T-Minus
The weather in LA is just correct today, isn’t it? Gray and kind of foreboding, threatening to storm. It reflects the mood of most everyone I’ve talked to lately who works in entertainment, and many of those who don’t too.
The Writers Guild’s contract with the The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers expires at midnight tonight. Negotiations have been ongoing for some weeks (months?) under a shroud of absolute secrecy, which is as it should be. Barring some extension of the deadline, we will either strike a deal tonight or we will strike, full-stop.
Collecting Thoughts
Last week, I wrote this to a bunch of writers I know:
I want to write something about the negotiations and possible strike for Monday's newsletter, but I just can't collect my thoughts about what to tell folks. I don't think I have much of value to add beyond, “yeah, it's scary but it's necessary.”
Nobody outside of the negotiating committee knows anything about the details, anything about what’s going to happen tomorrow. (And if you read otherwise, anywhere, know that it is just speculation and compltely uninformed and it’s best to ignore it until offical word comes from either/both parties).
To that point: When we did our Zoom Q&A a couple of weeks ago with Javier Grillo-Marxuach (The Witcher; Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance), I asked Javi to look ahead one month and describe what the industry would look like:
So, rather than guessing at facts, I asked these writers what they are feeling right now. What are their thoughts, their fears, their optimistic beliefs or hopes, what their plans are for a strike should we have one, how they’ll will support the WGA and how they’d like to see others—including pre-WGA writers—support us, as we head toward the negotiations deadline.
Gina Ippolito, who’s written for Regular Show, the Murphy Brown reboot, and The Unicorn, as well as kids’ shows liked Bunk’d and more, sums up the feelings that a lot of us in the “middle-class” of writers have:
I had a longer chat with M3gan amd Malignant writer Akela Cooper, who has worked in both features and TV (on such shows as Star Trek: Brave New Worlds, Luke Cage, and others). I’ll post our full conversation over the course of upcoming newsletters, as well as at the top of upcoming Writers Panel episodes, but I wanted to include this part today, as Akela points to one of the frustrations writers have had in recent years, an issue that the WGA is hoping to solve with this new contract:
Gabriel Garza (The Winchesters; The Flash) has given me so much great perspective on btoh the negotiation and possible strike. I’ll share more from Gabe in upcoming newsletters, but, for now, I wanted to offer up some thoughts that he had about why this fight is a good fight.
This quote came from an email that Gabe sent as a WGA Captain to his team before the Strike Authorization Vote (a few weeks ago, which WGA membership authorized with an astounding 97.9%).
I've learned the power of saying "no" to bad deals these past couple years. I've said no when it wasn't the best financial move. I've said no when it threatened to kill two years of development on an IP I loved. I've said no when it meant that I would have to take teaching jobs to pay the bills. Sometimes, I walked away with nothing. Other times, I got what I wanted. But every time it was the right choice.
It taught me that saying no is sometimes the only way to change a thing you don't like in Hollywood. I didn't do it enough earlier in my career. But now I know no one will stand in your power for you. Sometimes you have to do what you believe is right, even if it's not the right time.
Imagine what we can change if we all say no together.
Gabe also made some really terrific points in another email to his team, after Saturday’s Captains’ meetings, that I want to share with you. Thoughts that will, if not put your minds at ease, at least give some hope that we’re in good hands and are doing the right thing, if we strike:
Historically, we don't get a worse deal when we strike, we get a better one.
Historically, the guild is reasonable when it comes to accepting a deal during a strike. They don't wait till they get 100% of what they asked for. They are reasonable with expectations.
Historically, the town gets back to work and hits the ground running after a strike.
And breaking from history… we've never had this amount of support from other unions. Even those who aren't in a position to join us on the picket lines have made strong statements of support. There's also been a surprising amount of good press validating our claims of a broken system.
Enormous thanks to Gabe, Akela, Gina, and everyone else who shared their feelings, fears, hopes, and advice. I’ll continue to share these honest emotions about where we are right now. I think there's comfort in community. I know I've always found that to be true.
Watching with bated breath...