Strike Watch: WGA Would Rather Deal With Individual Companies

Today the WGA will argue ''to major AMPTP companies'' that the multi-employer structure of the AMPTP is pursuing is hindering progrss in strike negotiations. Saturday's WGA's press release, making these arguments, comes on the heels of the news that Worldwide Pants -- the strike-bearded David Letterman's production company -- has made it known that they want to deal with the WGA individually. Update: Reuters reports, however, that on the AMPTP website, eight media heavyweights -- including Letterman's boss Les Moonves -- responded, ''Different assets ... Different businesses ... Different companies ... One common goal. To reach a fair and just agreement with writers and get back to work.'' Full WGA press release after the jump ... As you know, the AMPTP is currently unwilling to bargain with us. The internal dynamics of the AMPTP make it difficult for the conglomerates to reach consensus and negotiate with us on a give and take basis. We believe this multi-employer structure inhibits individual companies from pursuing their self-interest in negotiations. We nonetheless continue to hope that the AMPTP will return in good faith to negotiate a fair contract with writers, as two television seasons and numerous feature projects are currently at great risk. We want to do everything in our power to move negotiations forward and end this devastating strike. We have therefore decided to reach out to major AMPTP companies and begin to negotiate with them individually. As you may know, bargaining on a multi-employer basis through the AMPTP is an option for the WGA, not a legal requirement. Each signatory employer is required to bargain with us individually if we make a legal demand that it do so. We will make this demand on Monday December 17th and hope that each company responds promptly, in accordance with the law. In the meantime, we urge you to support us and our negotiations team and leadership during these difficult times. We look forward to making a fair deal that will resolve this strike, protect our future and put us all back to work, for the good of the industry and all of its employees. Signed, John F. Bowman, Chair John Auerbach Neal Baer Marc Cherry Bill Condon Carlton Cuse Stephen Gaghan Terry George David A. Goodman Carl Gottlieb Susannah Grant Carol Mendelsohn Marc Norman Shawn Ryan Melissa Salmons Robin Schiff Ed Solomon (image via nypost)

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Strike Watch: WGA Would Rather Deal With Individual Companies

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