Good Evening Everyone,
As some of you may have heard, on October 18, 2007 the members of The Screenwriters Guild of America East & West took a vote on whether or not we should strke when our union contract with the major television & motion picture studios comes to an end on tomorrow, October 31, 2007.
Well with an resounding 90% support of all members (including myself) we have decided to take action & go on strike until these multi-million dollar media congomlerates are ready to start reasonable negotiations on our new union contract.
These companies would have you believe with there endless flood of money, jewelry, yachts, & all which is associated with wealth & fame that everyone who works in the entertainment industry is rich beyond their wildest dreams, which just isn't the case & this is especially true for the majority of members of the WGA.
When you here the term 'Screenwriter' used, you first think of people like Tim Burton, Paul Haggis, Kevin Smith who have made millions of the selling & productions of their scripts. Most people in the public seem to have the idea that we all are in some office space in our 10 million dollar mansions typing up scripts while sitting on a stack of hundred dollar bills, which again just isn't the case.
Most writers are hired & put on staff after a screenplay or pilot script has been sold by the creator. Once this is done plenty of times they have nothing more to do with the movie until after filming has ended & they go on the promotional tour to draw the audience in. While those on staff are there to make script changes, make sure there is nothing in the story that would contradict any scene or end result, or to make sure everything is theoretically or scientifically plausable & we do this while receiving no real recognition, only a fraction of a moment where our name scrolls up the screen at the end credits & if it is a movie aired on television or a television series then the screen is usually split, while next show is promoted.
Now, some may say, well you're getting paid aren't you? Sure, we are getting paid, but the average staff writer only makes 25,000 dollars a season which is 5000 dollars more then the employees hired to serve at the craft truck make in a year. So that forces us to work on multiple shows sometime as many as 4 or 5 a year & in different locations around North America. If a staff writer has a wife & kids, he could be away from his family for 9 months out of the year. Gaffers & Foley artists are paid more then we are & if you don't believe me then I will freely scan all W-forms from April that will verify before taxes that I make 45,000 dollars working on two television shows which brought in approximately 6 million viewers each.
So, now that it is time to start negotiations on a new union contract, what has these multi-million dollar corperations offered? They have offered to only guarantee 50 percent of base compensation & they are looking to cut our benefits such as healthcare a whopping 60 percent.
I can't tell you that you should send emails & letters to these major media conglomerates like Viacom & 20th Century Fox, to show your support for those who set the stage for you to find some form of escapism through Television & Motion Pictures.
Nore Can I tell you that every TV & Movie studio is rushing production on the films & summer shows to complete them by tomorrow, even in the quality of these products are being severly compromised.
And I also can't tell you that two hours ago I got the ultimatum from the production company that employees me, to be on a plane to Burbank, California tonight to complete production by tomorrow or search for another employer.
As of November 1, 2007 I will have to take this post down since it violate certain federal laws because it breaks privacy laws meant to protect those multi million dollar companies during labor disagreements so I can only hope that as many people see it as possible before then.
So think long & hard on this issue & do what you think is best.
T.S.
To Mods, if I am not around at 12am pacific time tomorrow, please delete this message. Thanks.
As some of you may have heard, on October 18, 2007 the members of The Screenwriters Guild of America East & West took a vote on whether or not we should strke when our union contract with the major television & motion picture studios comes to an end on tomorrow, October 31, 2007.
Well with an resounding 90% support of all members (including myself) we have decided to take action & go on strike until these multi-million dollar media congomlerates are ready to start reasonable negotiations on our new union contract.
These companies would have you believe with there endless flood of money, jewelry, yachts, & all which is associated with wealth & fame that everyone who works in the entertainment industry is rich beyond their wildest dreams, which just isn't the case & this is especially true for the majority of members of the WGA.
When you here the term 'Screenwriter' used, you first think of people like Tim Burton, Paul Haggis, Kevin Smith who have made millions of the selling & productions of their scripts. Most people in the public seem to have the idea that we all are in some office space in our 10 million dollar mansions typing up scripts while sitting on a stack of hundred dollar bills, which again just isn't the case.
Most writers are hired & put on staff after a screenplay or pilot script has been sold by the creator. Once this is done plenty of times they have nothing more to do with the movie until after filming has ended & they go on the promotional tour to draw the audience in. While those on staff are there to make script changes, make sure there is nothing in the story that would contradict any scene or end result, or to make sure everything is theoretically or scientifically plausable & we do this while receiving no real recognition, only a fraction of a moment where our name scrolls up the screen at the end credits & if it is a movie aired on television or a television series then the screen is usually split, while next show is promoted.
Now, some may say, well you're getting paid aren't you? Sure, we are getting paid, but the average staff writer only makes 25,000 dollars a season which is 5000 dollars more then the employees hired to serve at the craft truck make in a year. So that forces us to work on multiple shows sometime as many as 4 or 5 a year & in different locations around North America. If a staff writer has a wife & kids, he could be away from his family for 9 months out of the year. Gaffers & Foley artists are paid more then we are & if you don't believe me then I will freely scan all W-forms from April that will verify before taxes that I make 45,000 dollars working on two television shows which brought in approximately 6 million viewers each.
So, now that it is time to start negotiations on a new union contract, what has these multi-million dollar corperations offered? They have offered to only guarantee 50 percent of base compensation & they are looking to cut our benefits such as healthcare a whopping 60 percent.
I can't tell you that you should send emails & letters to these major media conglomerates like Viacom & 20th Century Fox, to show your support for those who set the stage for you to find some form of escapism through Television & Motion Pictures.
Nore Can I tell you that every TV & Movie studio is rushing production on the films & summer shows to complete them by tomorrow, even in the quality of these products are being severly compromised.
And I also can't tell you that two hours ago I got the ultimatum from the production company that employees me, to be on a plane to Burbank, California tonight to complete production by tomorrow or search for another employer.
As of November 1, 2007 I will have to take this post down since it violate certain federal laws because it breaks privacy laws meant to protect those multi million dollar companies during labor disagreements so I can only hope that as many people see it as possible before then.
So think long & hard on this issue & do what you think is best.
T.S.
To Mods, if I am not around at 12am pacific time tomorrow, please delete this message. Thanks.
Last edited by tsellisjr; 10-30-07 at 05:22 PM.