Strike Scoop from Hank Steinberg

Here's an email which the writer Hank Steinberg sent to his fellow writers so they could understand the writers' side of the latest negotiations which hit a snag. The AMPTP's PR side has been touted widely, but the corporate-owned news media is less forthcoming with the writers side. So, knowing that blogs on different sites may reach different people, I'm going to distribute this on all my sites.

To my fellow writers,

I'm sure tonight's email from the Writer's Guild was a tad disheartening, particularly after expectations were raised this week that we would be close to making a deal and that the studios were prepared to make substantial concessions.

I spoke to a member of the Negotiating Committee tonight to get more enlightened myself as to what the hell happened: what was the disconnect between the rumors and expectations and the dismal results of this week?

The answer, apparently, is that this is precisely the studios' strategy: raise expectations through disinformation in the media and elsewhere, get us feeling comfortable, get us psychologically used to the idea that the strike will end, and then dash those hopes. This is essentially what they did on November 4th and they are trying to do it again. That is why they leaked the news to Nicky Fink on Monday that the deal was essentially done. If we go soft and get comfortable, the thinking goes, we'll end up accepting a shitty deal. Apparently, this strategy has worked for them in the past but we can't let it work now.

As long as we understand what they are doing and why they are doing it, we should not be disheartened. The studios' real mandate is to close this deal by mid to late December to get the TV season back on track in January and to save their pilot season. They have no urgency right at this moment to resolve this. Their coming back to the table now was part of a P.R. mislead and was actually meant to raise our hopes, then thwart them as a means of psychological warfare. To wear us down. They will, in fact, probably not negotiate for real until closer to their mid-December deadline and in the meantime will try to work on our collective resolve.

So although the idea of picketing for a couple of more weeks doesn't sound particularly glamorous to any of us, we're still in good shape to make a fair deal and we shouldn't allow their tactics to dampen our spirits or forget what it is we're striking over in the first place. They need to make a deal, they will make a deal, they just want to gauge us as much as they can. I thought it enormously helpful to understand where they are coming from and hope it will help you too.

The leadership understands that an informed constituency is a motivated constituency and members of the leadership and negotiating committee will be out on the picket lines on Monday to elucidate some of this and to answer questions, but no reason to churn and stew all weekend till then.

So rest up this weekend and don't despair.

And by all means, feel free to forward this email to any of our brethren.

We're all in this together!

Hank


For further information on Hank Steinberg, visit IMDB.com: http://www.pro.imdb.com/name/nm0825757/

Things Momma Never Told Me About Striking

On the Sunday before the big rally in Hollywood, November 18, 2007, I volunteered to help make signs at the WGA Headquarters. That in itself was a unique experience, because in all the times that I've seen people with picket signs, I've never thought once where they came from. Same with those rallies at FOX, NBC Universal, and NBC Burbank, and other days on the picket line... never once thought of where the signs came from I was carrying... that is, until the call came for volunteers to make them. Oh, we have to make them ourselves!! The proverbial light goes on in my head.

Okay, it sounds silly, but it's like we buy fruit and vegetables from the supermarket -- could we all name which ones grow on trees, bushes, independently on the ground or beneath it? Or do we think about where the chickens come from which are packaged up so nicely for us in the store?

For most of the afternoon, my job was to cut rope into little pieces. These would be put through the holes on the top of strike signs so they could become sandwich boards... those are the signs that drape over your front and back like a poncho. When we ran out of rope to cut, I helped make the sandwich boards. Other people were making the signs you carry on sticks.

Through it all, I managed to talk with a friend of mine, Melody, who is/was a writer on Flash Gordon. Apparently she is the only American writer on the show which is a Canadian production. They are pretty much done with writing and filming their first order. However, if the strike goes on a long time, and the show gets a pickup, they could conceivably continue it with all Canadian writers since it's a Canadian production, unlike their American company productions being filmed in Canada. In that case scenerio, they would replace her with a Canadian (bummer for her), and save the difference between their health and welfare payments and ours.

We had a great conversation where I learned a lot about the difference in contracts on what they meant in terms of a production and in terms of the strike.

But this wasn't the only day I learned things. For example, I didn't think twice when I saw strikers walking down the sidewalk or crossing back and forth across the street or driveway because it obviously maximizes your presence by drawing more attention to you. But when I saw my first group moving around and around in a small circle like horses on a merry-go-round on the side of the studio driveway, I thought it kind of silly. However, that was because I didn't know you had to keep moving, if you stand still, you can be arrested for loitering.

