Yep, the strike still isn't over.
by
Apparently I'm not the only person who thinks Michael Eisner is talking out of his ass today. Despite the fact a deal hasn't even been presented to the membership, much less has it been ratified, Eisner is running around the financial cable news channels declaring that the strike is already over. Everybody can go home now, get back to work, and stop being so dirty and disagreeable with their corporate masters.
"It's over," Eisner said. "They made the deal, they shook hands on the deal. It's going on Saturday to the writers in general." .. "A deal has been made, and they'll be back to work very soon," Eisner said, adding, "I know a deal's been made. I know it's over."
Respectfully speaking, the WGA leadership and Nick Counter (or the conglomerate CEOs who have the actual power) can shake hands, drink beers, and kick back and celebrate all they want -- a deal isn't a deal until the writers vote it up or down, and that won't happen until after Saturdays briefing at the earliest. Additionally, I've read that the boards of both regional guilds will have to vote on whether or not to send the deal to the membership for its vote in the first place.
I don't see any reason this won't carry on into next week, and then you've got to wonder if the membership will like what the see enough to live with it for the rest of their careers. The way the AMPTP has acted over the past 20 years, it's clear they have no intention of letting the WGA try to improve any terms of the new deal in the future.
That's actually why they have been fighting so hard over these past three months; they know full well they have to get the new media deal right the first time, because there simply won't be another opportunity to fix it later. If you don't believe it, read up on attempts to increase the 20-year-old home video formula that now applies to DVDs.
Leave a comment