tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2462026865900537983.post8613466272466744117..comments2023-08-28T01:47:52.421-07:00Comments on United Hollywood: What Happened at the Strike Captain’s Meeting Today?Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger43125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2462026865900537983.post-23830330292776483492008-02-10T01:27:00.000-08:002008-02-10T01:27:00.000-08:00"People please... said...Our leadership did the jo..."People please... said...Our leadership did the job they set out to do, GET US A FAIR DEAL. They actualy did more than that and got us a good deal. One that made all those days on the picket line worth it."<BR/><BR/>I accept that the proposed deal will be the current deal, but enough with the "great leadership" B.S.<BR/><BR/>All I ask is that morons such as yourself not authorize another strike. EVER.<BR/><BR/>I don't want to be handed your turds anymore and be told its pumpkin pie.<BR/><BR/>Take comfort that I'm voting for your sh!tty deal. I'm not voting for another sh!tty strike. You goddamn leadership groupies had your f*cking strike.<BR/><BR/>Never again.<BR/><BR/>Now just shut the f*ck up, you f*cking jackass.<BR/><BR/>This won't be posted, but writing it served its purpose for me.<BR/><BR/>Goodbye, losers. I'm first to fi-core if you pull this stupid sh!t again. I don't really give a f*ck about this union anymore.Haroldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16366457475764057418noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2462026865900537983.post-86333783011122772892008-02-09T23:02:00.000-08:002008-02-09T23:02:00.000-08:00Harold,You really need to chill out. I'm guessing...Harold,<BR/><BR/>You really need to chill out. I'm guessing you didn't go to the meeting tonight and listen to the deal. I'm guessing you stayed at home and screamed little pissy rants at your cat.<BR/><BR/>Our leadership did the job they set out to do, GET US A FAIR DEAL. They actualy did more than that and got us a good deal. One that made all those days on the picket line worth it.People please...https://www.blogger.com/profile/08102151891722371730noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2462026865900537983.post-66886362898438752882008-02-09T11:44:00.000-08:002008-02-09T11:44:00.000-08:00As one post already stated....a few days ago. You...As one post already stated....a few days ago. You are already getting your $40,000 up front, so the streaming window is the equivalent to the first airing...you don't get paid the night of the first airing, you were already paid for that. I hate to tell you, but for the next 2 or 3 years, "Most" people are not going to set up their computers and go out and buy 50 terabytes of storage and go home and burn DVDs all night long of their favorite shows. You guys live in the world of writers and the Hollywood types that may actually do that, but go outside of your little click and you are going to find that Joe the farmer from Nebraska or Nancy the Nurse is from Oshkosh is not going to do that....most of them don't know how and aren't going to spend the money converting from watching on their tv to watching on their computer over the internet...at least not for a few years.<BR/><BR/>rHobrHobhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08949525883456626688noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2462026865900537983.post-91352018823800142942008-02-09T10:58:00.000-08:002008-02-09T10:58:00.000-08:00just a thought: "Is that too blue collar to think ...just a thought: "Is that too blue collar to think about."<BR/><BR/>Well, it would be interesting if the WGA became a Teamsters local, and then the Teamsters claimed the absolute right not to cross a Teamsters picket line. It's not a sympathy strike, is it, when you're honoring your own union's picket lines?stuiechttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17750802049804418695noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2462026865900537983.post-31000912642770576612008-02-09T10:55:00.000-08:002008-02-09T10:55:00.000-08:00william: "Here's my theory. There are some who hav...william: "Here's my theory. There are some who have become Stike Addicts. These are writers who have become addicted to walking on the picket line and have found a new sense of entitlement because of the social and political feeling it gives them. They want this strike to continue because they have become addicted to the emotion of the past three months, which has been grueling. No matter what the Negotiating committee comes up with it won't be good enough. They will call for the strike to continue because they need it to continue."