've no idea, but what Mr. Short doesn't seem to realize is that there is no group less prone to striking than writers. I don't care how persuasive Mr. Verrone or Mr. Young are, they couldn't get a 90% strike authorization from the Guild membership without really good cause provided by the AMPTP.

[Oh my!]

Really Mr. Guggenheim? There is no group less likely to strike than the WGA? Since the last WGA strike have the electrics gone on strike? What about the grips? Or even te coordinators? Do you even know the numbers of those respective locals? Please Mr. Guggenheim, before you speak, make sure you have some clue what you are talking about. Until them stop spewing filth, and propaganda.

[Josh]

It is true, Mr. Guggenheim might not know the numbers of those locals. Therefore, everything he has to say should be ignored. Please please ignore him. Please.

Seriously, it what world does the WGA not want a deal? They're all out of a job right now and not getting paid (with the exception of the residuals negotiated in their last contract, just like actors, directors, the IATSE through their pension fund, etc.) ... last I checked, the gigantic multinational corporations and the execs who work for them are still getting paid whether or not the writers, actors, or jolly jumping girls decide to strike. There will be dark Christmases this winter - there will not be many, however, on the corporate side. When it comes to the "who wants a deal more" derby, I think we've safely locked up who wins.

[Oh my]

Ok Josh... if it is safely locked up as you say...then who wins?

[Jeff]

I'm always dismayed when I see a union figure siding with the bullies. And does anyone really doubt who the bullies are? The total amount at issue is less than the collected salaries of the execs repped by the AMPTP. They're not fighting for a principle. They're fighting for greed. They have never, ever wanted to share appropriately the wealth that the people who actually write, direct, act in and otherwise the support the making of film and TV create by our work.

Time to figure out a new way to distribute work and make the studios and networks irrelevant. When TV and the computer genuinely marry, we can bypass these greedy dinosaurs and distribute our own stuff.

[IATSE Mom]

The only reason IATSE members, SAG, DGA and others in this industry are out of a job is because the WGA walked off the job. The WGA was not locked out by producers. If you had decided not to walk, people would have been working through to Christmas hiatus.

The myth/lie whatever you want to call it that IATSE gets a big amount of it's health and pension funds through residuals and therefore we have an equal stake in the WGA's strike is getting old.

The employer contribution to IATSE's Health and Pension plan comes primarily from the actual hours worked for the employer. Any employer contributions after that amount are only made if the Active Health Plan is fully funded by the hourly contributions and come from the receipts of the studio as a whole and not individual productions. A residual is project based, but the studios pay a percentage of their total receipts as additional contributions to the Health and Pension plan. IATSE members do not get residuals from the projects they work on.... period.

[Turk182]

I for one think Mr. Short should keep his comments to himself. I am an IATSE member and I do not share his views at all. Mr. Shorts negotiaing would have the writers giving up just about everything and him telling the members that this is the best deal ever. I want to get back to work as bad as the next member, but the writers should get their due. Keep strong and don't listen to the Union heads that seem to be in the producers back.

[BTL Single Guy]

IATSE Mom, where do you think those "receipts of the studio as a whole" come from? that's right, individual productions, namely the "reuse money" of material from syndication, foreign markets and what not. It's true, IATSE member do not get residuals, per se, from the projects they work on, but the H&P fund collectively does to the tune of 55% of it's total or something like $340 million dollars last year alone. When the Health Plan is fully funded, the surplus is rolled over to the pension plan. I don't think 45% = "primarily." "Almost half" would be more accurate.

AMPTP has the choice to negotiate a fair deal in good faith, rather than hiring a few million dollar p.r. firms and plan a spontaneous walkout on a friday.

IATSE and Tom Short has the choice to support a fellow union whether or not his ego was bruised, rather than timing a press release criticizing the WGA. How did he know the talks were going to break down? Did he get help from a certain p.r. firm? What did he know and when did he know it?

I'm not happy about the strike, but I know which side is right? Do you have the same criticisms of IATSE local 1 when they went on strike?

[Ashley Gable]

IA Mom: Your suspiciously verbose description about how IA's residual system works is as false as it is troll-tastic.

Here are the facts: From January to September of this year, resids to IA pension and health funds totaled $261 million. In 2006, they totaled $339 million. That's 55% of IA's total P&H contributions. (The remaining 45% were employer contributions based on hours worked. So resids provide the MAJORITY of IA pensions when IA members retire.)

And yes, IA members don't get residuals... period... the UNION gets them. Your dissembling fools no one.

Don't believe it? Call the Motion Picture Industry P&H Plans, 310/769-0007.

And by the way, under the 2006 Agreement with the Companies, if we get resids for new media, "the Producers will meet with the IATSE to negotiate an appropriate residual formula." (#9, p.6 of the General Memorandum of Agreement of August 1, 2006.)

I speak not to you, "IATSE Mom," but to all the real IA members out there: When writers win, you'll win, too. Them will be good times.

[Ashley Gable]

IA Mom: Your suspiciously verbose description about how IA's residual system works is as false as it is troll-tastic.

Here are the facts: From January to September of this year, resids to IA pension and health funds totaled $261 million. In 2006, they totaled $339 million. That's 55% of IA's total P&H contributions. (The remaining 45% were employer contributions based on hours worked. So resids provide the MAJORITY of IA pensions when IA members retire.)

And yes, IA members don't get residuals... period... the UNION gets them. Your dissembling fools no one.

Don't believe it? Call the Motion Picture Industry P&H Plans, 310/769-0007.

And by the way, under the 2006 Agreement with the Companies, if we get resids for new media, "the Producers will meet with the IATSE to negotiate an appropriate residual formula." (#9, p.6 of the General Memorandum of Agreement of August 1, 2006.)

I speak not to you, "IATSE Mom," but to all the real IA members out there: When writers win, you'll win, too. Them will be good times.