This is me back from the Writers Guild Informational Meeting, held this evening at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium.
Well, I was wrong. I told friends that I expected some vocal dissent at the meeting. I guess I'm so used to WGA Strikes where there's a small but loud minority that goes against the leadership that I'm expecting it even when there's been so sign of one. As of when I left the meeting, well into the "questions from the floor" section, there still was no sign. The assemblage was solidly behind our officers, negotiating team and chief negotiator — so much so that even those who spoke in criticism prefaced their remarks with statements like "I think you're doing a great job but..."
I'm guessing there were around 2,000 people there. That's a very wild guess but it was definitely a very encouraging, enthusiastic turnout, especially for a drizzly Monday night meeting called without much advance notice. I lost count of the standing ovations given to our Board, negotiators and even to Alan Rosenberg, the President of the Screen Actors Guild, who was a very active participant.
News? There wasn't much. The WGA has voted to deny a waiver to the Golden Globes telecast. That show will have to go on without WGA writers, and Rosenberg suggested that it would probably go on without a lot of actors putting in appearances. He's already hearing that many will not be present and his union is beginning a member "outreach" (the word he used) to encourage more non-participation. The WGA will also not grant a waiver to the Academy Awards if the strike goes long enough for that to be an issue.
There was a question about the WGA possibly making an interim deal with David Letterman's Worldwide Pants company. Our executive director (and chief negotiator) David Young said he would not comment on any specific deal...but based on his non-specific comments, everyone present probably left with the impression that Letterman ain't getting his contract. The WGA is prepared to make such deals but only with players in the industry whose signing will change the dynamic. Granting Letterman the contract he seeks would only enable CBS to get fresh programming for two trouble spots while still fighting the main war against us...or at least, that's the thinking of our leaders and it seemed to be the overwhelming consensus of the hall, as well. I'm not as sure as some are that this is the right way to play this...but a rather compelling argument was made that to allow a company like Letterman's to sign would be, as one speaker tonight put it, "...the Writers Guild playing 'divide and conquer ourselves!'"
(Let me underscore here that no one spoke specifically about the Worldwide Pants situation. But they did speak of how it seemed like bad strategy to make that kind of deal.)
There was some other news about picketing and other protest events, and some folks are putting together something called StrikeTV, which sounds like a WGA version of YouTube...but really, that was the news. The WGA stands ready to negotiate at any time — "...even Christmas Day," someone said. I guess the big news was the great turnout, total lack of dissent and the strong support for our leaders. If someone thinks this Guild is weakening, they're out of their ever-lovin' minds. If anything, the tactics of the AMPTP have just made members mad and reinforced their feeling that we are standing on the highest ground. I feel even better about the strike than I did this morning...and I felt pretty good about it this morning. Still, you may notice that I have changed the graphic to 2008.
A couple of quick points. This article from The Wall Street Journal (dated today) includes the following paragraph...
As of yesterday afternoon, the guild hadn't responded to Worldwide Pants' request to begin separate negotiations. People close to the guild said there was some disagreement among members over whether the guild should make way for late shows to return, with some primetime showrunners — writer-producers responsible for the day-to-day operation of TV series — arguing against it. A WGA representative said no independent deal has yet been worked out with Worldwide Pants, but declined to comment further. Worldwide Pants had no further comment on the deal.
If you do a quick Google News search, you'll see that a lot of sources were saying that Worldwide Pants was already in negotiation with the WGA or even that a deal was almost signed. Those reports were just moonshine, based on nothing. No one at the WGA or at Worldwide Pants said they were already talking but it was reported as if they had. And as I said, it may be a lot more complicated than people expect. (It's even a bit more complicated today with the announced returns of Leno and O'Brien to the air...and before the date that was mentioned for Letterman's possible return.)
Also, a note on terminology: A lot of news stories are saying that Jon Stewart (or someone else) is seeking a "waiver" so his writing staff can resume work. Wrong word. A waiver would be like what the WGA granted for the Screen Actors Guild Awards show, saying that we suspend the strike for a specific event and allow writers to work without a contract. What Letterman is seeking, what Stewart may be seeking is an Interim Contract. That is an actual deal that is made outside the purview of the AMPTP. There may be a clause in it that, later on, would allow Worldwide Pants to shift to the terms that the AMPTP will eventually negotiate with the WGA...but it's still a valid contract, not a waiver. They are not the same thing.