So that begs the question, if you sit down, are you squatting?

I also learned that walking back and forth on concrete for 3-4 hours, 5 days a week, for multiple weeks in 85 degree weather is harder work than sitting at a computer for 14 hours in an air conditioned office.

It also never crossed my mind that you had to get permits to picket... and that the permits were only for stated hours. So that once the allotted time was over with, you needed to pack up and go home, or the police can step in and remove you.

And lastly, I learned how biased the news media can be, even when they are pretending to tell both sides of the story.

Senator John Edwards Joins Writers on the Picket Line

Today was a busy day on the picket lines. First of all, it was Fan Appreciation Day and fans gathered at each of the gates of NBC Universal's main lot with writers and actors from their favorite TV shows. Battlestar Galactica gathered at one gate, Desperate Housewives at another, Ghost Whisperer and Life at another.

I don't know how that went because I opted to go to the NBC Burbank lot, where we expected SENATOR JOHN EDWARDS, the pro-union, pro-universal-health-coverage candidate for the Democratic nomination for President to join the strikers in the afternoon. While those who gathered at the various main lot gates planned to hop over in the afternoon to see Edwards, I opted to spend my morning time with the writers manning the NBC Burbank lot for the full shift.

For those of you who don't know, the NBC Burbank lot is where NBC has always been. It is the home of the Jay Leno Show and Days of Our Lives among other productions. When NBC bought Universal Studios, that's when the main lot became NBC Universal.

I had invited my visual effects and artist friend , PAM, to the rally because she is involved in the Democratic Party and likes Edwards, although I do not know if Edwards is her candidate like he is mine. Nevertheless, I had successfully avoided being on film until she came along to insist we take our pictures to commemorate our participation. So forgive my bedraggled and windswept appearance in the picture to the left, as walking up and down the sidewalk for hours does not make me pulled together for the camera. I've been wearing my Hercules hat, which commemorates when we reached our first 50 episodes. I thought this was the most fitting of my hats as this is the series for which I have my WGA credit. Besides, Hercules traveled around righting wrongs and that's what we are out here to do today. These strikers are my Hercules of today.

And since turn-around is fair play, here's my friend Pam holding her sign. It was nice to have a friend to share this momentous blending of politics and writing.

As we walked the sidewalk, I chatted with my friend, Hercules and Xena writer PAUL ROBERT COYLE, who introduced me to his friend, SANDRA DOYLE. Paul told me that he had been assigned to NBC Burbank and hence, had been there since the strike began. I also met up with my friend, MELODY FOX, who is currently writing on Flash Gordon, and fellow AWG member, MICHAEL LENT. I also saw my friend JOE REINKEMEYER, whom you might remember from Buffy or Space Above and Beyond and many other shows.

We were approached by a guy from a radio station who wanted to interview us and asked if we had come out because of Senator John Edwards. So he got one of each... me who was out there because of the writers and who was happy that Edwards was coming because he has been my candidate from the beginning. And Pam, who had come out because of Edwards but also supported the writers and spoke very eloquently, I might add.

I was also approached by a guy who works as a grip and he was making a documentary to explain what the writers strike is all about to his fellow grips. These guys who work through IATSE union may have never paid attention to what writers get since they are the guys who work on the set making the principal photography work. Their union is telling them one thing, the papers another, their studio a third thing, and writers a fourth. So I was happy to give him my viewpoint for his documentary.

I have great respect for Edwards. While the other candidates have offered their support in hopes for a speedy settlement, he's the candidate that says, I'm with you, I'm with the workers, I'm with labor, I believe in the fairness of what you are asking for. And he's the candidate who has promised not to cross picket lines to go onto shows to campaign or to debate for the campaign. Just like his Teamster brothers, who choose not to cross picket lines either, and who honk in support every time they see a picket sign. This is why my Independent, no-voting-for-the-system-if-the-system-doesn't-represent-me soul, is firmly behind making him my President. I believe that this Democrat does represent me. And in this case, the publicity he brings us -- another day in the news media who would rather tell us about Brittany than what's going on on the picket line -- is worth more to us, I believe, than the boost it will give his campaign.

