AMPTP Went Public With Offer to WGA: Was it a Bad Move?
The decision appeared aimed to force cracks in the unity of strikers.
“They are trying to leapfrog over an important part of the deal-making process by going around our negotiating committee. This just raises red flags.” With these words, prominent showrunner Mike Royce (Everybody Loves Raymond) criticized the studios’ decision to make their deal points public after the writer’s union, WGA, rejected their proposal.
The decision was seemingly made to weaken the determination shown by Hollywood’s labor unions throughout the summer of strikes. However, this approach ended up having the opposite effect, as it sparked a wave of criticism from WGA members. “They made an enormous tactical error because they just made everybody mad,” continues Royce.
Making deal points public was intended to bypass WGA leadership and prompt struggling writer-producers and workers to exert pressure on the WGA to accept a deal. However, this action may potentially violate collective bargaining laws. “They are trying to appeal to the union membership directly, which violates the duty to bargain in good faith,” said Andrea Schneider, director of the Kukin Program for Conflict Resolution at the Cardozo School of Law in New York.
A spokesperson for the AMPTP (Alliance of Motion Pictures and TV Producers) did not immediately comment on the criticism. Still, the Alliance stated that its proposal would have provided “significantly higher compensation,” claiming the most significant wage boost to writers in thirty-five years.
Source: The Los Angeles Times
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The decision appeared aimed to force cracks in the unity of strikers.
“They are trying to leapfrog over an important part of the deal-making process by going around our negotiating committee. This just raises red flags.” With these words, prominent showrunner Mike Royce (Everybody Loves Raymond) criticized the studios’ decision to make their deal points public after the writer’s union, WGA, rejected their proposal.
The decision was seemingly made to weaken the determination shown by Hollywood’s labor unions throughout the summer of strikes. However, this approach ended up having the opposite effect, as it sparked a wave of criticism from WGA members. “They made an enormous tactical error because they just made everybody mad,” continues Royce.
Making deal points public was intended to bypass WGA leadership and prompt struggling writer-producers and workers to exert pressure on the WGA to accept a deal. However, this action may potentially violate collective bargaining laws. “They are trying to appeal to the union membership directly, which violates the duty to bargain in good faith,” said Andrea Schneider, director of the Kukin Program for Conflict Resolution at the Cardozo School of Law in New York.
A spokesperson for the AMPTP (Alliance of Motion Pictures and TV Producers) did not immediately comment on the criticism. Still, the Alliance stated that its proposal would have provided “significantly higher compensation,” claiming the most significant wage boost to writers in thirty-five years.
Source: The Los Angeles Times
Share:
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