That's all from here. I'll try to resist the urge to blog from the meeting tonight and instead, post something whenever I get home.
And I just got these press releases from NBC, statements from Conan O'Brien and Jay Leno. Looks like I spoke too soon when I said posting here would be light today. Here's Conan's...
For the past seven weeks of the writers' strike, I have been and continue to be an ardent supporter of the WGA and their cause. My career in television started as a WGA member and my subsequent career as a performer has only been possible because of the creativity and integrity of my writing staff. Since the strike began, I have stayed off the air in support of the striking writers while, at the same time, doing everything I could to take care of the 80 non-writing staff members on Late Night.
Unfortunately, now with the New Year upon us, I am left with a difficult decision. Either go back to work and keep my staff employed or stay dark and allow 80 people, many of whom have worked for me for fourteen years, to lose their jobs. If my show were entirely scripted I would have no choice. But the truth is that shows like mine are hybrids, with both written and non-written content. An unwritten version of Late Night, though not desirable, is possible – and no one has to be fired.
So, it is only after a great deal of thought that I have decided to go back on the air on January 2nd. I will make clear, on the program, my support for the writers and I'll do the best version of Late Night I can under the circumstances. Of course, my show will not be as good. In fact, in moments it may very well be terrible. My sincerest hope is that all of my writers are back soon, working under a contract that provides them everything they deserve.
I have mixed feelings about this. I agree that it's awful for staff members to be tossed out of work. It would be awful if Conan's crew lost their livelihoods, just as it's awful that other people throughout the TV and motion picture industries are losing their jobs. On the one hand, it's tough for an outsider to assess the pressures, both from business associates and circumstance, that Jay and Conan are under. On yet another, it's hard not to think that their going back may add some weeks to the strike and cost more people their paychecks.
The statement from Leno is shorter and in serious need of a good writer to punch it up...
This has been a very difficult six weeks for everybody affected by the writers strike. I was, like most people, hoping for a quick resolution when this began. I remained positive during the talks and while they were still at the table discussing a solution "The Tonight Show" remained dark in support of our writing staff. Now that the talks have broken down and there are no further negotiations scheduled I feel it's my responsibility to get my 100 non-writing staff, which were laid off, back to work. We fully support our writers and I think they understand my decision.
I'm a big fan of Jay Leno both as a performer and as a human being. I've seen this guy do some wonderful things for other people just out of plain old human decency. But I remember when there was the big strike at the Comedy Store and other local clubs, trying to establish that comedians should be paid for their work at these places. Leno was a major ringleader of that effort. I marched with the guy carrying signs that said, "No Bucks, No Yuks" and "Catch a Rising Scab!" And I think that if someone had crossed our picket line with that kind of rationale and pretense of showing support, Jay would have run over the guy with his 1955 Buick Roadmaster.
As predicted here, Jay Leno and Conan O'Brien will be returning to their late night shows even earlier than the theoretical date announced for David Letterman. I just received this press release from NBC...
BURBANK — December 17, 2007 – After two months of repeats, "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" and "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" will resume broadcasting all-new episodes beginning Wednesday, January 2, 2008 (11:35 p.m., 12:35 a.m., respectively).
The late night shows suspended production due to the strike by the Writers Guild of America on November 5 and have aired repeats since.
"During the 1988 writers strike, Johnny Carson reluctantly returned to 'The Tonight Show' without his writers after two months. Both Jay and Conan have supported their writers during the first two months of this WGA strike and will continue to support them. However, there are hundreds of people who will be able to return to work as a result of Jay's and Conan's decision," said Rick Ludwin, Executive Vice President, Late Night & Primetime Series.
Guest lineups for the shows will be announced at a later date.
If I were Leno and O'Brien, I think I'd be pissed at that line about it being their decisions. And if I were a celeb that either show wanted to book for the first few weeks back — especially the first night — I think I'd find another way to get on television.
But it's good to know that Jay and Conan will continue to support the WGA strike. I think that means passing out doughnuts to the strikers as they cross their picket lines.
