Remember don’t drink and drive!  Huh?  Yeah. well., I guess you can putt…putter around the place that is!

A fellow Dad…Ol’ Arl

The SAG Watchdog

By Nellie Andreeva  Co-Editor-in-Chief, TV
@DeadlineNellie  June 14, 2019 9:43pm

Over a month after the Guild first hit the Big 4 agencies with a lawsuit over packaging, they’ve added a new claim & the ATA is already mocking it Deadline

Last Friday, members of the negotiating committees of the Writers Guild of America and the Association of Talent Agents met for the first time since talks between the two sides had broken off on April 12. After the ATA presented its new franchise agreement proposals, WGA West Executive Director David Young told the agents that his team would get back to them “next week”.

The week is coming to an end today without a response from the WGA. From what I hear, there have been no talks, no backchanneling, no any official or unofficial communication over the past seven days.

It was the agencies who initiated the attempt to restart talks via an email by UTA’s Jay Sures to WGA’s David A. Goodman. Eager to put an end to the stalemate, agency leaders reportedly spent long hours, working with the ATA, to put together the proposals that were presented to the WGA last Friday. The agencies showed up in full force, with the entire ATA Negotiating committee present. Of the 25-member WGA Negotiating committee, 11 attended the meeting. They had only one question after the ATA presentation, whether there was a red-lined version of the proposals, in which any changes from the previous offer are underlined to make it easier to read.

Related Story
CAA Seeks To Remove WGA In The Guild’s Lawsuit Against Big 4 Talent Agencies

The guild’s leadership said something different in their update to members after the meeting, which I hear came as a surprise to those who were at the sit-down. “We have asked for contract language on their proposals in order to formulate the appropriate response,” the WGA wrote to members last Friday.

Even in the room, the guild’s negotiators appeared underwhelmed by the new proposals, which still include packaging — with increased revenue sharing offer from 1% to 2.5% for writers — and affiliated production entities, with new layers for transparency and opportunities for clients to opt-out introduced.

“There was cause for concern, including a revenue sharing proposal that instead of 1% is now 2%,” the guild cautioned after the meeting, adding, “as we’ve stated, whatever solution we find, it will have to address conflicts of interest and realign agency incentives with those of their writer clients.”

Eliminating the practices of packaging and affiliated production, identified by the guild leadership as inherent sources of conflict of interest, had been at the core of the WGA campaign against the ATA, which was backed by an overwhelming membership vote for a new Code of Conduct that does not allow for either of the practices.

To give WGA a nudge, ATA on Monday released a memo sent to their member-agencies, saying that “the time has come for the WGA’s leadership to start bargaining in earnest.”

ATA’s first written proposal, submitted on April 12, the last day of negotiations between the two sides, was rejected on the spot by the WGA which did not counter. (“The proposal of .8% to writers of backend of new series … in no way realigns agency incentives with those of writers,” Goodman later told Deadline. “It wasn’t a serious proposal, and thus didn’t deserve a counter-offer other than that we still believe 10% commission is the appropriate amount that agencies should receive for representing writers.”)

ATA has been hoping things would go differently this time.

“Our second offer is a starting place for renewed negotiations – an opportunity to press reset,” ATA executive director Karen Stuart and ATA president Jim Gosnell, head of the APA agency, wrote in the Monday email. “The guild should not subject this offer to another flat-out rejection without counter. We encourage them to sit back down with us, roll up our sleeves and together work through the issues.”

So far, there are no signs of that happening. I hear two of the three co-chairs of the WGA-Agency Agreement Negotiating Committee may even be out of town.

I hear ATA did not resubmit their proposals from last Friday with contract language. No one I spoke with believes that is a deal-breaker as the agents’ current proposals as prepared are said to be detailed in all six areas of negotiation with term sheets. (ATA is proposing a five-year agreement vs. three years in the WGA’s enacted Code of Conduct and modifications in other sections of the Code that have been problematic for agencies, even smaller ones, including arbitration proceedings.)

Agreements usually convert to contract language once the main deal points have been agreed upon. It also is more common in labor negotiations, not contract disputes, which this is.

The nature of the conflict between the WGA and ATA is probably at the heart of trying to figure out how it may get resolved. While agents have approached it largely as a standard business negotiation where you start with a low offer and gradually give up ground until an agreement is reached, the guild’s leadership have portrayed it as a righteous fight, framing it as as an ideological, ethical battle against conflict of interest.

