Yesterday we talked about how the WGA and studios were going to enter informal talks today, and it looks like those talks have actually made some news.
The WGA announced just a short time ago that they have dropped one of their main demands, that reality and animation writers be unionized. The union members say that they are going to try other ways to organize writers that work on animation shows and reality shows.
This is more evidence that the deal the Directors Guild made several days ago might actually speed up the negotiations with the WGA and the studios. Not in time to save this season, mind you, but hopefully in time to bring scripted shows back to our TV sets next fall.
Update: Nikki Finke has more info on the story, including the letter sent out by the WGA.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
1-22-2008 @ 9:52PM
MacGuffin said...
Hopefully this strike is going be over soon. I'm not sure anyone is going to "win" and there is a heck of a lot more to lose.
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1-22-2008 @ 9:57PM
Anita said...
I'm a little disappointed that they're dropping animation. And, while I wouldn't mind seeing reality writers (&creators) hung out to dry, they do need unionization . . .
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1-22-2008 @ 10:18PM
lucyfan62 said...
But did the WGA ask the animation and reality writers if they wanted to unionize, or was this something they were trying to force on them just to give the WGA more power when it comes time to negotiate their next contract?
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1-22-2008 @ 10:26PM
Oreo said...
I'm wondering the same. If they wanted to be part of the union couldn't they join?
And this is good news, in a way. I was hoping the strike would go a few more months just so no new shows would come in the fall and the new shows this year have a chance.
But even before the strike the writers dropped the DVD increase and the studios didn't care.
1-23-2008 @ 1:40AM
Akbar Fazil said...
IIRC, animators and reality show "writers" fall directly under control of the AMPTP and are not allowed to join the WGA.
Whether or not they wanted to join the WGA I have no idea. I would want to be apart of the WGA if I was one.
1-23-2008 @ 8:14AM
Mandy said...
Also, there have been consequences for those that have tried to join the union. When the writers of America's Next Top Model tried to join, the were fired.
I would guess many of these writers would like to be able to join the union. I don't know about animation writers, but reality writers make about half what scripted show writers make, and many of the jobs don't offer benefits. Additionally, the WGA was fighting for proper credit and titles for these writers so that they wouldn't just be meaningless names in the end credits.
1-23-2008 @ 12:24PM
Vito said...
Indeed, there was a very big stink about it just a few years ago. Reality show writers wanted to be treated as such because of how much they actually do to create a narrative. The studios said no. This isn't something that the WGA just thought of on their own, it was already brought up by those other workers. FYI, the writers for Fox animation DID successfully join the WGA some time ago.
1-23-2008 @ 2:17PM
Jimmy said...
The WGA wanted to give the reality/animation writers the opportunity to join, which of course they would probably do, which of course is why the AMPTP wanted it off the table. Besides, this was always something meant to piss of the AMPTP and eventually come off the table. The real fight is for New Media and residuals.
1-22-2008 @ 10:48PM
D-Bo said...
It's all part of negotiation. In many cases you'll make claims that are unimportant so that you can make concessions later.
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1-22-2008 @ 11:27PM
Chris Shifty said...
This is good progress. It was just the WGA trying to gain more power. If the animated writers wanted to join they would've.
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1-23-2008 @ 12:09AM
David said...
My father has been convinced for a long time that this was the main sticking point for the studios. By dropping this demand, and forging an agreement along the lines of the DGA's agreement, this strike should end this week.
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1-23-2008 @ 12:22AM
khamel said...
guess tonights episode of colbert report really DID work.
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1-23-2008 @ 12:41AM
Stigmata said...
yup, strike is over
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1-23-2008 @ 10:13AM
majinpunisher said...
Actually, its not a matter of animation writers being allowed in the union, but rather the work they do for animation being protected by the union. When writing for animation, writers are solicited for work and go unpaid for a lot of it until they land the gig, and even then aren't paid for the solicited work.
Whereas for other areas of writing, solicited writings (like a pitch, or "test" pages) are paid. Not so for animation. This breaks my heart because writers wanting to write for animation will still be dicked over.
Maybe its just that I'm an animator, but its just another way for the studios to not give a crap about animation.
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1-23-2008 @ 12:28PM
Vito said...
It isn't just you. Studios have no respect for writers and probably never will. They're the unpredictable factor in terms of making money, because they're the only ones that have to create from nothing.
1-23-2008 @ 4:11PM
Ron said...
Most animation writers are memebers of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees which has a separate contract with the studios. See this link for some background: http://www.statesman.com/business/content/business/stories/other/12/23/1223writerstrike.html
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1-23-2008 @ 9:22PM
dt3 said...
"but reality writers make about half what scripted show writers make," - mandy
"I smell blood, I smell fear, and im gonna eat you" - Wolf, American Gladiator
Poor reality show writers... give me a break. Does anyone here think that whoever writes this reality show cheese deserves even 25% as much as the writers of Dexter, Arrested Development, Greys.
I am shocked at how many of you think the WGA absorbing the reality and animation writers is a good thing. Giving the WGA that much control would have made the next negotiations impossible.
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