One WGA member who WANTS the lines of solidarity to be broken

Plot Device · Nov 18, 2007

Here's what he wrote in his blog -- an open invitation for the scabs to go ahead and just start scabbing:

http://www.milliondollarscreenwriting.com/blog/?p=248

SCAB. GO AHEAD AND SCAB. C'MON.

Bloged in Screenwriting by Chris Friday November 16, 2007

Now. At this troubled time. This is your chance. Don’t be afraid. Ignore the taunts and insults of your peers. You have an unique opportunity. You could work with the finest Hollywood has to offer, you could craft filmic masterpieces. You could be immortal in the movie business. Don’t worry about what others will think, the attacks on you, the name-calling and vitriolic diatribes…you are dedicated to this art. Yes, they will threaten, they’ll say you’ll never be a part of them again, they’ll call you traitor and turncoat, worse than the enemy…but…

…that is the fate of all visionaries. History will vindicate you…

…Break ranks. Go through the line. BREAK the line. Don’t stand shoulder to shoulder with the rank-and-file and their stony resolve and devotion to a foolish, selfish and ultimately, lost cause. Yes, I said it.

A lost cause.

You could be the first. And the BEST IN HOLLYWOOD WILL FLOCK TO YOU.
This is all you have to do, and it’s very simple, I promise you. Just…

…double the rate for DVDs to 8 cents per unit for the credited writer(s). Match that rate for online downloads. Tell us YOUR reality show editors and writers will become our members and be protected. Or just negotiate with us. Come to the table.

Who’ll go first?

New Line? Warner Bros.? Universal? Fox — you already made blind deals with some of our best writers to write for minimum projects they’ll direct…come on back and cut a deal the others won’t cut. Oscar-winning writers will swarm you, and till your brethren wise up you’ll have your pick, you’ll have the best writing this Industry has had to offer…which will attract the biggest stars, the best directors and the MOST MONEY. It will more than defray the few million extra you end up spending…you’ll make (more) billions. Pretty good deal, Rupert?

Yes. The first studio/media conglomerate to break ranks will reap a huge bounty…just by being the good guy, just by dropping a few cents per dvd, just by admitting, yes, that will still be profitable for them. And it will engender good will from the writing community for generations to come.

Till the others wise up and match your offer…

So scab. Break the line. Your compatriots are selfish and their cause is wrong-headed. And this is your chance to steal all the writers in the world.

C’mon.

(Reprinted in full with permission from the author. And permission also given to circulate in full. )

Mac H. · Nov 18, 2007

I'm not sure I see the logic of the piece. Individual companies offer better than the minimum all the time .. that is why it is called 'the minimum rate' rather than 'the only rate'.

Is he saying that the WGA is giving permission for their members to work for signatories, as long as they are getting greater than the minimum? If that were the case, then there would be no reason for the high profile writers to strike at all .. because they are all doing much better than the minimum.

If an individual company were to break ranks and offer 8 cents per unit on a particular project, then would the WGA honestly allow their members to work on that project? Or if an individual company were to break ranks and offer 8 cents per unit on all projects, would the WGA allow their members to work for that company?

Mac

cynicallad · Nov 18, 2007

Mac H. said:
I'm not sure I see the logic of the piece. Individual companies offer better than the minimum all the time .. that is why it is called 'the minimum rate' rather than 'the only rate'.

Is he saying that the WGA is giving permission for their members to work for signatories, as long as they are getting greater than the minimum? If that were the case, then there would be no reason for the high profile writers to strike at all .. because they are all doing much better than the minimum.

If an individual company were to break ranks and offer 8 cents per unit on a particular project, then would the WGA honestly allow their members to work on that project? Or if an individual company were to break ranks and offer 8 cents per unit on all projects, would the WGA allow their members to work for that company?

Mac

There'd be a vote, but yes. If one of the majors broke ranks and cut a better deal, the WGA would probably issue "vouchers" or something like that.

They'd have to be one of the major, major players, though (i.e., CBS).

Rolling Thunder · Nov 18, 2007

Did you read the rest of his blog, Pen? To me this seems like a sarcastic post to taunt scabs, given the fact he supports the strike and is walking the picket line.

Voyager · Nov 18, 2007

Sarcasm at its finest.

dpaterso · Nov 19, 2007

I think he's trying to be too clever, and the real meaning is in danger of being lost amid the sarcasm.

-Derek

Unique · Nov 19, 2007

JMO but - scabs = what's in it for me and f*** you.

Probably sarcasm but too many would see it as an invitation. See above.

nmstevens · Nov 19, 2007

Mac H. said:
I'm not sure I see the logic of the piece. Individual companies offer better than the minimum all the time .. that is why it is called 'the minimum rate' rather than 'the only rate'.

Is he saying that the WGA is giving permission for their members to work for signatories, as long as they are getting greater than the minimum? If that were the case, then there would be no reason for the high profile writers to strike at all .. because they are all doing much better than the minimum.

If an individual company were to break ranks and offer 8 cents per unit on a particular project, then would the WGA honestly allow their members to work on that project? Or if an individual company were to break ranks and offer 8 cents per unit on all projects, would the WGA allow their members to work for that company?

Mac

You misunderstand. Right now, no struck company can offer any writer any deal of any kind of any project whatsoever -- because we're on *strike.*

What he's suggesting is that one or more of the *majors* -- a member of the AMTPT, should "scab" -- should break ranks with the others and make a deal -- not with individual writers, but with the WGA itself -- make the deal with us that the AMTPT is currently refusing to make.

In the past, say in '88, the guild had been willing to do this on a company by company basis. That is, any company that was willing to acccept the final offer -- was then "unstruck" - and guild members could then do business with them, according to the terms of the new contract.

But we haven't done that this time, because the feeling is, it sort of weakens our position overall - and because once we came back, all of those companies ended up reverting to the overall (and much worse) deal anyway.

But if one or more of the majors were to buy into the current offer -- that is sign the deal for a new contract and a new MBA, it would go a long way toward weakening the AMTPT's overall position.

But it's not going to happen, because there are major "buy-out" penalties for members of the AMTPT to defect and do something like that. For obvious reasons.

NMS

Joe270 · Nov 19, 2007

It reads like 'A Modest Proposal' to me.

One WGA member who WANTS the lines of solidarity to be broken

Plot Device

A woman said to write like a man.

Mac H.

Board Visitor

cynicallad

Rolling Thunder

Voyager

Ribbed for your pleasure.

dpaterso

Also in our Discord and IRC chat channels

Unique

Agent of Doom

nmstevens

What happened?

Joe270