I have a busy day ahead of me. For a guy who's on strike, I sure seem to have a lot to get done. Then tonight, I'm going to try to make it out to the Writers Guild informational meeting out at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, a building I'm always amazed is still in existence. I think the last time I was there was when my mother insisted on us going to a Cat Show around 1967.
So posting here may be light today. To those of you interested in this whole matter of David Letterman's company signing an interim deal to get his shows back into production, I suggest you keep an eye on the details. A lot of press reports over the weekend I think jumped the gun, referring to negotiations 'twixt the WGA and Dave's Worldwide Pants as being in progress, almost concluded or even a done deal. Most of these had as their only source, this article by Bill Carter and Michael Cieply in The New York Times which, as you can see, says nothing of the sort; merely that Letterman was going to seek a deal. To date, I have seen no WGA spokesperson even comment long enough to say "No comment."
There is a valid argument, and I'm not sure which side of it I'm on, as to whether it will help or hurt the strike effort to make such a deal with a relatively small company. The WGA is open, even eager to see major production companies break ranks with the AMPTP and accept our terms but a deal with Letterman might just be a way to help CBS solve a crucial problem it has with two shows, thereby removing an incentive for them to settle with us as a whole. On the other hand, if an interim contract with Dave's outfit would be the first of many, that might get more momentum going in our direction. I really don't know. I just think that the assumption and news reports that it's definitely going to happen are premature. Wait until you see some WGA official quoted before you believe it.
In the meantime, I refer you to another fine piece by my friend Bob Elisberg for a good overview of the strike. The one thing I might quibble with, and this is minor and almost not worth mentioning, is that I don't think the AMPTP wanted this strike, or at least not this particular strike. I think they wanted a strike like we had in '85 where the whole thing collapsed in three weeks and we took a terrible deal and went back to work. The current strike, I don't think they wanted at all. I think someone pulled a Paul Wolfowitz and said the war would pay for itself; that they'd make so much off the rollbacks and lowballs — and establishing the precedent for them with other unions — that it would be worth a few weeks of a writers' walkout. I also think they didn't expect the strike to happen when it did; that they figured we'd work a few months longer, sans contract, thereby enabling them to get more product stockpiled.
None of that, of course, changes the fact that we are where we are. If we absolutely have to be out on strike against the monolith of the giant media conglomerates — and I don't see that we had a lot of choice — I still think we're in a pretty good place. I'll tell you after the meeting tonight if I still think so.
I've made mention on this site several times of a great old burlesque comedian named Irv Benson. Many years ago on a trip to Reno, I dragged a friend of mine — a fine cartoonist named Shary Flenniken, who went along to humor me — to the old Sahara Hotel there to see a show called The Penthouse Pet Revue. It wasn't that I wanted to see Penthouse Pets parading about in the near-nude. It wasn't even that I wanted to see the show's headliners, the singing duo of Sandler and Young. I just wanted to see the comedic interludes, which were provided by the last surviving straight man from the Minsky's days, Dexter Maitland, and his partner, Irv Benson. Even Shary, who was dubious on the way in, had to admit that they were very funny.
Thereafter, I'd go to Vegas now and then to see them...usually in the long-running Minsky's Burlesque Revue at the old Hacienda Hotel. I also saw Irv once without Dexter. The Plaza Hotel (then the Union Plaza) had a dreadful, cut-down version of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum which starred Alan Young in the Zero Mostel role. Young was great and so was Benson in the role of the befuddled old man...though Mr. Benson didn't stick particularly to the script and was for some reason telling Liberace jokes in Ancient Rome. I dragged my friend Marv Wolfman to that one. Another time in Vegas, I dragged Len Wein and Marv to the Hacienda to see the Minsky's show there. Even they admitted that watching Maitland and Benson performing ancient routines was as good as or better than the parts of the show involving women with no clothing.
One trip, I got to spend some time with Dexter Maitland who, I'm sad to report, passed away some time ago. I'm not sure when but he must have been close to 100. Irv, I am happy to report, is alive and well and nearing his 94th birthday. Even better is that he is the subject of a forthcoming documentary that I'm sure eager to see. Here's a preview...
December 18, 2007
