WGA/AMPTP Informal Talks Begin Tomorrow
January 21, 2008 by Kath Skerry
Following the same strategy that lead to last week’s successful deal with the DGA, the AMPTP has asked members on the WGA negotiating committee to meet, starting tomorrow, for what will hopefully be a series of informal discussions leading up to formal negotiations. This is the first time the two groups will meet since the AMPTP walked out on discussions 45 days ago.
The deal is not done…not even close. The deal is done when the new contracts are signed and approved. But as someone who truly believed that the strike was going to continue until at least June, I am cautiously optimistic (heavy on the cautious part). I don’t dare to dream that the 2007-08 TV season will be salvaged, but you never know. I do know that the two sides coming together to talk is much more productive than them not talking. So there’s that.
I also know that I’m just commenting on what I’m reading on sites like UnitedHollywood.com, and that I couldn’t even begin to scratch the surface when it comes to understanding all the nuances of the negotiations and issues. But I’ll keep checking the site daily (or multiple times a day as it is) in hopes that we will soon see those four oh so important words: “The Strike is Over”…until then, well until then I’m going to keep my fingers crossed and think happy thoughts…just like Peter Pan and Wendy taught me to.
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I think the writers need to understand they can strike as long as they want, but they aren’t going to get everything they want–not even close to everything they want probably.
Americans are going to watch whatever the networks put on tv (just look at american gladiators and celebrity apprentice). The time to make a deal is now before the machine that is hollywood starts to figure out a way to eliminate the need for writers completely.
I don’t think there are many writers under the allusion that they are going to get “everything” they want, that’s why they call it negotiations. But there are smart people on the WGA negotiating committee that know that if they panic to make a deal just because the DGA did then they are going to be paying for it in the future.
Read up on the various theories (and not those just as UnitedHollywood.com). There are those in the know that think that the AMPTP worked so quickly with the DGA because they are feeling the hurt from the strike already. Reality shows aren’t going away, but they aren’t bringing in the money (on the front end or back end) that scripted shows can. The success ratio is not there. Hollywood can NOT function on the whole without writers and all parties involved will agree on that.