Picketer injured in Los Angeles

Just minutes into the strike, the labor unrest has turned violent at one picket line: A writer for "Talkshow With Spike Feresten" was struck by a sedan trying to cross the picket line at Sunset-Gower Studios early this morning, witnesses said.

The writer, identified as Tom Johnson, suffered a leg injury and was taken away in a wheelchair by paramedics. The incident occurred shortly after 9:30 a.m. at the studios off Sunset Boulevard when a driver in a Black Honda Element drove up to the employee parking lot on Gower Street, where picketers were marching. According to witnesses, the driver got out of the vehicle and began threatening to run over anyone who didn't get out of his way. Witnesses said he then got back in the car and drove forward, hitting Johnson.

The striking writers descended on the vehicle and took away the driver's keys. Johnson's black tennis shoe was still lodged under the front passenger tire as he was taken away.

The driver, who witnesses said worked for Raleigh, was escorted from the scene by studio employees. Police had been notified, according to those at the scene.

UPDATE: Later in the day, Michael Moore, president of Raleigh Film and Television Studios, said witnesses were mistaken and that the driver was not an employee of Raleigh. Moore said the driver was a tenant of Sunset Gower Studios and had no affiliation with Raleigh.

More news on the strike

-- Greg Braxton

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Comments

[A.J.]

A real clueless comment above. "Communist unions?" You obviously don't know history and the Writers Guild's place in it. There was a time when fear-mongers in this country like you created the Hollywood Black List, which banned suspected Communists from writing movies. When those idiots were overturned, the WGA was empowered. So call it what you want, but the WGA is the most militant and successful union and always gets what it demands. In this town the Writer is King. Also, one of the strike issues is writer residuals for just that -- "alternative media," which will soon fall under the control and jurisdiction of the WGA, leaving union-busters like you locked out in the cold. So get on the right team, buddy.

[brian]

these other comments are written by morons. The writers in hollywood are the best in the world, if you're not happy with the end product, talk to the producers who have a habit of butchering well written scripts.

[Anon]

Unions are so clueless. Ever heard of capitalism? I hope more of them get run over.

[Jim]

The screen writers are on strike. SO WHAT!!!!! WHO CARES????? Read a book

[Monkey Johnson]

Monkey monkey monkey.

[Teamster Rick]

Rules on the line are pretty clear. Here's the etiquette for crossing a line and running a line.

1. Stop your car before the line, a few feet short of the line stopping those behind you. (just delays entering, doesn't obstruct anything)
2. Open the window and say "woo hoo", maybe even beep the horn as a sign of support, even if you don't care.
3. At that point the line is suppose to let you pass.

If not, these guys walking are jerks. If they pound on your car, go ahead and see if you can take out a few of them by punching the gas and opening the car door.

For the guy that got run over -- I hope you get a staff infection at the hospital. Pull your head out of your arse and behave like a professional when you walk the line, instead of acting like a moronic WTO protester.

You dishonor everyone else trying make a living.

--Rick

[sandi sheeley]

Boo hoo, no more TV porn? Listen, the only shows people still watch are HGTV and reruns of "Murder She Wrote". Can't even watch football anymore without some stupid idiot turning the lights out for "green week". Go ahead and strike...no one watches anyway.

[mc]

Yeah, unions suck. I mean who really needs things like health benefits, living wages, job protection, or a safe work environment. Damn those unions for creating the middle class and driving up wages.

[Rev. Ron Stief]

Who are these soulless fiends on this blog who are supporting the violent side of this strike? What fools would publically (though albeit anonymously) support the driver who injured a striker? Think about it folks. I, for one, support the strikers. But that shouldn't be the dividing line between civility and barbarism.

[Studio Guy]

If you think the writers are to blame for the bad shows, think again. They write what their bosses tell them to, and they don't have the freedom to write what they want. But without good writers, your favorite show, whatever it is, will not be on the air. Unless people just want to watch reality tv... and wow, that's some pretty boring stuff if you ask me.

[Dungeonmaster]

Ah yes, a room is full of mindless sheeple who support corporate serfdom. May you enjoy slavery and making gadgets for me at 50 cents an hour.

Profits before people, you are cannon fodder and expendable..

I need more oil too....muhahaha

[Shelby Melban]

Is Michael Moore a part of this group. If he were in front of my car they'd be pulling my foot off the gas.

[Combatoverridebutton]

"Union's created the middle class"???? What a laugh.

Running over a person is never a good idea but the thug tactics that unions use need to be cracked down on HEAVILY. Blocking people from going to work, damaging private property and assaulting people that want to work is not legal. Your wage dispute is not everyone else’s problem. If you want to protest, do so in accordance with the law. Hopefully this incident will cause the police to react against these thugs. Push people around and you will get a reaction (even if it is illegal). Union tactics are no different than inciting a riot. Their illegal actions constitute “fighting words’ in my opinion. Some union thug starts beating on my car because I was to work is going to cause an escalation.

