Re: WGA Makes Major Concessions To End Strike
- From: feloniousmouse@xxxxxxx
- Date: Wed, 23 Jan 2008 20:56:13 -0800 (PST)
On Jan 23, 7:31 pm, "Steven L." <sdlit...@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Those aren't major concessions, liar. Better luck next time.
Writers Drop Reality, Animation Proposals
Guild agrees to let them go as informal talks resume
Richard Verrier and Claudia Eller, LA Times
January 23 2008
Hollywood's striking writers, signaling a possible thaw in the
three-month-old labor dispute, have agreed to drop two demands that
studios have long viewed as non-starters.
Leaders of the Writers Guild of America told top studio chiefs during a
meeting Tuesday that they would ditch previous proposals to unionize
writers who work on animated movies and reality TV shows.
That marks a switch from last month, when writers balked at studio
demands to take those and other proposals off the table as a condition
for continuing talks on the core issue: how much writers should earn
when their work is delivered over the Internet, cellphones and other
new-media devices.
Securing the union's jurisdiction in the burgeoning reality TV sector
has been a priority for Patric Verrone, president of the Writers Guild
of America, West. Verrone and other guild officials declined to comment.
But in a letter to members, Verrone and Michael Winship, president of
the guild's East Coast wing, said they made the decision in hopes of
"bringing a speedy conclusion to negotiations."
The guild and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers,
which represents the major studios in negotiations, said in a joint
statement that they would meet again today to determine whether there is
enough common ground to resume formal negotiations.
In what appears to be an effort to defuse tension, the union urged
members to "exercise restraint in their public statements." Previous
negotiations had been marred by vitriolic rhetoric on both sides.
Picketing continues, but at a scaled-back level.
Although opinions vary among writers over the merits of the directors
contract, several WGA negotiation committee members contend that it
provides a potential basis for a deal.
Studios also have incentive to end a strike that has been far costlier
than they anticipated. If the walkout stretches into next month, it will
disrupt the TV pilot season and possibly spoil Hollywood's biggest
awards show, the Oscars, which could face pickets and boycotts by actors.
The new contract for directors boosted residual payments for movies and
TV shows sold online, established jurisdiction over original shows
created for the Web above certain thresholds and for the first time
established payments for shows streamed on advertising-supported websites.
Some writers are unhappy with aspects of the contract, including a
provision related to original content produced for the Internet.
Since the accord was announced, studio chiefs have been pressing
showrunners and screenwriters to urge their union leaders to fashion a
contract modeled after the one reached with directors.
It took directors just five days to secure their contract, which came
about after several weeks of informal talks with the studio chiefs. In
contrast to the writers negotiations, which involved a large group of
labor relations executives from the major studios, directors took a
different approach. They met in a smaller group led by News Corp.
President Peter Chernin and Walt Disney Co. Chairman Bob Iger.
The writers have agreed to follow the same process and will now
negotiate directly with the same top media executives.
Also on Tuesday, the WGA board decided that it would not picket the Feb.
10 Grammy Awards in L.A. However, the guild still has not decided
whether to grant an interim contract allowing writers to work on the show.
http://www.zap2it.com/tv/news/zap-wgagivesuprealityanimationdemands,0...
[
So, once again, reality TV will remain non unionized.
That will keep its competitive advantage, and ensure that reality TV
will continue to be a staple of television for many years to come.
Survivor may run forever!
]
--
Steven L.
Email: sdlit...@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Remove the NOSPAM before replying to me.
.
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