Patric Verrone, WGAW President, Emails Members: "Don't Break Out The Champagne Just Yet"

Shortly after the WGA agreed to return to talks on November 26, Patric M. Verrone, President, WGAW, sent the following email, Subject: Don't Break Out The Champagne Just Yet:

To My Fellow Members:
This evening the WGA and the AMPTP announced that we will resume negotiations on Monday, November 26.
This announcement is a direct result of your efforts. It is the direct result of the hours you have spent on the picket lines, the days you've spent educating friends and colleagues, the boundless energy you've put into engaging with not only the Hollywood talent community, but people all over the country and the world. It is a direct result of your dedication to this union and to each other.
Over the past two weeks we have shown incredible resolve and resourcefulness. Every fifteen minutes someone sends me an e-mail with a new suggestion or a copy of a supportive news article or an entertaining and informative pro-writer YouTube video. Actors, local legislators, fans, and fellow members of the Hollywood workforce joined us in droves on our picketing lines this week. SAG's Alan Rosenberg and I were warmly welcomed in Washington D.C. and offered support from every member of Congress with whom we met. These developments all undoubtedly contributed to the decision to return to the table.

For 12 days I have repeated that a powerful strike means a short strike. In that time we have proven that bad news won't slow us down. Now it is equally important that we now prove that good news won't slow us down, either. We must remember that returning to the bargaining table is only a start. Our work is not done until we achieve a good contract and that is by no means assured. Accordingly, what we achieve in negotiations will be a direct result of how successfully we can keep up our determination and resolve.
We have an abridged picketing schedule next week. Next Monday, November 19, we will return to the lines but on Tuesday we have a Labor
Solidarity Rally scheduled and Wednesday through Sunday we will not be picketing due to the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. The picketing schedule for the following Monday, November 26 (when we return to the table) will be determined in consultation with the Strike Captains and will be designed to continue to have maximum effect on our employers and include both studio and location picketing. We will keep you posted through your Strike Captains.
Once again, I thank you all for your efforts and ask you to continue to dedicate yourself to this cause with the same level of energy and enthusiasm that has gotten us to where we are today. We are all in this together.

Best,
Patric M. Verrone
President, WGAW

Comments

[arabbit]

I'm sorry and I don't want to tar all these writers with the same brush but: Aren't these the guys who use their positions to parrot corporate fascism, spread endless distracting drivel and generally maintain corporate TV as a propaganda organ to represent the absolute worst that America has to offer?
Seems strange that shills for corporate fascism should be using the liberal bastion of the unions to protect their sorry asses.
I don't watch corporate television and could care less if these propagandists loose their jobs.

[sneezeguard]

I agree that this resumption of 'talks' is going to lead nowhere. The Producers have seen nothing from the writers or the media to put any pressure on them. And Verrone sending out a note with the tagline "don't pop the champagne just yet" really just serves one purpose-- to suggest that he's somewhere near a deal and if it doesn't happen, well...not his fault, he tried.

What this resumption of talks means is that the writers will continue to ask and the Producers will continue to say No. And these talks will go on for 3-4 days, then break off, and another 3-4 weeks will go by of no talks, and non-writers who were laid off will start screaming, foreclosing, etc., and the mess will continue to get louder on the writer/everyone else, side, putting more pressure on Varrone to throw in the towel. As the months continue, the economy gets worse, and the pressure gets that much more to settle this thing to the detriment of the writers. Unfortunately.

[RedWhiteandBlueState]

Is this announcement really a result of these picket lines, Mr. Verrone? Or is it the black-eye the producers are receiving in the public for not being remotely interested in settling. Honestly, do you really think they care that you're marching on Pico or wherever, far away from their secure offices where they can't even hear you, more than they care that there is no product in the pipeline? Please. The picketing is for the media. My fear is this is all PR and I say you're very wise for telling your members to keep the champagne on ice. And maybe, instead of taking a nice Thanksgiving recess for 5 days, picketing outside the homes of those calling the shots over the holiday might drive the point home or at least allow them to notice.

[jeanruss]

I heard Edwards joined the striking writers on the line-yeah!