Scrooge was more generous on page 1

Yes, the Writers Guild of America (WGA) is still on strike. For info on the whos and whys of it, visit United Hollywood's faq page.

And now for a roundup of strike information and entertainment:

Regarding the AMPTP releasing a press release just 20 minutes after storming out of negotiations (again) and demanding the WGA drop six issues or else the companies "petulantly won't even talk," Elisberg writes...

"This is important. The press release appeared after 20 minutes. We're dealing with nine corporations here on the board. To get approvals from nine multinational conglomerates, nine PR departments, nine CEOs - until it's right - this takes more than 20 minutes. It takes many days. Which means the corporations knew before sitting down to negotiate that they had no intention to negotiate. That they knew they were going to blame everything on the "six issues" and then storm out in a hissy fit.

...when one side demands you remove six items before they'll talk...you simply can't do it. If you do, the negotiation is over. You lose. Go to jail, do not collect the $250. The Guild tried that once, removing the 4-cents DVD increase because the AMPTP demanded it. And the AMPTP corporations didn't change one thing. What they did do is walk out of the room. (Sound familiar?) So, that didn't work out too well. And removing six items now because the AMPTP "demands it" would work out worse."

WGA Files Unfair Labor Practice Charges Against AMPTP.

See for yourself the documents filed by the WGA with the National Labor Relations Board.

If the corporate conglomerates are really struggling, I have a notion of where they could save a lot of money. Take a look at the yearly salaries and compensation of some of the major studio and network heads, represented by the AMPTP (not including stock options).

Recipe for a "Striking Writer Martini"

Because "every strike needs a hip hop anthem"

My favorite Speechless videos thus far:
Episode 1: Holly Hunter
Episode 15 aka "Just What's On The Page": myriad actors
Episode 18: Alan Cumming
Episode 19: Tim Robbins

Another Pencils2MediaMoguls perk: win a call from Joss Whedon: "I'm warning you, I'm gonna call late, and probably drunk, and maybe cry. It's gonna be so cool."

On an unrelated note, damn if I didn't lose this whole thing just as I hit publish. At least all the links went faster the second time round.

One year ago on TTaT: 45
Technorati tags: WGA strike, Striking Writer Martini, Speechless, National Labor Relations Board, Pencils2MediaMoguls