Howard Gould weighs in

WGA negotiating committee member Howard Michael Gould -- whose Nov. 1 speech at the LA Convention Center member meeting was a galvanizing force in convincing members of the necessity to go on strike --has posted a detailed analysis of the intricacies of how the WGA reached a deal at Craig Mazin's Artful Writer blog.

He notes that there was no way that the AMPTP would reach a deal with the writers before it made a deal with the DGA -- 

"In retrospect it’s clear that, unless we were willing to settle for a mere extension of the last contract, accepting the DVD rate on electronic sell-through and leaving all other new media issues tabled for another three years, the AMPTP was never going to negotiate seriously with us before they made a deal with the directors."

With the WGA strike in its third month as the DGA negotiated, Gould believes the directors were able to get a better deal than they expected. And Gould contends that should lead to the DGA and WGA making a major effort to improve their usually chilly relationship -- which hasn't yet occurred, at least in any public way. 

"It can’t be emphasized enough that this year, the traditional, anticipated pattern was turned on its head," he writes. "This year, we didn’t get the DGA deal.  This year, the DGA got our deal. All would be better if the relationship between the Guilds were healthier, and this should be a primary area of attention over the next few years.  For starters, we owe them a big, public thank you, which we’ve yet to give them.  They owe us one, too."

Gould also goes into detail about the so-called "Dirty Thirty," who were pressing leaders to make a deal sooner rather than later. Here's the entire post --

http://artfulwriter.com/?p=331

Comments

[PJ]

HARLAN ELLISON ON THE WRITERS STRIKE SETTLEMENT

YOU HAVE MY PERMISSION TO RE-POST THIS ANYWHERE:

Creds: got here in 1962, written for just about everybody, won the Writers Guild Award four times for solo work, sat on the WGAw Board twice, worked on negotiating committees, and was out on the picket lines with my NICK COUNTER SLEEPS WITH THE FISHE$$$ sign. You may have heard my name. I am a Union guy, I am a Guild guy, I am loyal. I fuckin’ LOVE the Guild.

And I voted NO on accepting this deal.

My reasons are good, and they are plentiful; Patric Verrone will be saddened by what I am about to say; long-time friends will shake their heads; but this I say without equivocation…

THEY BEAT US LIKE A YELLOW DOG. IT IS A SHIT DEAL. We finally got a timorous generation that has never had to strike, to get their asses out there, and we had to put up with the usual cowardly spineless babbling horse’s asses who kept mumbling “lessgo bac’ta work” over and over, as if it would make them one iota a better writer. But after months on the line, and them finally bouncing that pus-sucking dipthong Nick Counter, we rushed headlong into a shabby, scabrous, underfed shovelfulla shit clutched to the affections of toss-in-the-towel summer soldiers trembling before the Awe of the Alliance.

My Guild did what it did in 1988. It trembled and sold us out. It gave away the EXACT co-terminus expiration date with SAG for some bullshit short-line substitute; it got us no more control of our words; it sneak-abandoned the animator and reality beanfield hands before anyone even forced it on them; it made nice so no one would think we were meanies; it let the Alliance play us like the village idiot. The WGAw folded like a Texaco Road Map from back in the day.

And I am ashamed of this Guild, as I was when Shavelson was the prexy, and we wasted our efforts and lost out on technology that we had to strike for THIS time. 17 days of streaming tv!!!????? Geezus, you bleating wimps, why not just turn over your old granny for gang-rape?

You deserve all the opprobrium you get. While this nutty festschrift of demented pleasure at being allowed to go back to work in the rice paddy is filling your cowardly hearts with joy and relief that the grips and the staff at the Ivy and street sweepers won’t be saying nasty shit behind your back, remember this:

You are their bitches. They outslugged you, outthought you, outmaneuvered you; and in the end you ripped off your pants, painted yer asses blue, and said yes sir, may I have another.

Please excuse my temerity. I’m just a sad old man who has fallen among Quislings, Turncoats, Hacks and Cowards.

I must go now to whoops. My gorge has become buoyant.

Respectfully, Yr. Pal, Harlan Ellison

[Time for a New Career]

Well, it would appear Mr. Ellison does not like the deal, but his arguments are swallowed up in the vulgarity of the message. I am dissappointed that such an accomplished author could not produce an intelligent and thoughtful treatise in which to make his case. Instead, his childish name-calling and filthy language only serve to detract from it. I hope he takes this opportunity to assuage his anger by seeking forms of work other than writing.

[Feeling Ripped Off]

I do not agree with all of what Mr.Ellison has to say,but this not a very good deal.