<BR/><BR/>If you're right -- and I am not saying that you are -- then what you are describing is a misdirection of a very healthy addiction: an addiction to the labor movement. The people who have that particular addiction can continue to feed it even after the strike is settled, by creating more labor awareness within the WGA itself and by building the solidarity of the labor movement among entertainment industry guilds and unions. That's a much more satisfying way to chase that particular dragon -- and the paradox is that the resultant increase in labor's solidarity and power may make future strikes less likely.stuiechttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17750802049804418695noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2462026865900537983.post-13851545159796060342008-02-09T09:40:00.000-08:002008-02-09T09:40:00.000-08:00"Frostfire 2112 said...People - the 17 day promoti..."Frostfire 2112 said...People - the 17 day promotional window is still there."<BR/><BR/>Did you notice that the DVD residual isn't? Why would that be?<BR/><BR/>BECAUSE IT HASN'T CHANGED.<BR/><BR/>There you go for all of those who thought that when the the NegCom gave up the DVD proposal for nothing and Verrone later claimed that all bets are off meant that it was back on a table.<BR/><BR/>I TOLD YOU.<BR/><BR/>Who is laughing now?<BR/><BR/>AMPTP.<BR/><BR/>Another Verrone mistake. another Verrone lie in an attempt to make up for it. Another Verrone failure. Another AMPTP success.<BR/><BR/>Now all of you be good members and vote for the proposed deal, because the NegCom is calling off the strike regardless of what you think. They all have deals that they want to move forward. There will not be overwhelming opposition to the proposed deal. They know that. That's why they're putting on the show.<BR/><BR/>And they will be proven correct.<BR/><BR/>What a shitty union this is.Haroldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16366457475764057418noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2462026865900537983.post-27384763466859575752008-02-09T09:28:00.000-08:002008-02-09T09:28:00.000-08:00"Greg said...Geez, Harold, it's almost like all th..."Greg said...Geez, Harold, it's almost like all those interim deals, and the Letterman deal, and the really smart decision to team up with SAG, and the picketing of the Golden Globes, resulting in NBC's cancellation of them--all smart decisions, all successes for the WGA--didn't happen."<BR/><BR/>Well, the interim deals (including the Letterman deal) DID NOT happen, because they ALL revert to whatever AMPTP agrees upon. The interim deals were a meaningless WGA exercise that attempts to convey progress without actually making any. Come to L.A. and learn all about it. Your project is either moving (or provides the illusion of movement) or its dead. FYI, the interim agreements were a repeat of a similar mistake in 1988 that resulted in nothing except steadily removing members from picket lines.<BR/><BR/>SAG residuals are contractually 4 TIMES the amount of WGA residuals. WGA didn't team up with SAG anymore than it teamed up with IATSE, DGA, or any other union. SAG's residuals are connected to WGA's contract. It had a direct interest. It wasn't Verrone being competent for a moment.<BR/><BR/>The AMPTP clearly won this strike. Remember all the talk about 4 cents on a DVD and how awful that was? Guess how much writers will be getting in this contract? Remember the low fixed amount that the DGA gets for streaming? Guess how much it is in this contract? (And yeah, fixed amounts are involved). Remember the 17-day window? I hope everyone liked it.<BR/><BR/>WGA: 0 for 3 in strikes.<BR/><BR/>Let that sink in. The effort of this strike was wasted. Instead of the DGA deal, members are getting the DGA deal with a pickle on the side.Haroldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16366457475764057418noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2462026865900537983.post-62751527290570338872008-02-09T08:34:00.000-08:002008-02-09T08:34:00.000-08:00If the WGA membership chooses not to end this stri...If the WGA membership chooses not to end this strike, and it certainly is your right to do so, then you should NOT grant the Oscars a waiver. To do so, would be telling all of the BTL crew that their plight is meaningless and your need to throw yourselves a great party paramount. The PR backlash would be astounding and the divide between the lines would widen so much that it would be tough to imagine having an industry left to come back to.MadHatterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00615599408304091568noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2462026865900537983.post-53349526271568023152008-02-09T06:10:00.000-08:002008-02-09T06:10:00.000-08:00http://www.wga.org/contract_07/wga_tent_summary.pd...http://www.wga.org/contract_07/wga_tent_summary.pdf<BR/><BR/>People - the 17 day promotional window is <I>still there</I>. <BR/><BR/>As much as I want the strike to end, this is something that SAG is going to strike over in their own right, and we're going to be out there with them