The Directors Guild of America has reached a tentative deal with the AMPTP, and now its time to weigh in on it. However, coming as it did on the eve of Sundance, much of the working film industry press is a bit distracted.
Michael Cieply and Brooks Barnes have a solid article in today's New York Times, in which they outline how the DGA's different negotiating philosophy and lengthy pre-negotiation back channel conversations led to a quick deal.
Over at the
Working Life blog, labor activist and former Senatorial candidate Jonathan Tasini is doing the math, reviewing the deal point by point and offering his thoughts. At first glance he seems pretty mixed on the deal's merits for workers, particularly objecting to its qualifications on new media jurisdiction. Click on the link above for his detailed comments.
# posted by Scott Macaulay @ 1/18/2008 08:54:00 PM
Comments (2)
It pisses me off that the WGA tries, and for the most part manages, to keep non-WGA writers from working while they sign selective agreements deciding that some of their people can go to work. This is starting to break as producers are getting more comfortable with the idea of working during the strike. If the strike goes on, you'll see some serious scabbing start up. Non-WGA members should know that this strike does not effect them, especially when dealing with non-struck companies, which is what they normally do anyway.
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posted by @ 1/19/2008 10:10 AM
The de-facto intimidation of non-WGA writers to not work for non-WGA sig companies is a really sad byproduct of this strike. I know non-WGA writers who have optioned a novel, have worked hard on the adaptation, and, with just a few months left on their option, are being told that if they want to join the WGA in the future that they shouldn't send it out, even to non-sig companies. I agree that this is wrong.
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posted by Scott Macaulay @ 1/19/2008 7:10 PM