From what I could see, SENATOR JOHN EDWARDS arrived with little fanfare. Suddenly he was there in my line of sight, and I started to gravitate towards the spot. Meanwhile, an announcement was made and you could see how people gathered together in a big crowd. You can see in the picture to the left what a press of flesh it was. I couldn't get any closer to him because it was shoulder to shoulder people and cameras.

Since he had come to march with the strikers, he gave only a very short speech, where he did not ask us to vote for him. For today was not about him at all. He indicated that he stood with the writers and that it was important to organize all workers in the country. And that when he was president, he would still be with us. Then he started shaking hands. I did manage to be one of those people he shook hands with.

After shaking many hands, he started to move to his left (and my right) to connect with more people. And I found myself in a situation I had never experienced before. I now know how people get trampled at rock concerts. The press surged forward to follow him, except we were in its path, and there was nowhere to move because we were so packed, we were up against each other. But it was like an unstoppable force pushing on me and I could do nothing but be swept to my right with it.

It was a very weird feeling to be no longer in control of your body moving, or even your feet touching the ground. The sign I was carrying disappeared, no doubt trampled underfoot, and my sole concern became staying on my feet so I didn't disappear like my sign. My secondary concern was to fight my way out of there, but I couldn't do that at first. I had to let the mindless mass of flesh sweep me along in its pursuit of Edwards.

I'm sure they had no idea how they were pushing us like bulldozers and forcing us forward -- they were just intent on being near him to keep shooting their film and photos. Luckily, I kept my footing as I was swept along and eventually, I made my way out of there to the fringes. By this time, a phalanx was forming around Edwards so that he could walk with the strikers. I did try once more to get closer, to maybe get a better picture, but I couldn't see how to do it without getting into that mass again, and I didn't think a photo was worth the danger. So I stayed on the fringes and reasoned that this was not a political rally, but about writers, so the important thing was for me to be walking with the writers, the true reason I was there.

That's when I saw JAMES DENTON of Desperate Housewives, standing by the curb, holding his baby girl, MALIN, and talking to someone. What attracted my attention was not that it was James Denton, but that he wore the John Edwards Campaign T-shirt quite well. Hey, I'm a woman and I notice such things. A well-muscled hunk in a snug T-shirt will definitely attract my attention. And I was pleased to see the logo on it. So I went up to him and said, "That's the right candidate." As we shook hands, I told him that I loved him on the show, but I loved his choice of candidate even more. He told me that he has been traveling with Edwards and said, "John's a good man." After that, I let him get on with talking to others.

I eventually lost track of the phalanx around Edwards, but it didn't matter because it was about time for me to leave to go to work. I did my own pounding of the pavement until I had to hoof it to the car. I hope today helps bring up a speedy return to the negotiation table.

SAG supports WGA in Rally at Universal Studios

Two hours of walking up and down on a concrete sidewalk in front of NBC Universal Studios between three gates and beyond... isn't working in Hollywood glamorous? But we were doing it for a very important cause -- the WGA is on strike for writers to get a contract which includes a percentage of the revenue made by the studios off their creative writing on the Internet and cell phones, and an increased percentage of DVD sales. Today SAG, the Screen Actors Union, joined us in full force.

They have been on the picket lines with the WGA since the beginning, as individuals who care, reportedly even bringing food to their striking writers, but this was to show actors in force supporting writers and hopefully to get good media coverage to spread the word of what's going on.

Normally, I don't post the photos of the actors or the writers on the lines and have only posted the neat signs. I had planned to do that here as well when it occurred to me that that perhaps was a mistake... the actors had come out, not only to lend their support, but their visibility, so if publishing a few photos of your favorite actors gets you to read about our striking brethren, then I think that was what today was about.

I don't think the actors will mind posting them here, but if anyone does object to having their photo here, then please let me know and I'll remove it. We are all in this together and we respect each other.

It did bring out the news media. In fact it was always easy to spot where an actor was, because usually there were three or four cameras clicking away and someone with a microphone or recorder. Even if you were talking with an actor you knew, you would most likely be interrupted by someone wanting him/her to speak a few lines into the recorder for them. Course, I didn't mind -- that was how they could best lend a helping hand: publicity to remind the world what the writers were striking for. As long as they didn't catch bedraggled me on camera, I was okay.

