11/08/2007

Fan Generated Petition

One of our supporters has created a petition in support of the WGA. Sign up if you support.

www.petitiononline.com/WGA/petition.html

25 comments:

Katie said...

I'm #949! While an online petition isn't necessarily going to make negotiations happen, it's a nice rallying tool.

TV Addict said...

I posted a link to the petition on my blog too. While only petitions aren't typically too terribly useful, it does make a visual statement as to how many people out there are on their side.

Matthew Crocker said...

It seems to currently be generating about 1 signature about every 4 seconds.

Anonymous said...

Wow! I'm #2760 & it's already several hundred sigs past that.....

Anonymous said...

I signed. I love the writers. You are what make entertainment really great...or really sucky depending on your skills. :o)

Steven Ormsbee said...

Keep it up guys, we support you 100%. Just keep coming up with those good ideas for the shows in your head while you're on strike!

David Alexander McDonald said...

2975 signatures with mine, not bad progress.

Rivers said...

#3012! I've posted the link on my facebook. Myspace is next. Wish I could do more to help out. Keep us posted.

Anonymous said...

i miss my TV

collective bargaining is stupid

Anonymous said...

As true as all this is about residuals, I am a Union below the line who will NEVER see a residual or a decent feature wage. When I stop work, I get nothing. I have sympathy and I hate seeing the suits get richer, but, I don't think that most hacks like Joe Esterhouse, who make millions are worrying about 4 more cents.

Anonymous said...

I just signed the petition and since I don't have anything to do with the writers, tv or the internet except that I like them and I don't want to watch re-runs I was thinking that if someone knows/owns a t-shirt company and could start producing/selling the red WGA t-shirts or some other red tee with a support slogan on it and the proceeds could go to the WGA efforts then that would be something else the general public could do to be supportive. Just a thought....hopefully someone can take it and run with it...

Anonymous said...

I will leave the link to this petition on my message board and others I belong to. I fully support the efforts of the WGA. Television is only as good as its writers. Give the writers their extra 4 cents and end this futility NOW!

Geekette said...

I signed the petition, but I'm also a letter writing kinda gal.

Problem is, I'm having trouble not only finding addresses to send letters to the companies involved letting them know that I support the writers.

Any help in this matter will be gleefully and gratefully accepted.

Anonymous said...

I totally agree with your guys' strike; you are getting screwed. One thing though. In the why are we striking section, you say it's the key to future of our industry. Might want to fix the typo, considering you guys are writers.

Anonymous said...

I'll send this out to our Fade In ezine of 220,000 this weekend. The T-shirt idea is a good one.

Unknown said...

For those looking to write or call the suits, the Guild was passing out fliers with the info and someone posted it on ONTD. It's not comprehensive, but it gives us quick access some of the heavy hitters.

Contact list

Anonymous said...

“A Voice from Below the Line”


The Writers Strike.......The news reports broadcast over and over topics such as "The writers strike is shutting down Hollywood”,” The networks are financially being burden", "How will the consumers coupe with many favorite shows not being aired during this strike" The serious impact of the inability of these two motion picture forces to amicably find a reasonable compromise, has been irresponsibly over looked by both party’s and news media.

In place of a responsible resolution for this dispute, battle lines where struck.
Much like the recent wild fires of Southern California, these forces will careless and recklessly igniting a rash of financial devastation and destitute for hundreds upon thousands of innocent family's and children across our country. Unfortunately there is no FEMA, Red Cross or Presidential assistance that is going to come in and help repair the devastated lives and financial loses, which will in fact be a direct result of this Motion Picture Industry War.

My husband, my family and many of my friends work in the movie industry. We are the "BELOW THE LINE" people I am speaking of. Yes this is a real title for this level of industry people who are below the royalty bread winners. With out a doubt "BELOW THE LINE" people will be the first individuals to feel the siege of financial burden from this dispute that has been thrust upon their lives! There will be no restitution or financial gain for these individuals, just devastation and innocent casualties.

Our Industry mostly resides in New York and California. These two states are historically known for the highest cost of living. It is a fact that on top of this most people can only afford to live paycheck to paycheck. Believe me the checks are substantially less then what the writers, actors and producers and networks make (even those royalty revenues are larger then what most make in a month....) In a few weeks of no work because these two entities have shut down Hollywood!!!! Let me tell you exactly what is going to happen to hundreds of thousands of family's with CHILDREN!!!

