by Larry Brody
Time now for the latest in the heroic struggle of Hollywood Writers Trying to Make Their Agent Employees Actually Treat Them Like Employers Instead Of Products.
Yes, that’s quite a mouthful. But when you get down to the proverbial brass tacks (or as I like to think of it, “brass brads,” after the fasteners that used to keep our script pages together before Final Draft software made hard copies obsolete) agents have historically treated the writers to whom they owe much of their living as little more than serfs.
Not much has gone on regarding the situation since last week, but the big news is that the ATA finally has moved from its start position to a place just a teeny bit closer to what the WGA has offered.
It’s just baby steps, really, but that’s better than nothing, no? Here’s the WGA summation of the situation as of last Friday:
June 7, 2019
This morning the Negotiating Committee received proposals from the ATA. Although there was cause for concern, including a revenue sharing proposal that instead of 1% is now 2%, the presentation was wide ranging and complex. We have asked for contract language on their proposals in order to formulate the appropriate response. 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.
In Solidarity,
WGA-Agency Agreement Negotiating Committee
In Solidarity, Indeed!
LB