just like they were with us, so we may as well try to reap the benefits. <BR/><BR/>The note of the old timer talking about this of course doesn't get that we <I>knew this already</I>, and so does SAG. <BR/><BR/>The 17-day promotional window is unacceptable. And when SAG goes on strike, the pressure from Sacramento and Washington is going to increase on the AMPTP tenfold.Logan Rapphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06224329679329346710noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2462026865900537983.post-83001319728442110852008-02-09T05:56:00.000-08:002008-02-09T05:56:00.000-08:00" Keep in mind staying out 10 more days would hurt..." Keep in mind staying out 10 more days would hurt the rest of TV season, the Oscars, next year's pilot season, and the 2009 feature slate. This not only hurts the companies, it also hurts us, and the whole town."<BR/><BR/>Wow, didn't realise AMPTP had started to write here.<BR/><BR/>(And aint it cool news moderated? You gotta be kidding!)Stellar Drifthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09645505961636411336noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2462026865900537983.post-60323046921452209682008-02-09T03:41:00.000-08:002008-02-09T03:41:00.000-08:00I would just like to urge all of you to seriously ...I would just like to urge all of you to seriously think about the 17 day promo window. As someone who has been creating original streaming content for the web since the year 2000, I can promise you that an overwhelming majority of the shows streamed will take place within a week of the original airing of the show on television. Allowing any kind of free window of time will mean rollbacks for every writer. Huge rollbacks. In my opinion, it renders the entire Internet streaming section of the contract completely useless.<BR/><BR/>I would strongly urge the leadership and board to request access to the networks stats packages showing exactly how many episodes are streamed and when before agreeing to any promo window. And I mean the raw data, not the stats the companies put together for their own purposes. Why would you agree to this when you have no idea how much you're giving up? I promise you the AMPTP knows the 17 day window is their key to victory. If a deal is ratified containing a promo window, the WGA will lose everything it went on strike for.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12297754343259521431noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2462026865900537983.post-34440852554351212162008-02-09T03:04:00.000-08:002008-02-09T03:04:00.000-08:00You guys keep saying that this is for the future g...You guys keep saying that this is for the future generations. Unfortunately, if you don't deal soon there will be no future in this business for any generation. I know that it is kind of different, but years back (Clinton years) my step-father worked for Kaiser Aluminum. They went out on strike....for 2 years. The plant shut down and they ended up getting 60 cents on the dollar of their retirement, paid by the government. So not only did they lose their jobs and devastated the whole town, but they lost 40% of their retirement. So maybe there is a lesson in there for you.<BR/><BR/>rHobrHobhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08949525883456626688noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2462026865900537983.post-46362086084248899772008-02-09T02:46:00.000-08:002008-02-09T02:46:00.000-08:00"Keep in mind staying out 10 more days would hurt ..."Keep in mind staying out 10 more days would hurt the rest of TV season, the Oscars, next year's pilot season, and the 2009 feature slate. This not only hurts the companies, it also hurts us, and the whole town."<BR/><BR/>This is the big redd herring in what I see as an attempt to force people to vote in a particular way.<BR/><BR/>You should eb keeping in mind whether the deal is a good one or not, NOT what will supposedly happen if you vote against it.<BR/><BR/>Yes the Oscars would be at risk, but there is no reason the 2009 pilots are. It's an industry suggested guideline for pilots, they can select any date for the 2009 pilots, simply change the start date of the season. <BR/><BR/>The same goes for the current season, there is nothing that forces networks to start back at work by next week, next month, or 3 months from now, to start filming. They have shown flexibility through the strike and some networks are contemplating summer returns and new models for traditional seasons. Don't be fooled by these <B>artificial</B> deadlines.Chips Downhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16392532465783257799noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2462026865900537983.post-73663974900633342042008-02-09T02:31:00.000-08:002008-02-09T02:31:00.000-08:00BTL Guy said:"Okay conspiracy lovers, what's Verro...BTL Guy said:<BR/>"<I>Okay conspiracy lovers, what's Verrone-n-Young's motivation for "selling" you a "bad deal?"