Friday, November 9, 2007
Monday, November 5, 2007
Strike or BUST!
It's been hinted at since early June, but now it's finally here.
The WGA (Writer's Guild of America) is on strike. From what I can gather from various sources, the gossip mill and a few friends on the picket lines, the strike centers around these key issues:
1. New Media
As it stands, writers don't get paid residuals from shows re-aired online. The writers are also asking for basic protection of any new material they create for the internet. Currently, those who write shows for the internet, or create characters for the internet have no protection--they don't get paid WGA wage minimums, they don't have pension plans, etc. They're also trying to get residuals for iPod downloads and downloads to cell phones.
2. Enforcement and Expansion of the Contact
Game shows, talk shows, documentaries, etc also have writers, but a lot of times, production companies like to pretend as if these writers aren't covered under the contact. Sometimes they refuse to give them health care, etc., but if the writers ask about it, they can and often do get fired.
Even though most people think Reality TV is "reality", they actually have writers. ("The Hills" hint, hint) Writers for Reality TV and Animation aren't covered under the contract--the WGA thinks they should be.
What does this mean for TV?
Shows like The Daily Show and Colbert Report are completely screwed. Late Night Shows, too. Immediate reruns. Then comes daytime TV. Eventually, when the order runs out for shows like Heroes and Bionic Woman, primetime will be shot.
What does this mean for WGA Members?
On the writer's forum I've been reading posts from the WGA Member's Only section, and it's quite startling how so many people have gotten screwed by the Companies. Shocking, really. How the production companies in animation have literally laid of hundreds of artists and blacklisted writers for joining the WGA. They also seem to be fighting about what the strike, exactly, is about. Some say New Media, others say it's about something else.
I'm also hearing stories about the "little guys" who can't afford to keep up the strike. Sure, the well-known, well-paid writers can do it, but the average WGA guy isn't making enough bank to keep her house, car payments, etc. So there's an internal battle as well. Not everyone in the WGA writes for Jon Stewart. (I hear he's paying the salaries of the Daily Show writers until the end of the strike.)
What does this mean for us, the non-WGA Members?
Nothing. Not really, anyway. If you weren't getting work before the strike, you're probably not going to get work during the strike. But...just in case, there are:
Rules of Conduct for Non-WGA Members
13.
The Guild does not have the authority to discipline non members for strike breaking and/or scab writing. However, the Guild can and will bar that writer from future Guild membership.
This policy has been strictly enforced in the past and has resulted in convincing many would be strike breakers to refrain from seriously harming the Guild and its members during a strike. Therefore, it is important for you to report to the Guild the name of any non member whom you believe has performed any writing services for a struck company and as much information as possible about the non member's services.
--
We can write for non-signatory production companies, but that's pretty obvious, anyway.
Or in other words: New Media is too new, and the prodcos don't know if they make money off it or not, HA!
If you want to find out more about the strike, please check out the sidebar links in "Who's out there?"
Cheers and good luck to the WGA members.
The WGA (Writer's Guild of America) is on strike. From what I can gather from various sources, the gossip mill and a few friends on the picket lines, the strike centers around these key issues:
1. New Media
As it stands, writers don't get paid residuals from shows re-aired online. The writers are also asking for basic protection of any new material they create for the internet. Currently, those who write shows for the internet, or create characters for the internet have no protection--they don't get paid WGA wage minimums, they don't have pension plans, etc. They're also trying to get residuals for iPod downloads and downloads to cell phones.
2. Enforcement and Expansion of the Contact
Game shows, talk shows, documentaries, etc also have writers, but a lot of times, production companies like to pretend as if these writers aren't covered under the contact. Sometimes they refuse to give them health care, etc., but if the writers ask about it, they can and often do get fired.
Even though most people think Reality TV is "reality", they actually have writers. ("The Hills" hint, hint) Writers for Reality TV and Animation aren't covered under the contract--the WGA thinks they should be.
What does this mean for TV?
Shows like The Daily Show and Colbert Report are completely screwed. Late Night Shows, too. Immediate reruns. Then comes daytime TV. Eventually, when the order runs out for shows like Heroes and Bionic Woman, primetime will be shot.
What does this mean for WGA Members?
On the writer's forum I've been reading posts from the WGA Member's Only section, and it's quite startling how so many people have gotten screwed by the Companies. Shocking, really. How the production companies in animation have literally laid of hundreds of artists and blacklisted writers for joining the WGA. They also seem to be fighting about what the strike, exactly, is about. Some say New Media, others say it's about something else.
I'm also hearing stories about the "little guys" who can't afford to keep up the strike. Sure, the well-known, well-paid writers can do it, but the average WGA guy isn't making enough bank to keep her house, car payments, etc. So there's an internal battle as well. Not everyone in the WGA writes for Jon Stewart. (I hear he's paying the salaries of the Daily Show writers until the end of the strike.)
What does this mean for us, the non-WGA Members?
Nothing. Not really, anyway. If you weren't getting work before the strike, you're probably not going to get work during the strike. But...just in case, there are:
Rules of Conduct for Non-WGA Members
13.
The Guild does not have the authority to discipline non members for strike breaking and/or scab writing. However, the Guild can and will bar that writer from future Guild membership.
This policy has been strictly enforced in the past and has resulted in convincing many would be strike breakers to refrain from seriously harming the Guild and its members during a strike. Therefore, it is important for you to report to the Guild the name of any non member whom you believe has performed any writing services for a struck company and as much information as possible about the non member's services.
--
We can write for non-signatory production companies, but that's pretty obvious, anyway.
Or in other words: New Media is too new, and the prodcos don't know if they make money off it or not, HA!
If you want to find out more about the strike, please check out the sidebar links in "Who's out there?"
Cheers and good luck to the WGA members.
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