There were so many actors and writers as well as press moving up and down the sidewalk that I'm sure I didn't see many who were there. Of those I saw, the casts of Numb3rs, Desperate Housewives, The Unit, Army Wives, and Chuck were very represented with several, if not all of their main casts. I saw ROB LOWE, dressed in a white shirt and tie, and CALISTA FLOCKHART from Brothers and Sisters. Given the way Rob was dressed, I suspect they were shooting today and had just stopped in when they could.

I had wanted to chat with SHAWN RYAN, at least long enough to thank him for the open letter he wrote to the industry, stating why he wasn't going to do his producing duties -- that he couldn't produce the last episode without having his writing hat on as well. Both at FOX and at NBC Universal, he was always surrounded by people he was talking to whenever I happened to pass by. But I'm sure there will be many more opportunities before this is over.

I did get to chat a moment with MARC CHERRY, the showrunner of Desperate Housewives. I have no idea what Marc is like to work for, but my encounters with him have always been delightful. He's one of the nicest and most humble men I've ever talked to. After meeting him last year, I sent him a handwritten note telling him how much I loved his show. For me, watching a show about the everyday lives of four women is an anomaly. While I believe in equality for women in all ways in my heart and soul and deeds, in terms of watching television, I'm an action adventure, male bonding, male banter, cowboy, cop, science fiction type of girl. So loving Desperate Housewives is truly a mark of how well-written and well-acted that show is. After I had written that note to him, to my surprise, I got a handwritten note back from him thanking me for writing him. So today when I talked to him, I also saw the same humble and very real man. He was telling me how honored he felt to be a strike captain and how he was doing his best to do a good job and live up to the honor. This desire to do a good job for his fellow writers is obviously reflected in how many of his cast members were out here today.

There were also a few dogs on the picket line, but my favorite pet support is the T-shirt here of the kitty holding the strike sign with the caption, 'Kittens support WGA'. I was having a bit of trouble getting the actress' head in as well as the T-shirt because I couldn't back up at the time, and she said she actually preferred to not be in the picture. Hence, I honored her request and so the head cutting off is more or less deliberate, and not meant to be insulting.

One of the actors I was delighted to see was LESLIE SILVA whom you may know from Odyssey 5. We were supposed to work on a project together and unfortunately, it never came to pass.

Another actor I hadn't seen in a while who was a delight to see was JASON RITTER, whom I worked with on Joan of Arcadia. Jason is not only one of the most handsome and talented young men I've met, but he's also one of the nicest and sweetest to be around. Not only is he a terrific actor, but he and his girl friend put together for Christmas a slide show explaining to us why it was Joan of Arcadia, not Luke of Arcadia, Helen of Arcadia -- you get the picture. And these incredible talents did it in one night. Jason tells me he's been working on an independent movie, so that should be great to see.

I urge you to check out the news coverage on the today's picket line to get a more comprehensive picture of who was there, because of all the things I am, a good photographer I'm not. Also check out sites like www.unitedhollywood.com They are one of the sites that will give you a good comprehensive overview of what the writers strike is all about.

I just want to say to all those reading this that it is very important to us that you the public understand what's going on, because I believe in the power of the people and I believe that once you are informed on the issues, you too will be on the side of the writers, and perhaps, doing whatever is in your power to help them.

Strike Watch: WGA and Supporters Rally at FOX Studios

Although I'm a writer, I don't yet have enough union credits to be a WGA member. When I sold my Hercules, the Legendary Journeys story, I became an associate member for three years, but as many people in this industry can attest, it's still a hard struggle to get your whole body into the staffing door, even when you manage to get a foot in.

And while I continue to write and hone my writing skills, so I can one day be a full-fledged WGA member, I try to work as often as possible with writers on one-hour drama shows as script coordinator or as writers/producers assistant. What better place to hone your skills than among those who do it -- who can at the very least teach by example... and sometimes more. Consequently I support the strike not only because it is the right thing to do and because I care about my fellow writers, but also because I have a vested interest in the issues.

Even so, these issues are bigger than just the writers. The same issues will be on the table for the actors come June and the directors come June. It just happens that the writers' contract comes up first, because this is about shares of the profits for those who create the product we see in whatever medium we see it -- all the creators. Still, it has been said that what the writers get, or are forced to take, will be a harbinger for what the actors and directors get, or have to take. And if the studios manage to break the writers' guild, it is a dire precedent for what might happen with the other guilds.

