WGA responds to the rumors of a deal

The WGA has just acknowledged the flurry of rumors that the guild's moving toward agreeing to a tentative deal with the majors and urged caution.

In a message sent to members at mid-day Sunday, WGA West president Patric Verrone and WGA East prexy Michael Winship said, "The facts: we are still in talks and do not yet have a contract. When and if a tentative agreement is reached, the first thing we will do is alert our membership with an e-mail message.  Until then, please disregard rumors about either the existence of an agreement or its terms."

The presidents also said picketing will resume Monday. "Our leverage at the bargaining table is directly affected by your commitment to our cause," they added.

Here's the entire message:

To Our Fellow Members,

While fully mindful of the continuing media blackout, we write you to address the rumors and reports that undoubtedly you have been hearing.

The facts: we are still in talks and do not yet have a contract. When and if a tentative agreement is reached, the first thing we will do is alert our membership with an e-mail message.  Until then, please disregard rumors about either the existence of an agreement or its terms.

Until we have reached an agreement with the AMPTP, it is essential that we continue to show our resolve, solidarity, and strength.

Picketing will resume on Monday.  Our leverage at the bargaining table is directly affected by your commitment to our cause.  Please continue to show your support on the line.  We are all in this together.

Best,

Patric M. Verrone
President, WGAW
Michael Winship
President, WGAE

Comments

[Fi Core]

Hey cool,keep up the picketing,stretch it out as long as possible until the new walmart opens

[Fi Core]

I hope the new wal-mart has adult depends because I just pooped myself!

[pt]

I'm too chicken to post this under my real name, but a friend who knows a WGA NegCom member told me tonight that the only real breakthrough was lowering the window for streaming and the numbers are still shitty but everyone thinks the writers will still take it because the town wants to go back to work. Also that Chernin was so hot to get to Phoenix for the super Bowl that he promised a bunch of stuff but my friend says once the lawyers try to make it happen it will all bog down

[a suit]

It's simple folks, the writers are going to get a good deal, not the best deal, but a good deal. The thing that's going to make it tough for them is the personal equation...will all the anxiety, loss of work, loss of money, and permanent diminishment in the amount of jobs available be worth it? Could any deal make all that worthwhile, either financially or emotionally? Hard to say...but that's the danger in launching such a drastic action.

[a t-shirt]

"permanent diminishment in the amount of jobs available" is a subjective opinion. The is Hollywood, for the love of God. Ebb and flow, that's the name of the game. All it will take is another "Friends" or "Seinfeld" to come along, and the town will bust its ass to duplicate the success. They'll need writers for that. Additionally, cable channels are increasing their scripted programming every year. And film work will always be steady. So please excuse us if we feel the word permanent is a little overstated. Temporary? Sure. "Permanent" -- prove it. You can't. It's impossible.

[a suit]

t-shirt: you're absolutely right. But as a television exec I can tell you that it is extremely unlikely that you will ever see the amount of greenlighted pilots that we used to do ever again. The strike gave everyone an opportunity to re-evaluate and clean house a little. More careful development and strategic pilot production could save every network millions of dollars every year. This will affect writers somewhat but it will be devastating for SAG.

[jeans]

Oh well, I guess less work for TV execs as well. Sorry about that. You're definitely right about the re-evaluation though. I sure am looking forward to all the new writer-driven new media companies starting up. Sure, won't be anything big in the next couple years, but could change the system entirely down the road.

[a t-shirt]

Suit: Agreed. Bernie Brillstein used to advocate a straight-to-series process in lieu of pilots, and I always thought it was a good idea. Though, of course, it will require leaps of faith on the networks part, something that I don't think executives relish.

[a t-shirt]

Another quick thought about "cleaning house": I know when I clean my house, it becomes cluttered again in a matter of months. It may take longer than that, but, in my opinion, that's what will happen eventually after this show business "house-cleaning" as well. I hate to describe overall writer deals as "clutter," but oh well, that's the metaphor we're going with, I guess.

[a suit]

True about the need for less execs...guess I'll be banging at the door of those writer-driven new media companies that jeans mentioned...btw, I've thought for a long time that that was the way to go for writers but a lot of writers actually love their home offices and don't relish the idea of running a company. But that's changing quickly and I love it.

[shortgirl]

To a suit

In one of his first moves as Time Warner CEO, Jeffrey L. Bewkes plans to lay off 75 or more people tomorrow, primarily from the media conglomerate's corporate offices, signaling to employees and Wall Street that a new appraisal of the company is under way.

Not looking good for the suits either. The CEO's want your money too.

The good news (I hope) is that there might be some used strike tshirts available for purchase.

[reelbusy]

The whole point of this strike is to get a deal where you're getting screwed the least by the studios and networks. If this is the best least screwing deal then you each have to make that call based on your personal principles. If Simon Says he doesn't like it then it's his right to do so. And the KPMG's of the world are right in the point that the global-multi-media corporations will continue to grow, merge and shrink the pool of funds the entire above and below the line community must live on. Get used to Hollywood being a third world nation/city where your only payoff is fame from reality TV.

[a suit]

shortgirl makes a good point in that a protracted strike which shuts down production hurts everyone, even the suits, even the suits who love writers, love development, love making movies and television, and make way way way less than writers.

[Stuart Creque]

shortgirl and suit: I recommend a new book by Seth Godin, who's pretty well-known and well-regarded in Web-based marketing circles. It's got the eye-grabbing and stomach-churning title "Meatball Sundae." He addresses a number of new trends in marketing, and specifically how the best practices in online marketing impact the traditional ways that companies do business. It gives an interesting insight into how the world of New Media will be vastly different from "traditional" media, and what that will do to the economics of television.

"Forewarned is forearmed," they say, to which I say, "It's good to be four-armed, as many hands make light work."

[shortgirl]

Thank you Stuart. I will order his book tonight.

To a suit - I have met many "suits" and I get the same impression. They just want to make movies. They love stories. They love the process. They love the writers & their fertile little minds. They have taken the time to improve my pitches, my loglines, and have offered nothing but encouragement.

I hope this is settled soon so we can all get back to work. There might be less work but a good story is always a good story and a team of dedicated workers will always warm my heart.

[Jennifer Fairchild]

I am a Manager and an unPRODUCED Producer. I WANT Fairness for the writers ENOUGH OF THE GREED.