Writer's Guild contact

[Michael Stumpf]

Here is the phone number of the WGA (West office)

 

Just in case you want to give them a call and let them know how you feel about their continued refusal to negotiate ;)

 

(323) 951-4000, (800) 548-4532

[Brad Grimmett]

Wasn't it the AMPTP that walked away from negotiations the last time? Do you have a # for them?

[JamieSilverstein]

I think that Brad is right. The AMPTP walked away from the table demanding that certain items be removed from negotiations. The Writers Guild filed unfair labor practices with the NLRB, and to my knowledge, the case is still pending.

To date, Worldwide Pants and Universal have signed agreements, which I also think shows the willingness of the Guild to do business, and get everyone working again.

The bigger question in my mind is this; is it better to get back to work now, with possibly a bad contract (regarding residuals in emerging markets) that might affect us all in future negotiations, or is it better to stay out on strike for a while longer and fight for the best contract possible? Remember; Union DPs, Steadicam/Camera operators, and assisitants who have enough hours to be on the Hollywood Basic health plan have one of the best plans in the industry and possibly in the country. That plan is subsidized by "Post 60" residuals. So we too rely on residuals......

Just some thoughts.

I hope everyone is ok in these lean times.

[RonBaldwin]

Remember; Union DPs, Steadicam/Camera operators, and assisitants who have enough hours to be on the Hollywood Basic health plan have one of the best plans in the industry and possibly in the country. That plan is subsidized by "Post 60" residuals. So we too rely on residuals......

 

I'm curious what the actual numbers are on this. I think someone posted a video here a while back which stated that 4% goes to the wga and 20% goes to "other unions" (I'm hoping my fading memory got it right). So...how many unions with how many members are in these "other unions" benefiting from this 20%? I was under the impression that our health/pension was all based on hours worked -- so is it really 95% hours worked? Or 80% hours worked?

 

on a not-so-related note -- here's David Lynch talking about how great it is to watch movies on a 2 inch screen:

[Dan Coplan]

here's David Lynch talking about how great it is to watch movies on a 2 inch screen:

 

Brilliant. I think that's one of the best YouTube videos I've ever seen.

[Mike McGowan SOC]

lol, david lynch is now on my super cool list! I wish our business was full of more old school types like that.

 

mm.

[nealnorton]

Mr. Lynch sure makes sense. Why don't they argue about something real? With the US dollar deep in the shitter, this is a rare opportunity to shoot film here in the states for a change.

 

Maybe the industry can be so badly wounded it will be inevitable that the rest of the world becomes the defacto supplier of film in the future.

 

Neal Norton

[Joshua Harrison]

I'm curious what the actual numbers are on this. I think someone posted a video here a while back which stated that 4% goes to the wga and 20% goes to "other unions" (I'm hoping my fading memory got it right). So...how many unions with how many members are in these "other unions" benefiting from this 20%? I was under the impression that our health/pension was all based on hours worked -- so is it really 95% hours worked? Or 80% hours worked?

 

on a not-so-related note -- here's David Lynch talking about how great it is to watch movies on a 2 inch screen:

 

 

I'm pretty sure that the DGA and SAG take up the lionshare of that 20%.

 

And I agree with Dan I think I just found my new favorite youtube video :)

 

Joshua

[Lawrence Karman]

Jamie, what makes you think the future IA contract will have anything to do with what the writer's guild negotiates? I mean it is just not a given that we will get what the other unions negotiate. Is it possible that if the WGA and DGA and SAG get a bigger piece of the pie there will be less for us?

Seems to me the writers could have signed an interim agreement and kept working, and kept everyone else working while they negotiated in tandem with the DGA and figured this thing out.

[Michael Stumpf]

Wasn't it the AMPTP that walked away from negotiations the last time? Do you have a # for them?

 

 

Don't kid yourself Brad, it's not the producers who aren't willing to talk and negotiate.

The WGA stated they won't go back to talks until March.