From that position, they have so far been unwilling to compromise on any of the core issues, making a negotiation impossible so far. Making the battle with agents a moral crusade also has put the WGA leadership under extra scrutiny. There was backlash when Negotiating Committee co-chair Chris Keyser recently took out a packaged project produced by Endeavor Content, a studio affiliated with agency WME. I hear another guild leader was recently in talks for a project at the same studio but backed out when confronted by writers. Many of the members of the Negotiating Committee are successful showrunners with rich overall deals that have pre-negotiated packages in them for years to come.

Helping the guild in prolonging the standoff — currently in its 63rd day — is the fact that there doesn’t seem to be the same urgency as there is during a strike.

‘Even in the most recent writers strike in 2007-08, it took 100 days when it was a stoppage — no one was working or getting paid,” a top agency source said. “We are only nine weeks in, and this is not a strike, people are all working, the big showrunners are concerned with next episodes, they are under huge deals making a lot of money. When you are not able to pay your mortgage or your kids’ private school tuition, that’s when it hits home.”

Another possible factor in not being able to break the gridlock is the fact that there hasn’t been a breakthrough on either side.

Verve, a non-ATA member, signing the new Code of Conduct did not open the floodgates for other notable agencies to follow, which would’ve given the WGA additional leverage. ATA’s ranks look as united as ever, with no visible cracks. Despite speculation, there haven’t been agents leaving the Big 4 to start new outfits that accept the new Code of Conduct.

On the other hand, while a number of top showrunners have been venting their frustration in private, no A-listers commanding 8-figure overall deals have spoken out publicly to put pressure on the WGA leadership to engage in negotiations, which would’ve given ATA a boost. “They don’t’ like going against the guild,” one source said. For rank-and-file writer-producers, “they are scared of being blacklisted” if they go public with their grievances, another source said.

There has been a divide in opinion among WGA members over the guild leadership’s strategy toward agents. Those who have supported the WGA board and negotiators’ hard line, appear to continue to favor a non-engagement with agencies even after their new proposal.

“Hopefully the WGA won’t be fooled into responding to the ATA’s insulting offer of giving the writers 2% of the agencies back end. Last thing WGA should do is get into a negotiation over some lowball revenue sharing figure,” one writer wrote online earlier this week. Added another, “The agencies can keep trying to sell this as a negotiation, but factually, that’s not what this is, and the board of the WGA, and the writers as a whole seem to be the only ones who get that…. I think they are going to stay fired for quite a little while.”

And then there is the more moderate fraction of the WGA who have been disapproving of the guild leaders’ strong-arming tactic and charged rhetoric towards agents and have been insisting on them returning to the bargaining table.

“It’s obvious that negotiating isn’t a priority for them, because they’re not negotiating,” a showrunner who asked for anonymity, due to fear of reprisals from the Board and Negotiating Committee, said today. “It’s been a week since the ATA made an offer; why aren’t they in a room negotiating face to face, figuring this out? Members didn’t vote for this. We voted for a solution to agency bad practices that was negotiated with agents, not a lot of ultimatums and posturing while writers who don’t have big overalls suffer. The answer is not telling us to get on Twitter, like it’s writers’ fault if we don’t just all go to social media. The Board and Neg Com need to negotiate. Personally, I’m furious.”

For the time being, there are no prospects for bridging that divide, with the guild leadership not revealing their hand and leaving membership pondering what their endgame is. And with the other Big 4 agencies expected to follow CAA in filing responses to the WGA lawsuit over packaging shortly, reps for the agencies and the guild will likely meet soon — if not at the bargaining table then in court.

Subscribe to Deadline Breaking News Alerts and keep your inbox happy.

https://deadline.com/2019/06/ata-new-proposals-no-response-the-wga-hopes-quick-return-bargaining-negotiation-fizzle-1202632933/

—

Stay Lit…ah, Tuned!

Arl

The Ol’ SAG Watchdog

*Headline photo selected by the Watchdog

By David Robb
June 14, 2019 7:11pm

Employees at KCRW, the public radio station in Santa Monica, have voted to recognize SAG-AFTRA as their union. The new bargaining unit will cover more than 90 public media professionals, including DJs, hosts, producers, reporters, production engineers, board operators and others who create content for all areas of KCRW, including music and news radio programming, digital content, podcasts and live events.

The employees made the request to unionize on May 30, when they delivered a petition to station management with more than 75% support.

“On behalf of SAG-AFTRA members, I am thrilled to welcome KCRW to our union family,” said SAG-AFTRA president Gabrielle Carteris. “KCRW is a one-of-a-kind radio station that produces some of Los Angeles’ most dynamic and diverse programming, and we’re excited to make sure everyone’s voice is heard through the collective bargaining process.”

Related Story
Vox Media Staffers Unanimously Ratify First WGA East Contract

The online vote was conducted according to an election agreement reached between SAG-AFTRA and KCRW through what both sides are calling “a mutually respectful and collaborative process.”

