Here's the problem: The writers guild hasn't re-negotiated their contract for home video sales since 1985. VHS was an up and coming business then, and they agreed to a relatively small cut of the profits. As VHS turned into DVD, it became the number one source of income for the business, and the writers are still getting paid based on terms negotiated for and up and coming, obsolete format in the 80s. It is not unreasonable for them to want more money from DVD sales.
In terms of online content, it is also an up and coming business, and the writers are simply trying to get a jump on their agreement before it turns into a situation like the VHS sale negotiation, and they're not receiving fair wages. I feel like that's not unreasonable either.
The studio refuses to meet one of their proposals. I think the writers are being treated unfairly. They don't just want more money cause they're greedy, they want more money because they're still operating on a contract based on a home viewing medium which has gone down drastically in production costs and up drastically in sales.
I love TV as well, and I hate to be missing my shows, but if this is what it takes for them to get whats fair, it has to be, and unfortunately, after months of talks, the studios have really not left the WGA with much of a choice. Anger is fine, but blame the studios, not the writers.
Like I said, I think they should get more money too, but there are better ways of going about it and pissing off the viewers isn't one of them. Strikes are childish and immature and what the WGA is doing sounds like a temper tantrum from a 3 year old who can't have cookies before dinner.
"You won't give us exactly what we want so...we're not going to write!"
Obviously both sides are being stubborn. The WGA are asking for too much and the Studios are offering too little. If the WGA were asking for a reasonable raise, I'm almost positive the Studios would give it to them. The Studios aren't stupid, they know that they depend on the writers, but the WGA needs to get off of their high horse and come down on their asking price.
Strikes, in my opinion, are the beauty of a civilized society and the true genius of unions. They long ago abandoned asking for exactly what they've wanted. They dropped nine of their original demands, and right before the strike started, in an effort to try to stop it, they even withdrew their request for a increase from $0.04 per DVD to $0.08... all they were asking for in the end were rights to online content, so they don't get fucked like they did in the 80s, and the studios still weren't willing to give it to them. That doesn't sound like too much to me.
If the studios knew that they depended on the writers, it wouldn't have come to this. It may seem like a temper tantrum, but the writers are being shit all over. If the studios don't recognize that writers are important enough to deserve this raise, then they have no option but to show them how important they are. In any other job, if you thought you were important enough to deserve a raise that your company wasn't giving you, you would look for a place that would pay you what you deserve and either find a new job, or use the offer as a bargaining chip. The writers have no place else to go, they can't go look for new jobs, there's only one industry, that's why unions are so great, and that's why they have to be on strike right now.
Strikes are not childish and immature and part of it's purpose is to piss of the viewers.
Frist a strike or a stopage of work is to show the Hollywood Companys that they can't do their jobs without them. With the writers then Holly companys make no money what so ever. So what better make less money or no money.
IF the viewers are pissed off, they hoping that you as view will call the Hollywood Companys and voice your opion to give the writers the raises they are asking for.
Ask any you want this question. "Does you paycheck show what your worth?" Everyone would say that they should make more.
The writers guild hasn't re-negotiated their contract for home video sales since 1985. VHS was an up and coming business then, and they agreed to a relatively small cut of the profits. As VHS turned into DVD, it became the number one source of income for the business, and the writers are still getting paid based on terms negotiated for and up and coming, obsolete format in the 80s. It is not unreasonable for them to want more money from DVD sales.
In terms of online content, it is also an up and coming business, and the writers are simply trying to get a jump on their agreement before it turns into a situation like the VHS sale negotiation, and they're not receiving fair wages. I feel like that's not unreasonable either.
The studio refuses to meet one of their proposals. I think the writers are being treated unfairly. They don't just want more money cause they're greedy, they want more money because they're still operating on a contract based on a home viewing medium which has gone down drastically in production costs and up drastically in sales.
I love TV as well, and I hate to be missing my shows, but if this is what it takes for them to get whats fair, it has to be, and unfortunately, after months of talks, the studios have really not left the WGA with much of a choice. Anger is fine, but blame the studios, not the writers.
Reply
"You won't give us exactly what we want so...we're not going to write!"
Obviously both sides are being stubborn. The WGA are asking for too much and the Studios are offering too little. If the WGA were asking for a reasonable raise, I'm almost positive the Studios would give it to them. The Studios aren't stupid, they know that they depend on the writers, but the WGA needs to get off of their high horse and come down on their asking price.
Reply
If the studios knew that they depended on the writers, it wouldn't have come to this. It may seem like a temper tantrum, but the writers are being shit all over. If the studios don't recognize that writers are important enough to deserve this raise, then they have no option but to show them how important they are. In any other job, if you thought you were important enough to deserve a raise that your company wasn't giving you, you would look for a place that would pay you what you deserve and either find a new job, or use the offer as a bargaining chip. The writers have no place else to go, they can't go look for new jobs, there's only one industry, that's why unions are so great, and that's why they have to be on strike right now.
Reply
Frist a strike or a stopage of work is to show the Hollywood Companys that they can't do their jobs without them. With the writers then Holly companys make no money what so ever. So what better make less money or no money.
IF the viewers are pissed off, they hoping that you as view will call the Hollywood Companys and voice your opion to give the writers the raises they are asking for.
Ask any you want this question. "Does you paycheck show what your worth?" Everyone would say that they should make more.
Reply
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