WGA / SAG-AFTRA Strike

I heard the ladies on The View discussing wills because someone famous had left her last handwritten copy in her sofa and a judge had determined it was legit. Anyway, the discussion progressed into Whoopi stating that she clarified (years ago) in her will that her likeness cannot be used.

How do companies succeed, and how do entertainers make a decent living when there is so much volume for consumers to choose from? To be honest, I watch very little scripted shows regardless of platform. In the 60s, what the writers and actors were fighting for affected me. Today, not at all.

Hollywood plunges into all-out war on the heels of pandemic and a streaming revolution

"The last time screen actors and writers struck simultaneously, in 1960, the guilds established royalty (later residual) payments for replays of films and TV episodes, among other landmark protections. If that strike reckoned with the dawn of television, this one does much the same for the streaming era.

"But streaming, especially when companies carefully guard audience numbers, offers no easy metric like box office or TV ratings to establish residuals — long a foundational part of how writers and actors make a living. SAG-AFTRA is seeking a small percentage of subscriber revenue, with data measured by a third party, Parrot Analytics.

"The AMPTP, which negotiates on behalf of the studios, hasn’t agreed to that but says the studios have offered actors “historic pay and residual increases,” along with pension contributions and other other protections."

...

"“You used to be able to work on a broadcast show, one show and you’re good for the year because of the residuals,” said actor Nachayka Vanterpool on the picket lines. “And then you have streaming coming along and you got 20 cent residual checks. That impacts you.”"

Thanks, Critical! That's good to know where they stand on the issue of streaming and of supporting already shot movies at the theaters, as well.

There is a commercial that I have seen a lot over the last 6 months or so.   I think it may be for a brand of Almond Milk.   There is a young pre teen ish girl and her father in it.   And I have been thinking something about her looks unnatural.   I wonder if that commercial could be AI?

Michelle Hurd with a word.

I think it was Jack Lemmon who said that if you're an actor whose been fortunate enough to make it to the penthouse, it's your obligation to send the elevator back down to those in your business who have not been so fortunate. It's nice to see any actor/musician who has made it remember to help others in their profession (as well as those who make their profession possible, such as all the writers, technical people etc.)who haven't had the same financial success they have.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CxS6WxHLfSO

I wonder if the other shows resuming production will follow suit.

WGA has struck a tentative deal!!!

Writers Guild Reaches Tentative Agreement With Studios and Streamers

In a significant development that could bring an end to a historic writers' strike, the union and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers announced a provisional deal on Sunday.

After several long consecutive days of negotiations, the Writers Guild of America and the labor group representing studios and streamers have reached a tentative deal on a new contract in a major development that could precipitate the end of a historic, 146-day writers’ strike.

The Writers Guild of America emailed strike captains the news on Sunday night, and shortly after, its negotiating committee informed all members. “We have reached a tentative agreement on a new 2023 MBA, which is to say an agreement in principle on all deal points, subject to drafting final contract language,” the latter message stated. “We can say, with great pride, that this deal is exceptional – with meaningful gains and protections for writers in every sector of the membership.”

The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers confirmed the news in a joint statement with the WGA about the deal on Sunday.

The parties came to terms on a provisional three-year agreement, which will need to be ratified by WGA members to take effect, on Sunday after studios responded to last-minute union asks that day. Specifics of the deal affecting around 11,500 WGA members weren’t available as of press time, though they will emerge in the next few days as the union seeks to sell its members on the pact.

In its message to members, the union’s negotiating committee asked for patience on disclosing the fine print of the deal. “What remains now is for our staff to make sure everything we have agreed to is codified in final contract language. And though we are eager to share the details of what has been achieved with you, we cannot do that until the last ‘i’ is dotted,” the email stated. The deal will first go to the union’s negotiating committee for a vote, then to the WGA West’s board and the WGA East’s council for approval; both referendums are tentatively scheduled for Tuesday. If rubber-stamped by those leaders, board and council will also vote on whether to end the strike “at a certain date and time (to be determined) pending ratification,” the negotiating committee said.

Once these leadership votes have taken place, members will receive a summary of the agreement and a memorandum of agreement (a more detailed and lawyerly accounting of the provisional contract) prior to their own ratification vote. In the meantime, the WGA has suspended picketing while telling members that “no one is to return to work” until the union gives the green light.