[skoonix]

If most of these comments weren't so ignorant, I'd laugh - you can tell these people have NO CLUE in what goes into writing for Hollywood - for these simpletons who bemoan that there is nothing but crap on TV - so the hell with the writers - they should blame the nets and the studios - THEY are the guardians at the gate, they say NO to great and original ideas, they are the ones who note to death daring material - steering it to be bland, non-offensive and to be just like everything else. These are the same complainers who say where is the interesting stuff to watch - then they dont support something that dares to be different or forces you to think - these are the people that give Rob Schneider a film career and laugh like crazy when Steve Martin gets hit in the balls in CHeaper By The Dozen 2 - the public gets the entertainment it deserves.

[Lorraine McNaulty]

The hatred addressed at the anti-union writers looks to be written by the same person. Could it be that your pitiful writing efforts were rejected by the studios? Then why attack the writers? If you had any idea whatsoever how the biz functions you would know that:
1. work-for-hire writer's pay is on the level of a competent secretary with NON of the profit participation rights;
2. the overwhelming majority of writers are paid Guild scale +10%, if they're lucky. For every dvd that you fork over $20, the writer gets four cents (¢4 = $0.04). They're asking for eight cents: i.e. four cents more...
3. In this country the writers' work is not protected by any laws; when a studio buys a writer's script it is immediately turned over to two or more writers for rewrites. It is not unusual for a script to have half a dozen writers who then have to involve the Guild to determine credit(s).
4. Incoming scripts are read and evaluated NOT by the Development suits, but by their secretaries, often high school graduates, the proud product of the US glorious educational system.
5. Producers and actors are paid as soon as production commences. A writer has to write his story before he sees a penny.
6. To write a good, well researched script takes a long time, years even. The stars get $10-20 million for 6 weeks of work. I have never heard of a writer paid that amount of money.
7. To add insult..., writers are very often barred from the sets where the picture is being shot. Many directors are contemptuous of the writer whose hard work they has deigned to shoot.
What the writers are fighting for is their right to write, to pursue their passion. There is a monumental amount of talent out there that is abused daily by studio lawyers and beancounters with illusions of artistic grandeur.
The great writers for the movies were first attacked by Joe McCarthy who almost destroyed the american movies by blowing great talent out of the biz and even out of the country. Today the studios' greatly overpaid exex are ready to cut their noses to spite the faces over pennies. Without the writer there will be no pictures. Without great pictures the suits will have to find a real job.

[Anthony]

WOW! There are either some real ignorant people or real right-wingers on here. First off, this strike is not about "quality" of what's on TV and film. The writers are strking for wages, residuals and benefits owed to them by Corporate Studios. When you buy a DVD of the so-called programs you despise, you pay about $29 for it. Know how much the expired writer's contract gave to the writer who wrote it? SIX CENTS. That's right, six cents for a DVD. The writers have asked for TWELVE CENTS per DVD and the Corporate Studios said NO, so here we have the strike.

Second, striking is NOT ILLEGAL. Cops can't remove strikers from picket lines, no way. The writers are former employees of the company under Collective Bargaining Agreement, they are trying to inflict the most damage on the company, even if that means blocking the company's driveway to prevent others to go to work. It is a strike. That said, no one person has the right to RUN OVER worker's rights.

[Pog Mahone]

This strike is a major victory for decency and morals in America. At least this will put a stop to the fire hydrant of feces that comes out of our television sets every day! I hope the strikers NEVER get their jobs back! They can write NOTHING but filth and borderline pornography anymore.

[Tom Boxer]

I'm looking to by some So. Cal property. If the strike goes on for a while I should get some pretty good deals.

[V. Marie]

Man! Either the movie companies are loading this blog with anti-union garbage or the readership of the Times is not only a lot more reactionary than I'd ever imagined but flat out mean and ugly people!

There's a lot of crap on tv, yeh; just like there's a lot of bad music and bad movies. Studios used to be run by men who loved movies. Now they're run by CEO's of big conglomerates who only want to produce more of whatever made money last week. They don't know from writing. If you're angry about the quality of film or tv, blame them.

When artists are allowed some artistic freedom, good work actually gets done. A few cable channels like HBO and Showtime, FX and now AMC are putting out some pretty good stuff. Writing doesn't get much better than the Sopranos.

But I have a feeling the people complaining here are eagerly awaiting Big Mama's House 46.

[rob]

Hey Matt Paige...
logic states...if you are now OUT of work due to the unions...
weren't you working BEACUSE of the unions?

it's called a symbiotic relationship.
look it up.
if you were a writer (which, i am not) you wouldn't have to....