The producers would go back to talks tomorrow if the WGA would get off their asses. BTW, I know a couple writers themselves who are upset with their union for this strike too. They say they are losing too much money and that the strike has become about other issues other than what they told their members it was about. And I'm sure that is what Steven Poster was referring to when he said this,:

 

"What I found most troubling was the fact that the AMPTP had broken off talks with the WGA due to the WGA's unwillingness to withdraw several of their proposals, including jurisdiction over 'reality TV' story editors and animation writers."

 

Both are jurisdiction of our Mother union, the IATSE!

So in a twisted way, the producers are actually protecting US and the IATSE in that regard!

 

The WGA wants to steal control away from our union too therefore.

 

Wonder why that is? Maybe because they want more control over two industries that have boomed in the past 7 years because of their threat strike back in 2001. Funny, had the writers actually not threatened to strike back in 2001, we wouldn't of had the boom in reality TV that we have now, ironically costing them (and us) BILLIONS of dollars in lost jobs. Money they will never see again.

The amount of money they lost from the reality TV boom THEY started 7 years ago alone cost them probably 50X more than they ever gained from whatever deal they finally made (like 2 days before the strike deadline).

And you'll probably be able to say the same again about this strike in a couple years.

That's not even considering all the lost jobs to runaway production we saw during that period too, in part because of that strike threat.

 

And, it wasn't the AMPTP (the producer's) who refused to go into early negotiations which could of and would of avoided these extremely costly strikes for EVERYONE to begin with.

 

You can solely thank the writers for this mess, that most likely could of been avoided.

[Brad Grimmett]

Wasn't it the AMPTP that walked away from negotiations the last time? Do you have a # for them?

 

 

Don't kid yourself Brad, it's not the producers who aren't willing to talk and negotiate.

Kid myself about what? I simply stated a fact and asked a question.

If I didn't know better Michael, I'd think you were a member of the AMPTP after reading your posts on this subject.

And I'm sure that is what Steven Poster was referring to when he said this,:

 

"What I found most troubling was the fact that the AMPTP had broken off talks with the WGA due to the WGA's unwillingness to withdraw several of their proposals, including jurisdiction over 'reality TV' story editors and animation writers."

 

Both are jurisdiction of our Mother union, the IATSE!

So in a twisted way, the producers are actually protecting US and the IATSE in that regard!

I was under the impression that most reality shows were non union. How can they already be under a unions jurisdiction if they're non union?

The fact is, in the case of reality, the WGA wants jurisdiction over the editors because the WGA believes that they are essentially writing those shows. But I guess you'd rather keep them non union then have them join the WGA?

The WGA wants to steal control away from our union too therefore.

Michael, it really seems like you're just very anti union. I know the unions aren't perfect, but man, we'd be really getting screwed if they didn't exist. If the WGA gets screwed on this contract you can bet that the same fate will befall the 600. We have much less power than they do, so we certainly won't gain anything in our next contract if the WGA gets screwed on this one.

Again, I'm not saying the WGA is right for striking when they did, or right about the way they've handled any of the negotiations, but I sure am hoping they get a fair deal, for the sake of all of us.

At a certain point, we all need to think about the greater, long term good for everyone, not just ourselves, and not just the day to day situation we're currently in.

[RonBaldwin]

I hope stuff is worked out asap so we can all get back to work. But...Doc is right -- if they get more we get less, period. The producers (bastards too) aren't going to give it up, they'll just pay us less to make up the difference. They already give the writers producer credits because they want more $$. When they won't pay my rate I don't get "steadicam op/producer" credit and an extra percentage on the back end.

 

rb

[Mike McGowan SOC]

lol, I think I'll have that in my next contract, "Mr. McGowan's credit will read: Mike McGowan, SOC. 'A' Camera / Steadicam Operator / Producer".

[Brad Grimmett]

if they get more we get less, period.

rb

Maybe you're right...I don't know. I sure hope not. It just seems to me that if the producers beat down one union, it makes it easier for them to beat down other unions, which is exactly what we don't want.