</I>"<BR/><BR/>I'd imagine after all the feel-good "Hey look! We're actually human beings, too!" informal negotiations with the CEOs to loosen the WGA negotiators up, the AMPTP side of things then stepped back in and was like "Alright, here's your New Economic Partnership® Version 2.0, so you now have a choice: You can either take this, like it, and sell it to your membership; or we'll just put the New Economic Partnership® Version 1.0 back on the table and call it a day. Hope you liked <I>that</I> deal, 'cause if you keep this strike going you'll learn to love it once the crews and rogue writers force you to take it a couple months from now. Did you like the finger sandwiches? Get the fuck out of my sight, you need to brush up on your marketing skills and end this strike!" (followed by mocking laughter and sinister cackling)<BR/><BR/>...and I think this disheartened the WGA negotiators and made them truly believe this is the best deal they can get under such circumstances. It's sad, really.<BR/><BR/>So everyone just needs to evaluate this deal at face value. If it's not fair, then it's not worthy of even being called a "deal" -- it's more, as I said in the other thread, the terms of our surrender. I am forced to point out another option: Rather than surrender and gleefully accept a bad contract it may actually be better to continue to negotiate, even if the strike gets called off for awhile. There's much at stake here, and the issues are far too important for anyone to be rushing these crucial deliberation and decision-making processes.<BR/><BR/><BR/><BR/>Michael said:<BR/>"<I>So, in this AppleTV future, do you think the Companies should get *anything* for the upfront fees they pay for writers and other talent, or do you think *all* use of material in this context is re-use and thus subject to residuals?</I>"<BR/><BR/>I'd imagine what they're already getting is the majority share of the pie, after expenses. It seems fairly lucrative; considering their contribution to the final product is often little more than signing a check. The knee-jerk response to that would normally be "Well they assume quite a bit of risk, including losses for all the failed shows/movies" but let's not kid ourselves: Via Hollywood's notorious voodoo accounting I'm sure much of that is just smoke and mirrors; and with massive international conglomerates in the mix these days it's probably little more than a shell game. Where would you like to hide the billions today? Oops, that movie "lost" $200 million. Thank GOD I gave most of it to you, huh? (back-slapping good times ensue)Captain Obvioushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12914653846791290845noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2462026865900537983.post-4003788718911854282008-02-09T02:11:00.000-08:002008-02-09T02:11:00.000-08:00This might be the first time, I actually did NOT l...This might be the first time, I actually did NOT like what I was reading on UH. I definitely dislike the veil threat :<BR/><BR/><I>"Keep in mind staying out 10 more days would hurt the rest of TV season, the Oscars, next year's pilot season, and the 2009 feature slate. This not only hurts the companies, it also hurts us, and the whole town."</I><BR/><BR/>A lot of us were on UH Live yesterday. And I'd rather have Eric Champnella write that piece than a pro deal person, cause as he said there were definitely pro and con people, not middle men in the strike captain meeting.<BR/>I'd rather had a piece saying : Take the time, read it carefully, think about it, than this piece.<BR/><BR/>I understand you're one of the people who seem happy about the deal. I understand the deal might actually be pretty good but you were supposed to relate unbiased what happened not get in your own personal opinion forcing other writers to accept the deal because you're tired of the strike.<BR/><BR/>As others said, it's not about this season, not about the feature 2009, it's about your future and the future of future writers. Even the little hint of bias and there's largely more than a hint in this post is plain wrong.<BR/><BR/>As somone who thinks of herself as a reasonable person, I never liked someone trying to shove something than my throat. Whether you realize it or not, your article feels that you want to shove it down everyone's throat. And you know what happens when this happens ? People balk. Plain and simple.<BR/><BR/>While you could have made such more emphasis on telling writers to show up to the meeting, while you could have made so much more emphasis on : take a step back, read the deal and think about it and ask questions.<BR/><BR/>This post is just plain wrong in so many respects...