My thoughts on the Writers Guild and the AMPTP

This is the third time I've written something that ended up on The Huffington Post. The first time my subject matter concerned cooking chicken when I was twelve years old. My second topic was the important discussion of the merits of Pie vs. Cake. And now, I write about my Guild's (the Writers Guild of America) overwhelming decision to refuse to work without a contract.

The first thing I want to say, loud and clear (or as loud and clear as you can say with the printed word) is that WE WANT TO WORK. That's actually the biggest single truth about our Guild. We all long to write (preferably about things we care about, but that's not even a prerequisite). We live to tell stories, and we feel incredibly blessed that someone will pay us to do so.

That having been said, we expect that we will be fairly rewarded for the stories we tell--if they are good enough to attract an audience--or to get some attention. The more attention, the more we believe we should be rewarded.

If we were cavemen (and cavewomen), we writers would be the people standing behind the people doing the drawings on the walls of the caves and we'd be giving them the ideas. At night, when the fire was lit and we all gathered round, we'd be given some food based on how well the work went over. The shared experiences that were illustrated in the cave paintings would help us as groups understand the past, and they would also help us as a group determine our collective future. And sometimes, they'd just get the group through a hard day.

But what if, try to stay with me here, all of the Caves were suddenly owned by six EXTREMELY POWERFUL Cavemen. These corporations, I mean Cave People, had developed, in effect, a monopoly. Or at the very least a cartel. All of us storytellers had to go to them to negotiate, and these six powerful Cave People said that we storytellers would get meat when a new story went up on a cave, but not if a story was created and then carved into a block of stone--because the stone was not on a wall. And a stone tablet had no future for storytelling. And even if it did, they owned all of the stone.

Well of course they owned all of the stone! They owned all of the Caves! And they had the sticks and clubs and things that throw the rocks at people. And who were we to them? We were just the people who didn't want to go outside and hunt and gather. We were the ones who stayed in the caves and made up the stories so when they all came home at night, they could unwind and disappear into another world. A world we helped create.

And then the six powerful (and did I mention very, very greedy?) Cave People who told everyone how to run the Caves felt that even when everyone was beginning to look at our new stories on the blocks of stone, and no one was as interested in the stories on the walls anymore, that was none of our business. We should accept the meat we'd been given. We should accept their contract.

And for almost twenty years, we have. But now, we refuse to work without an acknowledgement of a change in the times and a change in the delivery systems for entertainment (I mean wall paintings). We know we aren't the big powerful ones. We know we don't own the Caves. We don't want to. We just want a fair deal. It is a story of David and Goliath.

And some stories have resonance because of the underlying truth in the narrative.

Read more thoughts about the strike on Huffington Post's writers' strike opinion page

Comments

[splashy]

I'm with you! The creative people are far too often cut out of the profits, when they were the ones that actually came up with all the ideas of what to do. They CREATED the profit for those that are parasites on the system.

This is just like the workers that actually put the products together being screwed out of the profit, while those that just sit and push money around gain it all, and look DOWN on those that do actual work for a living.

More power to you, I think you should get even more than you want, but you should AT LEAST get residuals from what you create when they go into other distribution outlets.

We NEED our storytellers, or we descend into stagnation. We NEED the idea makers. EVERYTHING created by people starts as an idea, a thought. That is the spark. Without the spark, all we have is just tinder and sticks.

[megasept]

This former Local 80 grip supports the writers in their fundamental demands, a piece, and not a crumb, from the billions in revenue from "new media." That's reasonable.

Grips and other "below the line" workers don't need residuals. Writing, like directing, is different. But we all need good healthcare and secure pensions (notice I didn't say 401ks).

Sure, I hope this thing doesn't go on too long. But the strike is justified. I want to know who and what might be scabbing right now. Solidarity is underrated.

-Steven Dornbusch

[JusticiaParaTodos]

Holly, I am glad that you a professional writer working for the Hollywood industry. I am an amateur writer, getting articles published once in awhile, and I receive nothing for my skill.

This however is not about me. It is about the WGA and it's struggle with the Hollywood barons that control everything in our entertainment business.

I support WGA, the Screen Actors, the stage hands, etc. Why? We are all working people and we must stick together! The monopolies controlling the motion picture industry would love to produce movies cheaper!

We the consumers and professional cultural workers must be as one to put an end to the exploitation and over commmercialization of our nation's motion picture entity! "An injury to one, is an injury to all!

[tililek]

Why is there no mention about the fact that 6 individuals (for that is what the law says a corporation is) own everything. We need a lot more diversity in ownership so that bargaining has some meaning.

With a union to negotiate everyone has a chance at a fair price, but with the cartel that exists its a take it or leave it world.

So why is the FCC and the Congress so afraid of preventing monopolies? Money is somewhere in that answer and its up to the reader to make some suggestions as to where and how the rich cartel has all that power.

