WGA on strike

[lagilman]

from a WGA member's report on a pre-strike meeting:

"The bottom line is the complete intransigence of the producers on the
issue of the internet. They refuse to discuss any issues unless and until
the WGA takes Internet completely off the table.

The producers want there to be very, very, very little paid on the internet
sale of programs (downloads) and nothing paid on what they declare to be
promotional usages. And they have declared that showing complete films
or complete episodes of television series on the internet -- even with
commercials or other forms of revenue generation -- is strictly promotional
and no payments are due to the writers. (Or anyone else, which will be the
position they'll take when the SAG, DGA, and below-the-line contracts
come next year.) And it's pretty clear that, in the next ten years, pretty
much all television will be watched on the internet. So this proposal would
go along way to destroying a lot of people's livelihoods."


As a writer, as someone who depends upon being fairly compensated for my work, in all forms (print, electronic) and all delivery means (paper, digital, visual, aural, Yet to Be Invented), I support the strike and the striking workers.

I will not watch any new projects created during the strike period (they anticipate 4-5 episodes [to mid-December] already in the can on most shows) using non-union writers. Any show using non-union writers will go off my viewing rotation.

It's not much. But it's all I can do.

Comments

[badgermirlacca.livejournal.com]

Hear hear.

How can we find out which shows are using scabs, though?

[lagilman]

I strongly suspect, in this era of the Internet, that sort of information would be known within days, if not hours....

[wolfsilveroak.livejournal.com]

For what it's worth, I CANNOT STAND electronic books.

MUST. HAVE. REAL. PAPER. BOOK. IN. MY. HANDS. MUST. }:P

[arouraleona.livejournal.com]

Aw, the poor e-book. It has such potential for first time writers though. Real books are one hell of an investment. Think of all the glorious writers we've missed because publishers are too wary to spend so much money on a first book.

Give the e-book a break.

[lagilman]

because publishers are too wary to spend so much money on a first book.

er.... there are almost as many start-up costs to create an e-book as there are to create a paper book. Production doesn't just 'happen' magically, even in electronic format. Unless of course the publisher decides to skip things like editing, copyediting, proper design and/or art, proper file transfer and management...

/publishing 102 mini-rant

[delkytlar.livejournal.com]

Every ebook I released when I was doing that for a publisher had to be proofed twice. Once for the print edition, and once again for the ebook to make sure the file transfers were clean (they were never clean). However, I was told by one of our ebook vendors, after reading a horribly mangled official ebook edition of MISTS OF AVALON, that I was the only ebook director actually proofing ebooks.

But, yes, ebooks do not spring into being fully formed at no cost.

[arouraleona.livejournal.com]

Like I said, I'm hardly an expert, but I don't see any reason to hate on one particular format. I love holding a book too, but e-books also have there benifits. I am the protector of the e-book!

[fakefrenchie.livejournal.com]

I hates e-books. I like to curl up in bed with a book, and I can't do that with my computer. Nor will I spend more money to buy gadgets that will allow me to read ebooks in bed. I want MMPB books by all my favorite authors. LUNA has shot itself in the foot as far as my buying books is concerned, since most LUNAs are now coming out in Trade or in e-format. I have written to the company, but I don't think my reaction is changing their collective mind. Oh well.

[arouraleona.livejournal.com]

I agree, there is nothing like curling up with a book in bed. However, I travel every other weekend. I cannot take my considerable library with me, so I often take on mmpb and then a few e-books and audiobooks. They each have their place.

I can't help but look at these anti-e-book arguments as... well funny. It's such a strange thing to be so angry about. Change happens, you know? Maybe e-books will take off, maybe they are the laser-disk of reading, I'm not sure... but the things we write on and with HAS changed. No longer stone and clay tablets, no longer cloth and papyrus scrolls and parchment, no longer the thick heavy paper of 18th century books... or 19th century books... hell, 20th century books. Go to any library and its clear that books have changed from 1930's to now.

All I'm saying is that e-books are hardly evil... sure they aren't what we're used too, and books will always be beloved regardless of what format we move to. I was not even around when vinyl was the thing, and I own real records. I just think when size and portability are becoming the growing issues in modern society... novels are going to respond in some way.

::shrugs:: that's just what I think.

[fakefrenchie.livejournal.com]

I agree that change is inevitable. What I don't like is having it stuffed down my throat. If all formats were available, and the vast majority of people chose to buy e-books instead of real booksn or Trade instead of MMPB, then MAYBE it would be reasonable for publishers to publish only in these formats. But, this is not the case. They have made the choice for the consumer. And I hate having my choices dictated to me!

[wolfsilveroak.livejournal.com]

I have tried e-book.

For me, it's not the same. I can't absorb the story as well as I can with a real book in my hands.

[debg.livejournal.com]

Yep. Ditto.

I wasn't planning on being slightly relieved that I hadn't heard back yet from the production company who'd asked to see the Haunted Ballads, but I am. Because right now, well, no.

Coming on the heels of Simon & Schuster's little attempted landgrab this summer, this stuff is really beginning to piss me off.

[sfmarty.livejournal.com]

I am assuming that news people, like Keith Olberman, writes his own stuff for his own use, and therefore is ok..right?

I shall miss Jon Stewart, et al, but I am on the side of the writers. No brainer. People should be compensated for what they create.

I think there should be time linits tho. 100 years sounds about right.

[chaoticgoodnik.livejournal.com]

A buddy of mine mentioned that Jon Stewart paid the writers for the Daily Show and the Colbert Report two weeks' salary out of his own pocket.

[arouraleona.livejournal.com]

That's certainly something Stewart would do. His screen personality at least is that kind of guy.

[chibiaingeal.livejournal.com]

I'm not a writer but I absolutely support the strike. They most assuredly deserve fair compenstation for their work in all forms.

I too plan to not watch anything written by non-union writers.

I am almost ashamed to admit, though, that this is the first time I've ever felt a union was totally justified in strking.

[fakefrenchie.livejournal.com]

I totally support this strike, though I don't watch television. Glad to hear many people are also supporting the strikers. It will be interesting to see whose spin sells more copy, the writers or the producers.

SCAB!

[(Anonymous)]

While looking to see what TV shows will be using non-Union writers I came across this scab's advertisement on Craig's List.

http://losangeles.craigslist.org/sfv/wet/466598027.html

- Christine