<BR/><BR/>I advise everyone to listen to yesterday's podcast of United Hollywood Live. While Champnella might sound like he's against the deal, he's more against the whole process of not having time to digest it and I'm hundred percent behind him on this. It's been a long strike, people have been hurt and this can't be dealt so swiftly. There was a reason for the strike and it should not become a fight for naught just because some of you guys want to rush it.<BR/><BR/>One thing : go to the meeting and don't be afraid to say you're against it. Don't let a few people decide for you. Go to the meeting, it will not be for nothing. Read the deal, think about it and then decide. Don't rush it.<BR/><BR/>Go to the meeting and don't listen to people telling you how great the deal is or bad it is. Decide for yourself without being influenced by others. <BR/><BR/><B>Go to the meeting, writers !</B>Skyfleurhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01085715514550825534noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2462026865900537983.post-50125368695278849352008-02-09T01:33:00.000-08:002008-02-09T01:33:00.000-08:00In honor of those of us who spent months of the pi...In honor of those of us who spent months of the picket line with our fight, and with apologies to Victor Hugo and Delacoix, I created an epic strike painting that hopefully will inspire and prompt us to think about the concept of struggle, and that it's not over yet:<BR/><BR/>www.myspace.com/hauntedworlds<BR/><BR/>For my brothers I marched with at CBS, the name of the piece is "Tomorrow will discover what our God in heaven has in store. (Hugo)"nick the greekhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04944295989813960193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2462026865900537983.post-23744854136289259322008-02-09T01:17:00.000-08:002008-02-09T01:17:00.000-08:00I don't believe there should be pressure on the me...I don't believe there should be pressure on the membership to make a hasty decision. This may indeed be the best deal that is possible at this moment and that is something to be factored for serious consideration. SAG has their chance in June to up the deal and close that awful 17 day window. Maybe they can put DVD back on the table, since they never gave it up in the first place.<BR/><BR/>The "deadline" energy that seems to be present, however, I believe is counterproductive to a well informed and measured opinion. The informal hand count to decide on whether to keep striking or stop striking on Saturday does feel a bit rushed and unfair to the membership. I, myself, would feel resentful about that and would vote "no" on calling off the strike just because I would want time to evaluate the deal. But then I am not a Guild member, but my husband is. He's even cautious to call off the strike at this point without knowing what the terms of the deal are.<BR/><BR/>About that Pilot season, right now for a March shoot, about three weeks of pre-production has been used up. In one week, it seems there would be a point of no return for a March shoot. That is unfortunate. What is the point of no return for an April shoot? Maybe three weeks from now? <BR/>Or even four weeks from now? Can some March productions be pushed back to April? <BR/><BR/>I agree with Stuic that there is an intermediate time period that can be played during which the WGA membership can evaluate their true gut feelings and take in a measured analysis of the current deal on the table.<BR/><BR/>Give AMPTP a bone and waiver the Oscars, but remain on strike while the deal is being evaluated. The feeling tone to me, as an outsider, is if you call off the strike you are indicating that you are accepting this deal. If you remain on strike while evaluating this deal and the membership finally comes to the conclusion that this is not a "good enough deal," the pressure for the AMPTP to come to the table quickly and toss the last bones will be enormous. But then again, I'm an outsider looking in and this may be a misinformed impression.<BR/><BR/>Granted, I understand people wanting to get back to work to save their shows and people are losing their homes, so what is the best compromise for the WGA membership to have the time for evaluation while helping their fellow crew and colleagues rescue the shows they desperately want to get back to?Frustrated Bystanderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06897828604516458791noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2462026865900537983.post-8229948495737857562008-02-09T01:08:00.000-08:002008-02-09T01:08:00.000-08:00Here's my theory. There are some who have become ...Here's my theory. There are some who have become Stike Addicts. These are writers who have become addicted to walking on the picket line and have found a new sense of entitlement because of the social and political feeling it gives them. They want this strike to continue because they have become addicted to the emotion of the past three months, which has been grueling. No matter what the Negotiating committee comes up with it won't be good enough. They will call for the strike to continue because they need it to continue. <BR/><BR/>Personally, I think this is a small but very vocal minority of the membership. Hopefully, more level heads will prevail and writers like me who have trusted Patric and David and the rest of the "team" to get the best deal possible will win the day. The membership will vote and have their say, including the naysayers and those who won't be happy unless we get every single thing we had asked for in the beginning.