Obviously, the membership is united. I've been through four strikes and several other potential work stoppages and I've never seen a number like 96.3. Those percentages are reserved for Ken Griffey Jr. being inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Negotiations resume today, but now the WGA committee has some leverage. I love how a number of articles about yesterday's vote say, "the ball is now in the AMPTP's court." The ball is ALWAYS in the AMPTP's court." This deal will close when they want it to close.
But in an uncertain time in our economy and with memories of the hardships of the previous strike ten years ago, for the WGA members to vote 96.3% in favor of a strike, that tells you the issues we are fighting for are damn IMPORTANT to us.
Hopefully now, with the strike looming a week from today, the AMPTP will finally set aside the bullshit and begin meaningful negotiations. My feeling is the ultimate deal that will be struck will be exact same whether it's this weekend or in three months. So why not do it now?
Make 100% of the movie and TV viewers happy.
13 comments :
Wishing great success to all the writers in receiving that which they richly deserve!
Hi Ken,
Very happy about the votes result for you and all the writers. Great news. Just wondering if you have any thoughts about if it goes to strike, will the advent of Netflix, etc. which provides more content at peoples fingertips affect any urgency the viewer might have compared to say 10 years ago. Nowadays they can scroll through a seemingly endless selection through just Netflix compared to when the networks were stuck with running reruns during strikes. Sorry if the question is a bit disjointed, can't sleep, it's late where I am downunder and I'm very tired.
Many thanks, best of luck!
cheers
Dave
Here is a thought I had about yesterdays "Milking the Joke" post.
What about milking the entire show? I am talking about Better Call Saul which is immediately followed an hour discussion of the episode with the actors and writers. Too soon I say.
I already loved Conan, but when I heard he paid his entire crew out of his own pocket during the last strike, I knew he was an amazing individual. But I really hope there doesn't have to be a strike. It's sad to think what probably happened (financially) to many of those people who had to go months without an income.
Good luck!
Good luck to the WGA, Ken. I'm on your side and hope you guys can get what you want and need.
Hope it's ok to be off topic...
Scott Baio confirmed yesterday what's been apparent for a long time. That he's a classless piece of shit. He said of Erin Moran: "If you abuse drink and drugs, you're going to die" and that she had made her own bed.
It was then announced that she had died of stage 4 cancer.
Instead of showing a little class and decency, he made vicious claims while her body was still warm.
In complete contrast, Henry Winkler showed what a good guy he is with his compassionate tribute.
Very nice to cite "Junior", who set a record last year for having the most unanimous Hall of Fame voting percentage (over 99%) - even higher than the original five inducted in 1936 (The Babe, Ty Cobb, Honus Wagner, Walter Johnson, Christy Matthewson)
http://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Hall_of_Fame_Voting_Percentages
Babe Ruth may be unique in the Hall, in that he may the only one to be inducted withing five years of his retirement.
blinky, AMC is struggling for content. It worked well for them with Breaking Bad and Walking Dead, but the Talking Saul is only done a few times.
Ken, what is different between now and the last writer's strike that you will be able to get something? If the studios feel they can get thru with what's already been written for May and then the summer, can the writers hold out until fall?
John Ghalt, granted he died instead of retiring, but Roberto Clemente was inducted just after his death. He was an active player. Unusual, to be sure, but not completely unheard of.
Pam, St. Louis
Best wishes to the WGA!
Hope they see reason. You can tell the AMPTP for me that I can always read a book. With the sort of profits they make they can well afford to be fair to the ones that create the product they benefit from.
Living in Texas, I often get an ear full on how bad Unions are for business, consumers, AMERICA, etc., etc. But I just want to tip my hat to you writers for fighting the fight. Sure, there are some unions that have outgrown their usefulness, and now create as many problems as they solve. But without unions, corporations and business can run amok on employees - and they often do. Seldom do they really have a workers' best interests at heart. Companies walk over their workers because they divide them. They'll pull the rug out from under you on a whim, and then hide behind the Mafioso-like slogan, "It's just business." Where people are involved - especially creative ones - it's NEVER JUST business. If it wasn't for unions, we would have a 6-day work week... and our kids would be working in mines. (Okay, maybe not the last part.) Stay strong.
Ken, I'm a railway union man in London. I just want to wish you guys all the best. You've got the absolute right to withdraw your labour, and despite what people think, no one ever does this lightly: everyone has lots of debt and families, and no one can easily afford to lose the amount of pay a strike costs. And the media lies incessantly about why people strike - I've never seen a factual report of a strike in my industry. I can imagine you'll face some of that too.
I'm with you 100%
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