No one disputes the industry is in an major slowdown. It’s a terrible time, and many of us are hurting.

But this article’s claim that it was caused by the 2023 strikes is bullshit.

The slowdown & strikes were all caused by the same thing: bad business decisions at the top.🧵

https://twitter.com/latimes/status/1795569489129730186

The slowdown — which this article points out started *before* the strikes — is not the result of any action by organized labor.

It is the result of a 10 year free-for-all during which the major studios got drunk and decided to launch a streamer with no real business plan.

Just to clarify:

The “writer is a person” language in our new WGA contract is not just a platitude.

It has a huge impact on who gets paid and how much, and it protects writers from being paid to “rewrite” AI nonsense for a fraction of the fair rate. If AI text was allowed to be source material, studios could generate millions of “ideas” to claim as IP.

When a writer came in with an original idea, they’d search the AI library, find something vaguely similar, and pay the writer less.

But they can’t — because of our contract.

When it comes to AI protections, SAG-AFTRA isn’t just fighting to protect their lowest-paid members.

They’re fighting to protect every performer in their union — and thousands of other jobs in the entertainment industry.🧵 hollywoodreporter.com/business/busin… The AMPTP’s “last best final” proposal would allow them to body scan performers making *more than minimum* in TV and features.

Performers would get paid once. But studios would be allowed to profit off their AI likenesses without their approval forever — even after they’re dead.

At this crucial moment in SAG-AFTRA negotiations, here’s some WGA history that SAG members should know.

In our 2007-08 strike, our leadership wanted to hold out a little bit longer to get the best deal. But 30 wealthy WGA members thought they knew better.🧵

https://twitter.com/aysrick/status/1721048916290912488

These 30 wealthy writers drew a few of our leaders into an ambush meeting and told them: “You’re done.”

They insisted that we take the DGA deal or they would start scabbing.

The betrayal by these 30 wealthy writers — The Dirty 30 — forced WGA leaders to end our strike early.

“Last Best and Final.”

Carol’s three favorite words — because they’re a classic unionbusting trick.

The WGA got “last best finaled,” and you know what we did? We kept right on negotiating for the AI protections we needed.

Because AMPTP rhetoric doesn’t change the facts.🧵

https://twitter.com/thr/status/1720932090458304875

The fact is that the studios and streamers don’t want to quit the entertainment business. So they’re gonna have to make a deal at some point.

The fact is that they are desperate to get actors back to work before they lose any more money.

A few high-profile members are pressing SAG-AFTRA negotiators to take a deal.

A unique challenge for Hollywood unions is that some members think success in *individual* negotiations makes them experts in union negotiations.

If anything, the opposite is true. Here’s why:🧵 When you get offered a job in Hollywood, that’s an individual negotiation. In this type of negotiation, the Venn diagram is two circles that are mostly overlapping.

You want to work for the company, they want to hire you, and you just need to settle a few issues to make a deal.

Instead of negotiating in good faith, it seems studios, and their anti-union allies are using scare tactics and outright lies to try to trick SAG-AFTRA members into pressing their leaders to take a bad deal.

Don’t confuse their fiction with facts:🧵 FICTION:
“Money from the new streaming percentage would go to the Union, not the members.”

FACTS:
This is a b.s. scare tactic. *All* residuals go to the union, which processes them and sends you checks. Been this way for decades. This is nothing new and nothing to be afraid of.

These stories in the trades have some SAG-AFTRA members concerned.

First, these are likely a kernel of truth under a steaming pile of studio spin.

But let’s cut to the chase. Is Fran Drescher eccentric? Hell yes.

And there’s enormous power in that.🧵

CEOs are used to being in rooms with people they can control. People who are afraid of them.

From the start of this negotiation, Fran has made it clear that they cannot control her — and she is not afraid of them.

That scares the shit out of CEOs and gives SAG-AFTRA power.

Since the CEOs walked away from negotiations with SAG-AFTRA on Oct. 11, the AMPTP and Molly Levinson’s unionbusting crisis PR firm have been spinning out nothing but propaganda and outright lies.

With negotiations resuming tomorrow, it’s time to set the record straight.🧵 MINIMUMS:

SAG-AFTRA is seeking a significantly larger increase in minimums than the WGA and DGA got. But there are good reasons for that.

First, a 5% increase after 2 years of 6+% inflation isn’t a raise at all — it’s a pay cut.

Heard a rumor circulating among SAG-AFTRA members that the WGA “finally figured out their deal when writers put pressure on the union to find a solution.”

This is 10000% WRONG.

And this rumor is unionbusting b.s. Here’s why:🧵 First, this claim about the WGA is completely false.

There was never any widespread pressure from WGA members asking our leaders to cave.

That just did not happen.

As WGA leaders meet today to finalize our deal, we begin a new era for writers — and for labor in our industry.

