Relations Between Writers and Studios Worsen

[j over]

From IMDb.com

"The president of the umbrella group representing movie and TV producers has denounced the decision by the Writers Guild of America to hold a strike-authorization vote. Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers President Nick Counter called the decision "reckless" and charged that negotiators for the guild "seem intent on striking without seriously addressing the AMPTP's proposals and with no regard for the devastating impact on their members, fellow unions and this industry." In their letter to 13,000 WGA members, Patric Verrone, president of the WGA West, and Michael Winship, his WGA East counterpart, portrayed the vote as a routine procedure. "This is a step that unions regularly take and that we have taken in the past, particularly in negotiations where fundamental issues regarding our future are on the table," they said. But in reporting on the guild's move, today's (Tuesday) Daily Variety commented that it "portends that negotiations -- set to resume Thursday -- will continue to follow a rocky course in the face of an Oct. 31 contract expiration as each side seeks to gain leverage through an exceptionally hostile public relations battle."

Not exactly good news.

[wcmartell]

Re: Relations Between Writers and Studios Worsen

Unions always send out strike authorization forms - they need to have the power to call a strike if negociations fail. They don't wait until after negociations fail... then it would take a few days before they could call a strike. What happens in the meantime?

What is strange is that the producers are making a big thing of this - they are trying to make it look like writers are throwing the first punch.

The first punch is when they said residuals should be discontinued a couple of months ago.

- Bill