THB #405: Strucked - Some Details

It wasn’t about the money.

I mean, ultimately, it’s always about the money.

To wit:

This is the WGA version of history… but I don’t think that is the issue at this point. What I am noting is that while AMPTP came up quite a bit from before the strike, WGA got 46% less than the amount for which they were asking.

But the strike, on the cash side, got mostly increases in money that were predictable. Minimum increases, for instance, generally split the difference between what the 2 sides proposed.

AMPTP has crowed about their generosity on foreign residuals… but ya gotta pay foreign residuals if you are expanding your business internationally. That wasn’t really a sticking point. They split the difference, mostly leaning close to the AMPTP side… but WGA did keep AMPTP from smart-assing in 3 layers of residuals with under 20 million subscribers and they actually got the high end in that under-20-million-sub slot, getting 47% when AMPTP wanted 35%, 16%, and 8%.

But WGA did make real inroads in non-direct-money areas that were the core of this strike.

Pre-Greenlight Rooms aka Mini-Rooms were an issue on which AMPTP refused to negotiate the or staffing minimums before the strike.

The AMPTP counter on the subject as of August 11:

Murky.

Here is what WGA got in the deal about to be ratified…

Essentially, WGA assured that at least 3 writer-producer level writers will be involved with any of the writing stages until production, when the minimum lowers to 2 (inc. the showrunner). There is a minimum writers room count of 3 for 6 of fewer episodes, 5 writers (inc 3 wr/prod) for 7-12 episodes(which includes the new-norm 8 episodes seasons), and 6 if you have a season of 13 episodes or more.

WGA failed to guarantee the credit episode writer’s participation or salary in post production.