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Writers, Producers Back at Bargaining Table |
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The Writers Guild of America and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) began “informal talks” today in an effort to reach accord in the 11-week strike.
No negotiations have taken place since the producers walked out of the talks Dec. 7. The writers have been on strike since Nov. 5, fighting for a new contract that includes a fair share of revenue from Internet and electronic distribution of material they’ve written.
Seeking to reach a “speedy conclusion,” the unions representing the writers have withdrawn proposals covering animation and reality shows. Little other information on the informal talks is available, as both sides have agreed to a “news blackout.”
Michael Winsap, president of the Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE), and Patric M. Verrone, president of the Writers Guild of America, West (WGAW), say in a joint letter to members posted on both websites:
We have responded favorably to the invitation from the AMPTP to enter into informal talks that will help establish a reasonable basis for returning to negotiations. During this period, we have agreed to a complete news blackout. We are grateful for this opportunity to engage in meaningful discussion with industry leaders that we hope will lead to a contract. We ask that all members exercise restraint in their public statements during this critical period.
In order to make absolutely clear our commitment to bringing a speedy conclusion to negotiations, we have decided to withdraw our proposals on reality and animation. Our organizing efforts to achieve Guild representation in these genres for writers will continue. You will hear more about this in the next two weeks.
The WGAW board of directors voted not to picket the Feb. 10 Grammy Awards show in Hollywood. In the letter, Winsap and Verrone say:
Members of the American Federation of Musicians (AFM) face many of the same issues concerning compensation in new media that we do. In the interest of advancing our goal of achieving a fair contract, the WGAW Board felt that this gesture should be made on behalf our brothers and sisters in AFM and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA).
In a statement, AFM President Thomas F. Lee says:
The AFM, like the WGA, is committed to ensuring that our members are treated fairly, and is aggressively advocating on behalf of artists and musicians to receive fair compensation for their talents. We continue to support the WGA in its efforts to ensure that all creative artists receive fair compensation for their work in digital media.
Says AFTRA President Roberta Reardon:
This event is a crucial platform for the Recording Academy’s ongoing efforts to protect and advance the rights of musical artists—an effort we at AFTRA regard as central to our mission. AFTRA is committed, just like the WGA, to negotiate fair compensation for the exploitation of our members’ talents
Two movie production companies, United Artists and Weinstein Co, one of Hollywood’s biggest independent film companies, have reached agreement with the writers.
Also, David Letterman’s production company, Worldwide Pants, which produces Letterman’s “Late Show” and “The Late Late Show” with Craig Ferguson, reached an agreement that enabled the two shows to go back on the air with its writing staff and no picket line for guests to cross.
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I am with the writers. They do an awesome job and should get every single concession they are asking for, and more, for all the unemployment they have had to endure.