Official Writer's Strike Update (*sigh*)
I get an e-bulletin every day from the WGA, telling me how negotiations went that day. Today's was discouraging.AMPTP BREAKS OFF NEGOTIATIONS
Today, after three days of discussions, the AMPTP came back to us with a proposal that included a total rejection of our proposal on Internet streaming of December 3.
They are holding to their offer of a $250 fixed residual for unlimited one year streaming after a six-week window of free use. They still insist on the DVD rate for Internet downloads.
They refuse to cover original material made for new media.
This offer was accompanied by an ultimatum: the AMPTP demands we give up several of our proposals, including Fair Market Value (our protection against vertical integration and self-dealing), animation, reality, and, most crucially, any proposal that uses distributor’s gross as a basis for residuals. This would require us to concede most of our Internet proposal as a precondition for continued bargaining. The AMPTP insists we let them do to the Internet what they did to home video.
We received a similar ultimatum through back channels prior to the discussions of November 4. At that time, we were assured that if we took DVD’s off the table, we would get a fair offer on new media issues. That offer never materialized.
We reject the idea of an ultimatum. Although a number of items we have on the table are negotiable, we cannot be forced to bargain with ourselves. The AMPTP has many proposals on the table that are unacceptable to writers, but we have never delivered ultimatums.
As we prepared our counter-offer, at 6:05 p.m., Nick Counter came and said to us, in the mediator’s presence: “We are leaving. When you write us a letter saying you will take all these items off the table, we will reschedule negotiations with you.” Within minutes, the AMPTP had posted a lengthy statement announcing the breakdown of negotiations.
We remain ready and willing to negotiate, no matter how intransigent our bargaining partners are, because the stakes are simply too high. We were prepared to counter their proposal tonight, and when any of them are ready to return to the table, we’re here, ready to make a fair deal.
John F. Bowman
Chairman, WGA Negotiating Committee
Contract 2007
As much as I'm worried about the future employment and economic status of the whole town, and the fate of shows I love and/or creators' hard-won chance to get their creative projects out there (Pushing Daisies, please don't die!), I gotta admit my biggest reaction was selfish: the AMPTP demands we give up several of our proposals, including [...] animation.
::slow burn::
Do you realize the story people on record-shattering Disney features do not get the same perks and compensation as live-action screenwriters? That nobody who writes daytime animation gets residuals or retirement benefits? That it was only roughly 10 years ago that prime-time animation writers got Guild coverage, meaning that over half of the time The Simpsons has been PRINTING MONEY for its creators, the writers saw virtually none of that action? The WGA has been trying for DECADES to get our second-class citizenship revoked, and the rationalization for separating us into this "other" class of beings is completely beyond me. Do the studios tell themselves we're using inferior words? (And apparently reality writers are, too. If only we'd learn non-fake English...)
I know it's just because if the companies haven't been made to pay, they're not going to start. That they refuse to open the door even a little to let someone's foot in to keep it from re-closing, but still.
*sigh* Whatevs.
Today, after three days of discussions, the AMPTP came back to us with a proposal that included a total rejection of our proposal on Internet streaming of December 3.
They are holding to their offer of a $250 fixed residual for unlimited one year streaming after a six-week window of free use. They still insist on the DVD rate for Internet downloads.
They refuse to cover original material made for new media.
This offer was accompanied by an ultimatum: the AMPTP demands we give up several of our proposals, including Fair Market Value (our protection against vertical integration and self-dealing), animation, reality, and, most crucially, any proposal that uses distributor’s gross as a basis for residuals. This would require us to concede most of our Internet proposal as a precondition for continued bargaining. The AMPTP insists we let them do to the Internet what they did to home video.
We received a similar ultimatum through back channels prior to the discussions of November 4. At that time, we were assured that if we took DVD’s off the table, we would get a fair offer on new media issues. That offer never materialized.
We reject the idea of an ultimatum. Although a number of items we have on the table are negotiable, we cannot be forced to bargain with ourselves. The AMPTP has many proposals on the table that are unacceptable to writers, but we have never delivered ultimatums.
As we prepared our counter-offer, at 6:05 p.m., Nick Counter came and said to us, in the mediator’s presence: “We are leaving. When you write us a letter saying you will take all these items off the table, we will reschedule negotiations with you.” Within minutes, the AMPTP had posted a lengthy statement announcing the breakdown of negotiations.
We remain ready and willing to negotiate, no matter how intransigent our bargaining partners are, because the stakes are simply too high. We were prepared to counter their proposal tonight, and when any of them are ready to return to the table, we’re here, ready to make a fair deal.
John F. Bowman
Chairman, WGA Negotiating Committee
Contract 2007
As much as I'm worried about the future employment and economic status of the whole town, and the fate of shows I love and/or creators' hard-won chance to get their creative projects out there (Pushing Daisies, please don't die!), I gotta admit my biggest reaction was selfish: the AMPTP demands we give up several of our proposals, including [...] animation.
::slow burn::
Do you realize the story people on record-shattering Disney features do not get the same perks and compensation as live-action screenwriters? That nobody who writes daytime animation gets residuals or retirement benefits? That it was only roughly 10 years ago that prime-time animation writers got Guild coverage, meaning that over half of the time The Simpsons has been PRINTING MONEY for its creators, the writers saw virtually none of that action? The WGA has been trying for DECADES to get our second-class citizenship revoked, and the rationalization for separating us into this "other" class of beings is completely beyond me. Do the studios tell themselves we're using inferior words? (And apparently reality writers are, too. If only we'd learn non-fake English...)
I know it's just because if the companies haven't been made to pay, they're not going to start. That they refuse to open the door even a little to let someone's foot in to keep it from re-closing, but still.
*sigh* Whatevs.