During the final weekend of negotiations, lawyers huddled before the studios presented their alleged “best and final” offer on Saturday night. Later that same night, the AMPTP and the WGA issued a joint statement that they would be meeting again on Sunday. And indeed, despite the supposed finality of the studios’ previous proposal, union negotiators returned to their bargaining counterparts on Sunday afternoon with some additional asks before the sides ultimately wrapped up the negotiations.

The mood among writers on Friday’s packed picket lines was one of cautious optimism, as union members anticipated that the end of the historic work stoppage might be soon. “The fact that they’ve been talking for three days straight is terrific,” showrunner Marc Guggenheim (Legends of Tomorrow) told The Hollywood Reporter at Disney. Studio-side sources familiar with the progress in the room also projected positivity over the past several days as management made moves on issues including A.I., TV staffing and residual compensation tied to streaming show performance. That buoyant mood dipped on Thursday night, when studio sources claimed the WGA came back late in the night with new asks on items that management believed to be already closed; but returned on Friday as the sides nailed down compromises.

The momentum in talks over the course of the past week was a welcome change in pace from the month-long standstill in negotiations that occurred after a meeting between WGA leaders and several CEOs plus AMPTP president Carol Lombardini in late August, which ended in mutual recrimination. The AMPTP released its Aug. 11 offer publicly, and the WGA slammed the meetup, saying its leaders were met with a “lecture about how good their single and only counteroffer was.” The pause in talks was lifted on Sept. 14, when the AMPTP announced that the WGA had reached out to resume negotiations and both sides were working on scheduling in the following week.

At day 146 of the ongoing WGA strike, the work stoppage was closing in on being the longest in the union’s history. The current record was set in 1988, when the WGA struck Hollywood companies for 154 days.

Though still tentative in nature, the agreement is a momentous development for an industry that has been hobbled by the double WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, the first time both have occurred at once in over 60 years. The WGA strike had an immediate impact: Filming in Los Angeles declined 29 percent between April and June 2023 compared with the same period last year as the writers’ work stoppage began May 2, local office FilmLA reported on April 19. A wide array of major projects were halted in their tracks and/or postponed, including Netflix’s Stranger Things, Apple TV+’s Loot, Marvel’s Blade 2 and Thunderbolts and others. When SAG-AFTRA joined the stoppage, a number of additional projects including Venom 3, Gladiator 2 and Deadpool 3 followed.

A tentative agreement does not eradicate the potential for the strike to continue, as WGA leadership could still vote against lifting the union’s restraining order. And in terms of the contract, members could still reject the deal in an upcoming ratification vote. The stakes and expectations are high, given how long the work stoppage has gone on so far. However, in the coming days the WGA leadership will undoubtedly work hard to persuade their members of the deal’s merits.

Negotiations for the agreement began on March 20 and broke off the night of May 1, resulting in a strike the next day. The two parties reunited again on August 11, reached a standstill in late August but resumed on Sept. 20, and concluded their negotiations on Sept. 24. The writers had been advocating for great compensation in the streaming era, through higher wage floors, regulation of mini-rooms and residuals tied to the performance of their shows. Meanwhile, studios and streamers — who have been feeling pressure to cut costs after Wall Street turned on unprofitable streaming operations in 2022 and amid an uncertain economic climate — were seeking to rein in their spending on labor. It remains to be seen how both sides managed to reach a compromise that could satisfy their constituents.

The writers were led in their negotiations by WGA West assistant executive director Ellen Stutzman, who stepped up to the plate after the western branch of the union’s executive director David Young went on medical leave prior to the start of talks. Carol Lombardini, the AMPTP’s chief negotiator since 2009, led the talks for producers.

Now, it’s up to the WGA’s members to determine whether the deal satisfies the workplace issues that their peers have been raising for months. All eyes are on the union’s ratification vote for the deal, the date of which has not yet been announced.

Why should they come back when she made it all too obvious she didn't care about their concerns and was willing to scab? Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.

I think what many don't understand is that the host of a show isn't the only boss. Below is a good article I read about these type of decisions when she initially said she was bringing back her show. I think Drew could have handled it better but I don't place complete blame on her. Drew and other hosts are under contract with major media production companies that require a certain number of shows that must be made in a certain period of time. If they don't then they can lose their show. That's not just their job they are losing but hundreds of people that work on the show, not just the writers. Hopefully the bigger picture here is everyone who works in TV/Film/Stage are paid properly and the studios and major media production companies learn something.

variety.com/2023/tv/news/drew-barrymore-daytime-talk-shows-wga-strike-1235725462/