But we also begin to face the final and most insidious form of unionbusting propaganda: a years-long effort to sell the lie that our strike was not worth it.🧵 Over the coming days, months, and years, the studios, streamers, and their surrogates will take every opportunity to undermine what we have won together.

They will seize on the inevitable consessions and compromises made by our NegCom as proof that we “failed.”

Okay. This is some bullshit. This morning, all the CEOs “cleared their schedules” in order to make a deal. But now, some anonymous source says if we don’t take what they’re offering by end of day tomorrow — they’re just gonna trash the rest of the year? Absurd.🧵

https://twitter.com/davidfaber/status/1704673659866984722

Does anyone believe those CEOs wanted to clear their schedules and be in that room today? Hell no. They pay Carol for that.

They were there because they had to be — because our power demanded it.

Now that the WGA has confirmed the possibility of a meeting, I really hope this is the start of genuine good faith negotiations by the studios.

But if they’re following the old unionbusting playbook, which they have so far, it’s possible this is a trap.🧵 deadline.com/2023/09/writer… With the caveat that I have no inside info about this negotiation, here’s how this unionbusting trap works:

They’ve already done the simple version on 8/22: Set a meeting, get everyone’s hopes up, then dash them.

But there’s an even more insidious version of this trap.

People are understandably confused about how Drew Barrymore could be scabbing against the WGA and not against SAG-AFTRA.

So let’s take this opportunity to increase our union literacy. 🧵 Unions are complicated. They come in all shapes and sizes and can operate in a variety of different ways.

For example, both the WGA and SAG-AFTRA are called “guilds” rather than unions because they represent independent contractors instead of employees.

It is not too late for @DrewBarrymore to stop this and do the right thing.

If her concern is paying the crew, it seems like someone who was born rich and has starred in hit movies since childhood might be able to find a better solution than working with scab writers. #WGAStrong

https://twitter.com/wgaeast/status/1701005239338549686

And by the way, do you know why @DrewBarrymore was born rich and got richer?

Because her father, grandfather, great aunt, great uncle were all in UNIONS.

Without rights and residuals negotiated by unions, Ms. Barrymore would have just a fraction of the wealth she enjoys.

After today’s WGA message called out the studios’ and steamers’ failure to get on the same page, the AMPTP has released a statement of their own — and they’re trying to rewrite the past. But there’s just one problem:

We have receipts.🧵 Two days after the AMPTP pulled their dirty trick of trying to go around our negotiators by releasing their version of their 8/11 counter directly to the public, the WGA released this detailed timeline of events: wgacontract2023.org/announcements/…

Studio CEOs should be talking about their response to out 8/15 counter, but instead, they’re suspending big overalls. Why? Simple.

1. They need the money.

2. They’re hoping to trick a group of high-level writers into publicly criticizing the Guild. 🧵 deadline.com/2023/09/warner… Through this strike, our biggest strength has been the unwavering solidarity of our membership. And this includes the overwhelming majority of showrunners — as demonstrated by their constant presence on the picket lines and generous donations to help people weather the strike.

“Whatever short-term financial gain the studios represented by the [AMPTP] hoped to gain by forcing the first dual strike of writers and actors in 40 years has long since been overshadowed by all that they are losing.” #WGAStrong #SAGAFTRAStrong latimes.com/entertainment-… “The writers and actors have already won the battle of solidarity and righteousness; the question now is how long before the studios get over themselves and make a deal.”

When Molly Levinson tweeted this resounding call last year, it seemed like she was someone who stood with the workers.

But I guess her call wasn’t that resounding because now — just over one year later — she has sided with the AMPTP and signed on to help them union-bust.

https://twitter.com/mollylevinson/status/1526894993989939201

It’s disappointing that Ms. Levinson, who held herself out as a champion of labor and fair pay would seemingly abandon her values to help billionaire CEOs making $30B in profit every year try to screw workers out of a reasonable cost-of-living raise the studios can easily afford.

In a desperate move, the AMPTP has released their proposals publicly. Not only are these proposals still inadequate, they are an attempt by the bosses to divide our members, hoping we’ll start arguing with each other over which parts we can and can’t live with. Don’t fall for it.

https://twitter.com/deadline/status/1694188861554102632

They know they can’t beat our negotiators in the negotiating room, so they’re trying to negotiate directly with us. Don’t let them.

Writers are used to this slimy move. When we’re making a deal, producers will call us complaining our reps are crazy and asking for too much.

As expected, the studios have used today’s meeting as an excuse to push out dishonest talking points aimed at breaking union solidarity. Don’t let it work.

The WGA will tell us what really happened, but let’s decode the bullshit in this “article.” 🧵

https://twitter.com/variety/status/1687629894879256576

First, the studios identify two “non-starters” among our proposals. This is a ploy. They’re hoping members will push to give up these important proposals just to get another meeting with the AMPTP. They’re trying to get us to negotiate with ourselves.

Hard pass, Carol.