I should've realized I couldn't take the rest of the day off from this blog with this looming…
96.3% of voting members in the Writers Guild of America have authorized a strike to be called against companies that produce motion pictures and television. 6,310 ballots were cast and 67.5% of eligible WGA members voted.
That's a very impressive vote. You may remember that I said…
I am sure they will get that authorization but the magnitude will be critical. If it's by 51% or even 70%, the Producers will figure that the Guild is weak and divided and that a lousy offer will be accepted. They'll assume that even if we do go on strike, it won't last long. If the vote is 90% or over…well, that might make them think a bad offer won't be cost-effective. (The vote will not be 100% or even a few points shy of that because some of those voting will be writer-producers or writer-directors and some of those folks vote in what they see as the best interests of their non-writer functions.)
96.3% is about the highest number I could have imagined. And the 67.5% is just as impressive in a guild where a lot of members never vote for anything. I hope it will get some more realistic offers on the table. It should but in an era where some CEOs seem to value stubbornness over common sense, you never know.