“From the beginning, “said KCRW president Jennifer Ferro, “KCRW has worked collaboratively both inside the organization and with our community. We look forward to creating an even better work environment with our employees and SAG-AFTRA in order to continue to serve the community with the highest quality programming.”

Said Avishay Artsy, a producer at the station: “We are excited to officially be recognized as a union at KCRW. Our staff has united around this organizing effort and we are looking forward to sitting down with management and negotiating a contract that will be fair for all. KCRW is a vital source of information, music and community, and we are thrilled to have an even better opportunity to create amazing content for our listeners.”

KCRW is the latest in a series of organizing victories in public media. In recent years, employees at KPCC Pasadena, KPBS San Diego, WBEZ Chicago, KUOW Seattle, Minnesota Public Radio, WBUR Boston and digital and per diem employees at New York Public Radio all have unionized with SAG-AFTRA. The union also represents public media professionals at National Public Radio and several other public radio and television stations.

SAG-AFTRA represents some 160,000 actors, announcers, broadcast journalists, dancers, DJs, news writers, news editors, program hosts, puppeteers, recording artists, singers, stunt performers, voiceover artists and other entertainment and media professionals.

Subscribe to Deadline Breaking News Alerts and keep your inbox happy.

https://deadline.com/2019/06/kcrw-workers-unionize-sag-aftra-public-radio-1202633114/

—

Great to go Public with Announcements like the above!

Arl

The Ol’ SAG Watchdog

*Headline photo featured in the Deadline article by Mr, Robb

By David Robb
June 14, 2019 8:27am

The editorial staffs of Vox Media’s seven digital news outlets have voted unanimously to ratify their first-ever contract with the WGA East. The new three-year agreement covers some 350 writers and producers employed at Vox.com, Curbed, Eater, Polygon, Recode, SB Nation, and The Verge.

Negotiations for the new pact began more than a year ago, and a deal was reached on June 7 after more than 300 employees walked off the job in a one-day protest for a new contract.

“This landmark contract achieves all the goals laid out when Vox Media employees organized with the WGA East, from their intent to enhance workplace culture and increase transparency to improving diversity and ensuring the editorial staff has a voice in decisions affecting work life,” said Lowell Peterson, the union’s executive director. “Great things happen when working people unite and act collectively. Congrats to the union bargaining committee and the entire unit for working so hard for so long.”

Related Story
300 Vox Media Staffers Walk Off The Job In Protest For New Contract

The employees’ bargaining committee said in a statement: “We achieved this contract over the past year and a half at the bargaining table, leading up to the largest walkout in digital media history. Just as we stood in solidarity to demand better working conditions and fair wages, we are heartened that future digital media unions will continue to build on our gains. This historic contract would not have been possible without immense support from our fellow labor unions in digital media and beyond. We stand in solidarity with digital media workers everywhere who are organizing their shops and bargaining contracts to secure a better future for everyone in journalism. Together we bargain, divided we beg.”

According to the bargaining committee, “More than 90% of our 350-unit members voted, and every one of us voted yes on this contract, which is a testament to the strong language that this union was able to secure thanks to our solidarity. After 14 months of negotiations with Vox Media management, we were able to guarantee significant year-over-year raises for our members, including raises that will be retroactive to last July. Additionally, our contract establishes a salary minimum of $56,000 for all full-time exempt employees, a six-tier wage scale by job type to make pay and promotions more transparent, health insurance for part-time workers, 16 weeks of paid parental leave, total elimination of forced arbitration, and a severance package that provides a minimum of 11 weeks’ severance, paid COBRA, and recall rights if an identical job opens up within six months of a layoff.

“We are particularly proud of the diversity language in our contract. The company commits that 40% of the applicant pool who make it beyond the phone interview stage for open bargaining unit positions will be from backgrounds that are traditionally underrepresented in journalism. That figure will be 50% for the most senior roles in the union. The company will also set aside a $50,000 annual budget for a union subcommittee devoted to improving diversity and equity at the company.”

The new contract is the latest in a wave of agreements the guild has reached with digital news outlets over the past 18 months, including Vice Media, Salon, ThinkProgress, The Dodo, Onion Inc., Thrillist and The Intercept. The guild also represents writers and producers at HuffPost, Slate, Fast Company, Talking Points Memo, MTV News and the Gizmodo Media Group.

https://deadline.com/2019/06/vox-media-staffers-unanimously-ratify-first-wga-east-contract-1202632738/

Subscribe to Deadline Breaking News Alerts and keep your inbox happy.

—

Stay tuned.

Arl

The Ol’ SAG Watchdog

*Headline photo was included in the article