<BR/><BR/>Let's give the leadership our support, but more important, let's give them credit for living these negotiations 24/7 and knowing when it's time to accept and go back to writing.<BR/><BR/>The sky is not falling...it's just a little cloudier than we had hoped for on the first day of the picnic.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13606868692725990306noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2462026865900537983.post-1934771694446284292008-02-09T00:57:00.000-08:002008-02-09T00:57:00.000-08:00I hasten to remind everyone that SAG President Ala...I hasten to remind everyone that SAG President Alan Rosenberg has already rejected pattern bargaining. From what little I have read and heard, moreover, SAG is in a militant mood (full disclosure: I'm a SAG member who's walked the lines with the WGA).<BR/><BR/>The de facto feature production SAG strike begins around March 1 if there's any suspicion the actors are walking when their contract is up.<BR/><BR/>That's a scant three weeks away. The WGA strike's been going for three months. If SAG doesn't think there's going to be a fair deal for the actors, the cavalry arrives, and Nick Counter knows it.<BR/><BR/>Hang tough my WGA brothers and sisters. If the deal isn't fair, you are under no obligation to accept it. Let the AMPTP leave the table yet again in a huff. Let them threaten to greenlight "Fear Factor: The Motion Picture". Remember you are helping them stay in business in the long haul by getting a better deal, because the better the deal the AMPTP offers, the more competitive they will be in retaining creative labor (that would be you) in a future market which promises potentially very lucrative options from a range of new companies that will be enticed by the ease of entry Internet distribution offers.<BR/><BR/>Remember all the small companies that sprang up seemingly out of nowhere when VHS became popular? That was just a warm-up for the Internet.<BR/><BR/>Bottom line (and I apologize for veering to multiple topics), the AMPTP needs you more than you need them, no matter what condition your mortgage is in.mheisterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11157348738597594888noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2462026865900537983.post-9883027825675013162008-02-09T00:45:00.000-08:002008-02-09T00:45:00.000-08:00I don't believe there should be pressure on the me...I don't believe there should be pressure on the membership to make a hasty decision. This may indeed be the best deal that is possible at this moment and that is something to be factored for serious consideration. SAG has their chance in June to up the deal and close that awful 17 day window. Maybe they can put DVD back on the table, since they never gave it up in the first place.<BR/><BR/>The "deadline" energy that seems to be present, however, I believe is counterproductive to a well informed and measured opinion. The informal hand count to decide on whether to keep striking or stop striking on Saturday does feel a bit rushed and unfair to the membership. I, myself, would feel resentful about that and would vote "no" on calling off the strike just because I would want time to evaluate the deal. But then I am not a Guild member, but my husband is. He's even cautious to call off the strike at this point without knowing what the terms of the deal are.<BR/><BR/>About that Pilot season, right now for a March shoot, about three weeks of pre-production has been used up. In one week, it seems there would be a point of no return for a March shoot. That is unfortunate. What is the point of no return for an April shoot? Maybe three weeks from now? <BR/>Or even four weeks from now? Can some March productions be pushed back to April? <BR/><BR/>I agree with Stuic that there is an intermediate time period that can be played during which the WGA membership can evaluate their true gut feelings and take in a measured analysis of the current deal on the table.<BR/><BR/>Give AMPTP a bone and waiver the Oscars, but remain on strike while the deal is being evaluated. The feeling tone to me, as an outsider, is if you call off the strike you are indicating that you are accepting this deal. If you remain on strike while evaluating this deal and the membership finally comes to the conclusion that this is not a "good enough deal," the pressure for the AMPTP to come to the table quickly and toss the last bones will be enormous. But then again, I'm an outsider looking in and this may be a misinformed impression.