WGA releases details on Letterman pact

The Writers Guild of America tonight released the terms of deal it recently struck with David Letterman's production company, Worldwide Pants Inc. The interim agreement allowed "Late Show With David Letterman" and its sister program "The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" to return to the air with their writing staffs this week.  Worldwide Pants is the first company to negotiate a contract with the guild in the two-month-old writers strike. The guild said Worldwide Pants accepted terms it was prepared to present to the studios before that alliance broke off talks in December, including key proposals for Internet residuals.

More news on the strike

Comments

[Spike]

So, WWP agreed to terms on reality, animation and a bunch of other stuff they have no jurisdiction over? And the strike clause? aahahahaha. That will never be in the final MBA, as it shouldn't. Whatever. It got the show back on the air. Too bad Leno is kicking Letterman's butt. If UA signs the same agreement it will still be a moot point because whatever the final agreement is is the one UA will likely go with. They'll be sure to negotiate the ability to take whichever deal is more beneficial to them. The WGA strike is rounding the corner towards irrelevant at this point.

[CALIFORNIAMARTY]

EVERYONE GO BACK TO WORK AND SUBMIT THIS DISPUTE TO BINDING ARBITRATION AND END THE COLLATERAL DAMAGE TO INNOCENT BYSTANDERS AND TO THE INDUSTRY ITSELF-

Hooray for Letterman. He decides HE wants to go back to making the tens of millions he regularly makes. Hooray for the writers who get to go back to work on Letterman and regain the huge salaries they justifiably earn for making Letterman more than just a clownish looking gap-toothed dude in a five thousand dollar suit.

BUT how bout the tens of thousand of other lesser beings whose ox is being gored by the battle of the titans? The below the line crews for example. The electricians, carpenters, transportation coordinators, captains, drivers, the grips etc ad nauseum and the vendors to the industry whose businesses have grinded to a halt during this strike,WHERE THE PARTIES ARE NOT EVEN TALKING. The losses to the economy and to unknown families are enormous and unmentioned in most news accounts. These are the invisible who cares what happens to them people I suppose. I hope not.

Do the words binding arbitration ring a familiar note?

Everyone go back to work. Submit the entire dispute to binding arbitration with three arbitrators, one chosen from the producers side, one from the writers side and a third, not associated with either side, a someone like a respected retired judge or statesman, picked by the other two.(if they cannot agree on the third then petition the court to appoint one. These rules are already set up and have solved up to many billions of dollar disputes every day.) Place a time liimit of working 30 days and allow no appeals from the award decided by two of the three or if possible unanimous. Make it binding for three years and then if either side wants to do it again, then do it again with the loser picking up the entire tab the next time.

Everyone wins with this system.

[B]

hey patrick,
make up your mind...either strike or dont strike...dont start picking and choosing which shows can have writers and which ones cant...stand for what you believe..this only shows how desperate the WGA is really getting.

[Keni]

I hope these cartoons give us all something to smile about during the writers strike.

[JimBob]

Once again, the Times is printing only those comments that conform with the views of their corporate masters. The WGA's strategy of making deals with those who will make deals is correct and will ultimately be effective. Yes, there is suffering. Yes, there is insecurity. But if the companies succeed in crushing the WGA -- which they likely will not -- everyone else will ultimately be treated to the same loss of stature and benefits, even those who are calling for us to cut and run.

[acousticb1@email.phoenix.edu]

WGA has a right to do so. Leno is lame without the writers. They should.
Everyone deserves a piece of the pie

[hhangel]

California Marty is sooo right!!!

This is on MY blog here in NJ:

http://hhangel.wordpress.com/2008/01/07/so-will-the-writers-share-their-with-the-rest-of-us/