[noamjunior]

Since most of the blogs here on the subject seem to be written by members of the writer's guild, here is an opinion for all you that might be interested in a non-Hollywood writer's perspective of the strike

http://www.celebitchy.com/7299/predicted_consequences_of_the_writers_strike/

[qkslvr]

First of all, when I worked as an engineer any ideas that I developed were automatically the property of my employer since that's exactly what I was hired to do. Second of all, I'm sure that the wage that you earn to do something that you love is far more than the average American makes to often do something that they hate. Third of all, it's interesting that you used the caveman analogy since that is the name of another one of the worthless, poorly written, inane crap that passes for prime time TV these days. I can count the number of decent comedies on one hand. They don't have a laugh track!!! There may be that many dramas, also. If I was a writer I certainly wouldn't want my name associated with the rest of the drivel.

[Kendo Nagasaki]

I am reading this discussion with utmost interest from my hovel in Bombay. I am thinking most seriously that I should offer my services to Mr Redstone in the event that Hollywood writers go on strike, because I am not belonging to any union.

I am also most economical at maybe one cent per word and I can send my writing by e mail straight to viacom with no real expense. Thanking you most profusely, I am humbly looking forward to being of service to the regime.

[Silknspark]

Private property rights are being destroyed everywhere in the United States, and whether knowingly or not, many in the entertainment industry contribute to the very groups that are shutting them down.

[gardenbookie]

So the writer's guild doesn't think their members are getting enough for the work they do?
Welcome to the real world.

[zoostory]

So I see a lot about these six cave men, and a lot of "we" - meaning you. But what about us? The rest of the talented people effected by this?

You don't speak for us.

rageagains­tthestrike­.com

[theonewhoknows]

So, according to you, the people who design clothing at GAP should get a share of every piece of clothing that is sold that was designed by them? The man/woman who developed Coke Zero, should he/she get a share of everyone that is sold?

My only point is that the WGA is hurting itself with this strike by wailing, "oh, woe is me..." because most people in "the business" don't see another dime from their creativity (costume designers, set decorators, etc.).

The big picture is that corporations are making obscene profits while no one, not just writers, but no one is making a better living.

[rektruax]

"But what if, try to stay with me here, all of the Caves were suddenly owned by six EXTREMELY POWERFUL Cavemen."

Then go independent. I guess the writers of words out there are gonna have learn the hard lesson the writers of music out there had to learn in the 90's. No one cares. Especially the big media outlets. They've got it in their head what sells, and there will always be an endless supply of writers/mu­sicians/ac­tors/etc. just dying to fit that mold. Fine.

But for me to get too behind a group that at best protects the interests of a tiny percentage of the people out there practicing a craft, don't hold your breath.

It's like you have this weird over-romanticized idea of unions. It's not the 40's anymore. For every working writer, there's thousands of wannabe's just hoping for a break. Many will see a strike as that chance, and I for one wouldn't blame them for taking advantage of it.

[AmySp]

There was an article recently in the WGA magazine 'Written by' on the history of the Writers Guild, how it was formed, the battles it had to fight in order to even exist. Granted, 'Written by' is a WGA rag and there is some obvious bias, but the facts are there. I grew up with my father in the WGA, and remember the strikes and the sacrifices and the eventual victories that were won---and that would never have been won otherwise. We, the writers, have had to fight to receive proportionately what we deserve. That is simply reality.

[radlib1]

I'm a writer (retired). And I can tell you, thank God for the Guild. Otherwise, none of the writers working now would be getting a minimum or health and pension or residuals. Many writers, myself included, go for years without being paid (we're writing "on spec" or the hope that, eventually, someone will buy our work.) In the meantime, we depend on the residuals for work we've already done. For instance, I just received almost a thousand dollars from German TV for directing an independent movie that I shot in Canada over 10 years ago. That enabled us to do additional medical tests for my autistic son, who was diagnosed right after that movie. Call it KIsmet, call it good union practice, I don't care. My son with autism is now being helped by the Writers Guild and the Directors Guild.

He's not being helped by Viacom or Disney or Warner Bros. Those people, like most Republicans, would tell you to take care of yourselves (even all of their chief executives are making northward of $20 million dollars a year).

If it were up the the Producers Guild of America, the greedy and the evil people of the world will inherit the earth. They don't even want to pay a measly percentage to the writers who write and create their movies and tv. shows.

When you think about Rupert Murdoch of Fox and Sumner Redstone of Viacom, think William Randolph Hearst -- people capable of supporting unsupportable wars who still want to stab their talented writers, the creators of their immense wealth...just because they are cruel enough and they can.

[thewho77]

Mill Holly Golightly, as one of my union brothers/sisters I wish you well. They have been reducing writing jobs by this crazy reality show era, that started about eight years ago with game show Millionaire and the the Survivor series. Without you their stories are idiotic. But all they understand is financial pressure. To make them bleed money it will take three to six months.

In solidarity,from the CWA local in Oklahoma