United Hollywood has the lowdown on the recently struck deal between the DGA and the AMPTP, dissecting all the pros and cons as they see it. Very useful and illuminating.
Working Life has their own analysis (which I’m going to digest later today).
I agree with John Rogers, honestly. This is a deal that seems pretty good considering the Guild which struck it doesn’t really depend on residuals the way the WGA membership does, and has struck over.
This deal seems to suck for TV people. And since, as a feature writer, I have the relatively unique perspective of marching the picket line with mostly television people… I suspect I’m going to hear a lot of misgivings in my circular walkabouts this coming week.
Honestly, the single most annoying thing I hear from my non-WGA Hollywood-type friends, colleagues and associates is that the DGA’s acceptance of the studios’ terms represents some sort of fait accompli… as though we, the writers who started and caused this whole labor mess, will have no choice but to accept what the directors got and end our strike.
Why?
Hey, I think this covenant between the directors and the bosses is a good step toward our own settlement. It’s shady in that it clearly shows the AMPTP has not been remotely interested in bargaining with us fairly before getting the easier to roll Directors Guild to agree to more favorable terms. But we’re apples and oranges here. And while I know the prospect of getting back to work is going to tempt some of our membership to really consider taking what we can get and ending the walkout… I don’t see us caving unless the residual numbers come up substantially.
And why, oh why, don’t I see that happening easily, quickly or willingly on the part of management?