With no residuals and royalties nothing but unemployment, ($2000.oo a month at best)and maybe if your lucky a spouse who works out side the movie Industry...Many of these family's are going to lose there homes in short of a couple of months. Cars will be repossessed, and anything else placed on credit will be taken as well. Any savings they have for either their child's college funds, retirement or both will be depleted to nothing. Not to mention the irreversible damages to personal credit standing (which we all know the world views everyone by their FICAL scores and this damages looms over one's life for years longer then any strike) This may just seem like material items or some sad none important issue to many, Because it is not yet readily visible.

So, lets address the most obvious to be effected our children. This war being waged just before the two largest Holidays!!! How selfish does a human being have to be to justify destroying holidays for children!!!! Sadly adding insult to injury it has been reported that many of the negotiators from both sides are hoping this strike continues through January! So that they have more leverage over the opposing side, knowing the opposing side will begin to feel the financial effects of the strike. By January!!!! This is no exaggeration "Below the Line" Individuals and Family's will have exhausted every avenue and become financialy crippled and lives irreparably destroyed by January. Many can't even survive through Thanksgiving much less through January!!! The old saying "you haven't lost everything if you still have your lives and your loved ones." This is true, but there are many whose quality of life and loved ones will never be the same.

I know it sounds so apocalyptic, but be honest take a walk in the shoes of these below the line people it’s a truth many marriages won't survive the stress and strain of it all, resulting in broken homes. Some people won't ever emotional recover from the financial despair that has been thrust upon their lives, COULD YOU!!!!!!!!!

Again I ask, how blind and selfish do these two Motion Picture Forces have to be to justify so much devastation?


Also ask after all is said and done, all those actually who are supporting either side by feeding and fueling this dispute disaster, standing is your solidarity, joining the front lines with pizzas and lunch. Are you prepared to stand in such solidarity and be as generous to all these people who have become this country latest national disaster? Will you mend homes? Financially support the people who lost everything? Will you restore lives? Most of all will you please explain to my children, why we have to move into grandmas house, and why Santa Clause didn’t bring them any Christmas gifts

For the many below the line!!! I BEG YOU BOTH SIDES, BE RESPOSIBLE PEOPLE, COMPROMISE AND SACRAFICE YOUR EXPECTATIONS ON THIS DISPUTE. NOT ON THE LIVES OF OUR FAMILYS & CHILDREN!!!

DDF
11-08-07

Denise

Anonymous said...

you should have a thank you email after people sign. Give 'em the talking points and next steps in support of the strike (if you know them at this time).

Anonymous said...

Denise...yikes...

I don't mean to sound callous but most of the "below the line" people I know who would possibly live "check to check" are young people who don't have children.

If you *are* living "check to check" *with children* in an industry that's already volatile, and you don't have 6 months of savings at hand as a cushion...not including the unemployment...I have to suggest that the blame should not be put on WGA if you lose your house.

And, if your marriage can't survive a brief period of financial downturn, once again, the blame is not with WGA, but with the shaky marriage.

I'm not trying to discount people's pain here, but writers are not responsible for other people's poor personal finances. Everyone should have a back-up plan, with savings if possible, regardless of strikes. There's never any guarantee no matter what you do for a living.

Anyone who seriously loses a house in three months of a strike when they would obviously be getting unemployment...well, that's someone who bit off more than they could chew during the housing bubble. That is no fault of the writers. Don't ever get into a mortgage you can't sustain during 6 months of unemployment. That's just basic common sense.

boadicea said...

Denise, it is the studios who are refusing to negotiate.

Put your frustration toward the proper place.

Katie said...

I think it is very selfesh to compare this strike to a natural disaster that people lost their lives in.

Anonymous said...

With the substance and quality of most of what comes from this country’s entertainment industry on a daily basis, I for one hope that the writers strike remains permanent.

Have a nice day Hollywood.

boadicea said...

I see you're indulging in a little spamfest there, Jeff.

I can cut and paste, too.

Interesting, Jeff, that you consider the writers to more to blame for the failure to meet your standards than the actual executives who control what goes out over the cable and into the theatre.

There is crap out there-but if that crap is making studio executives big money, then it is only just that those who help bring that revenue in get a fair share.

Writers are workers. Workers deserve fair pay.


Have a nice day, Jeff.

Anonymous said...

I just signed and will forward this to my friends along with the links to send comments to AMPTP and NBC. I've already decided to turn off my TV until this is settled. I will not watch any of the alternative programming they offer and I told them that in my email. If enough of us do, maybe you will see results. My fingers are crossed!

Anonymous said...

Another good slogan I saw on the petition ... "Stop the scheming, pay for streaming"!!