And while crew people do not stand to benefit from the proposals on the table (i.e., crew people don't get residuals or payments past their daily salary) and while they will share the hardships of getting laid off as well, many of them have been standing with the writers, for they know that all workers are united in one thing: if management can overrun some of them, it makes it much easier for management to run over the rest of them when their contracts come due.

And then there are all the people who don't belong to unions, like writers assistants and script coordinators, who are at the mercy of the individual studios offering them jobs (with varying salaries, hours, and benefits), who may only have the clout of the showrunner to help them... something which is getting harder and harder every year for a showrunner to do, as the studios keep getting more powerful.

I loved seeing this SAG (Screen Actors Guild) Solidarity sign at the rally at FOX studios this morning. SAG, like many unions have come out in support of the strike, their hearts are with the strikers, but 'no strike' clauses (no doubt insisted upon by these same studios in other years for this exact purpose) keeps them from striking in sympathy while they still have an active contract. The best they can do is show their support by showing up on the picket lines on THEIR OWN FREE TIME, while still showing up for work, so that their employers can't fire or sue them, as they are threatening.

Many of us are or have been in this boat and it's spirit crushing to have to cross the picket lines of your brethren to fulfill your job.

The writers struck on Monday, so they are out on the picket lines since then, and all week, every gate at every studio has seen their presence. Since then, every day we see more and more layoffs of the little people. Some writers assistants and script coordinators are still working, waiting for the ax to fall on them, many were laid off this week. Most of the production crews are still working, but they know that if this strike goes on and the scripts run out, so will their jobs. Those of us working in post, where I am right now, are still working, but for how long? If there aren't episodes being shot, there's nothing to post. And yet, no matter where our sympathies are, the legal machine of the striking guild does not cover us, so we continue to work. And it's not lost on us that we can continue to pay our bills for the moment where our brethren might not. It's grim on both sides of the gate.

So it was with great elation that I joined in on the massive rally at FOX Studios (ON MY OWN FREE TIME, in case my studio is reading) -- elation, not because of the need for writers to strike, but because of the massive numbers: over 4,000 strong. This is my first view as I approached. Avenue of the Stars was closed off so thousands of people could gather in front of FOX Plaza, the headquarters for the studio. Here people listened to Zack de la Rocha of Rage Against the Machine get the rally started with two songs and listened to the inspiring words of courage and resolution by various speakers, including Rev. Jesse Jackson and Norman Lear. There were so many people gathered in front of the podium that we were standing shoulder to shoulder.

Then we began the march down the street and around the side of the studio lot to the front gate. Pico Blvd was not closed off so we had to stay on the sidewalk. As we got closer to the front gate, I noticed there were people up on the top of the building watching us and I couldn't help but get the image of guards watching prisoners exercising in the compound. Weird feeling.

There were so many of us that we stretched down the block and around the corner. So we kept moving, in an orderly fashion crossing the street at Motor and then moving down the other side, with the idea of returning to our starting point and doing the walk again. It is when you are on the other side of the street that you could appreciate how long the line actually was.

It was when I was on the other side of the street taking this photo of the line stretching as far as the eye could see that the police announced that they would be closing off Pico Blvd from Motor (where we crossed the street right in front of the Main Gate) to Avenue of the Stars (the street we walked down) so that we could gather in the street in front of the gate, like a proper rally.

So we could all be together and show our 4,000 plus might. Have to say that there was very little police presence and they were very polite and accommodating to us. Of course, we were all well-behaved as well.

They closed off the road and told us we could have the street. And so we moved off the far sidewalk and moved up from the back and showed FOX what we were all about.

It's hard for my little camera to do the rally in front of the Main Gate justice and my purpose was not to report, but to participate and support. So I'm sure there are much better images out there for you to peruse. This will just give you a flavor of the day.

With so much of the news media slanting their reports to the producers' side, if you are unclear about what the writers are fighting for or just would like a very simple way of explaining what you know to others, I encourage you to visit this You Tube video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJ55Ir2jCxk

It's the best I've found. Also if you are wondering why there is so little about what's going on in the legitimate news outlets, considering how important this is to so many people and how it impacts people's lives and our economy, I urge you to visit this site I just found:

http://murderati.typepad.com/

I don't often link to other places in this blog, but this one is important. Let us all pray for a speedy resolution and one that is fair to all sides.