<BR/><BR/>Granted, I understand people wanting to get back to work to save their shows and people are losing their homes, so what is the best compromise for the WGA membership to have the time for evaluation while helping their fellow crew and colleagues rescue the shows they desperately want to get back to?Frustrated Bystanderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06897828604516458791noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2462026865900537983.post-11197249996924613292008-02-09T00:10:00.000-08:002008-02-09T00:10:00.000-08:00Geez, Harold, it's almost like all those interim d...Geez, Harold, it's almost like all those interim deals, and the Letterman deal, and the really smart decision to team up with SAG, and the picketing of the Golden Globes, resulting in NBC's cancellation of them--all smart decisions, all successes for the WGA--didn't happen. You clearly have emotional issues that are preventing you from analyzing this endgame in a rational manner, particularly given that you haven't seen the deal yet. Can I ask for your full name & credits so we can, in fact, confirm that you're a WGA member and not a studio troll? (Full disclosure: I am not a WGA member; I'm a playwright-- but I marched on the picket lines for four days when I was out in L.A. for a week.)Greghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06602059415719513023noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2462026865900537983.post-72575761084124834402008-02-08T23:59:00.000-08:002008-02-08T23:59:00.000-08:00This is something to think about. If you truly wan...This is something to think about. If you truly want some leverage for your next strike, I suggest that you join a labor council. AFL-CIO or god forbid the teamsters. That will give you weight. Could you imagine no cooks in the commissary no one cleaning bathrooms. If you chose the teamsters, no limos no garbage pickup no van rides to location.<BR/> Is that too blue collar to think about.just a thoughthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17659854616726842941noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2462026865900537983.post-66673845367209479602008-02-08T23:55:00.000-08:002008-02-08T23:55:00.000-08:00You do realize, don't you, that the AMPTP wants yo...You do realize, don't you, that the AMPTP wants you to reject this deal? They've beaten you at every turn and brought the whole union to the point disintegration. If you vote the deal down, then they get to hire scabs. IOf anyone complains, they just say, "Hey, we tried to work it out with the WGA, and even got them a deal, but they're psychos and won't be reasonable." <BR/><BR/>You never had a chance to win this in the first place. I can't imagine anyone here still likes Verrone, but even his apologists have to admit he has bunged every stage of this operation. It is difficult to demand things from someone who doesn't need you as much as you need them. And when you do it as badly as Verrone does, you end up with what you now have.Edgar Wrenshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07139900794777803876noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2462026865900537983.post-12927593908799539942008-02-08T23:45:00.000-08:002008-02-08T23:45:00.000-08:00If the AMPTP was willing to have no Oscars, blow u...If the AMPTP was willing to have no Oscars, blow up the rest of this TV season, blow up the pilot season, blow up some production and develop of features for 2009 all to defend the 17 day window (and not reduce it or get rid of it), isn't it apparent that they know this 17 day window is a key to the vault that will generate billions of dollars for them?<BR/><BR/>They would not be defending it so fiercely if they didn't already know it was a virtual cash machine they did not want to share with us. <BR/> <BR/>I just don't know why this is the right deal to take, when it's so obvious that they are protecting and apparently keeping one of the largest things we were striking for.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04448565007649651084noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2462026865900537983.post-47592564231103191692008-02-08T23:26:00.001-08:002008-02-08T23:26:00.001-08:00This is a really familiar story. Jesus comes to Je...This is a really familiar story. Jesus comes to Jerusalem. Hail as the king and Saviour. After a week of money changers and holy men talking among themselves, they decide to have him scourged and crucified. <BR/>So the question is who is Jesus and who are the holy men and money changers in this story.<BR/>Fill in the blanks for yourselvesjust a thoughthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17659854616726842941noreply@blogger.com