Call to Action -- email the Los Angeles City Council Today and Tomorrow

On Wednesday, December 19th, the Housing, Community and Economic Development Committee of the Los Angeles City Council will be meeting to discuss the impact of the strike on Los Angeles.

In the next two days, we have a chance to weigh in with those council members and ask them to help us end the strike.

Please cut and paste the email below and send it to one (or more) of these five Council Members:

Herb Wesson councilmember.wesson@lacity.org

Eric Garcetti councilmember.garcetti@lacity.org

Ed Reyes councilmember.reyes@lacity.org

Tony Cardenas councilmember.cardenas@lacity.org

Jan Perry jan.perry@lacity.org

IF YOU ARE A WGA MEMBER, CUT AND PASTE THIS EMAIL:

Dear Councilmember [choose Herb Wesson, Eric Garcetti, Ed Reyes, Tony Cardenas, Jan Perry,]

My name is [your name here ______] and I am a proud member of the Writers Guild ofAmerica.

On Wednesday, the Los Angeles Housing, Community and Economic Development Committee will be holding a hearing on the economic impact the current writer's strike is having on the city. With the state facing budget shortfalls and a potential recession, and with the strike costing the local economy $21 million a day, as a writer and as a citizen, I'm very pleased that the Los Angeles City Council is taking this step.

I am concerned about the effect this strike is having on the economies of the city, the state, the entertainment industry, the below-the-line staff and their families, as well as the numerous small businessmen and -women who rely on the industry for their livelihood. Many more cities and states are affected as well.

I am extremely concerned that a small group of competing companies are allowed to band together as a single negotiating body and shut down an entire industry and, by extension, a segment of California’s regional economy. People in our community are out of work, because this body, the AMPTP, won't sit down and negotiate in good faith.

As a WGA member, I can tell you that I don't want to be on strike. I want to be working. But when it became clear that the AMPTP was determined not to deal fairly with us, we felt that we had no choice but to go on strike.

All we ask for is to be paid fairly for our work, particularly in the area of internet distribution. What we are asking for comes out to $150 million spread over three years. That money is divided up amongst more than 350 production companies. We don't think this is unfair. Nor, do we think it is beyond the means of the companies in the AMPTP. NBC, for example, who would pay just $7.44 million per year under the new deal, was recently required to pay back more than $10 million to advertisers because of ratings shortfalls.

The AMPTP has left the table and is refusing to negotiate. The WGA is still at the table, ready and willing to make a deal. We want what is best for our families, for our industry, and for our community. We believe that the individual members of the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers have the means to end this strike, either together or by negotiating with us independently, and we've called upon them to do so. We need your help to convince these companies to come back to the bargaining table and resolve a fair and reasonable contract.

Sincerely,

[Your name here ______]


IF YOU ARE NOT A WGA MEMBER, CUT AND PASTE THIS EMAIL:

Dear Councilmember [choose Herb Wesson, Eric Garcetti, Ed Reyes, Tony Cardenas, Jan Perry,]

My name is [your name here______] and I am writing to you as a concerned citizen.

On Wednesday, the Los Angeles Housing, Community and Economic Development Committee of Los Angeles will be holding a hearing on the economic impact the current writer's strike is having on the city. With the state of California facing budget shortfalls and a potential recession, and with the strike costing the local economy $21 million a day, I'm very pleased that the Los Angeles City Council is taking this step.

I am concerned about the effect this strike is having on the economies of the city, the state, the entertainment industry, the industry crew and their families, as well as the numerous small businessmen and -women who rely on the industry for their livelihood. Many more cities are states are affected as well.

I am extremely concerned that a small group of competing companies are allowed to band together as a single negotiating body and shut down an entire industry and, by extension, a segment of California’s regional economy. People in the community are out of work, because this body, the AMPTP, won't sit down and negotiate in good faith.

The writers aren't asking for anything more than to be paid fairly for their work. The deal the WGA has proposed comes out to $150 million spread over three years. That money is divided up amongst more than 350 production companies. I don't think this is unfair. Nor do I think it is beyond the means of the companies in the AMPTP. NBC Universal, for example, who would pay just $7.44 million per year under the new deal, was recently required to pay back more than $10 million to advertisers because of ratings shortfalls.

The AMPTP has left the table and is refusing to negotiate. The WGA is still at the table, ready and willing to make a deal. I want what is best for our families, for the businesses of Los Angeles, and for the community at large. I believe that the individual members of the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers have the means to end this strike, either together or by negotiating with the WGA independently. I ask for your help to convince these companies to come back to the bargaining table and resolve a fair and reasonable contract.

Sincerely,

[Your name here__________]