Tag Archives: writers guild of america east

Writers Guild of America West Warns About the Expense to Creators When it Comes to the Disney and Fox Deal

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We’ve laid out a whole lot of reasons the Disney and Fox deal isn’t good for consumers and the Writers Guild of America West has issued a statement opposing the $52.4 billion deal as it’s not good for creators.

In the relentless drive to eliminate competition, big business has an insatiable appetite for consolidation. Disney and Fox have spent decades profiting from the oligopolistic control that the six major media conglomerates have exercised over the entertainment industry, often at the expense of the creators who power their television and film operations. Now, this proposed merger of direct competitors will make matters even worse by substantially increasing the market power of a combined Disney-Fox corporation. The antitrust concerns raised by this deal are obvious and significant. The Writers Guild of America West strongly opposes this merger and will work to ensure our nation’s antitrust laws are enforced

The deal still needs to pass regulatory hurdles before it’s completed, a process that’s expected to take as long as 18 months.

Comic Book Men Production and Writers Attempt to Unionize

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comic book menWhile a union dedicated to just comic creators has been discussed for decades (and probably be a while before one happens), the production and writing team behind the show Comic Book Men have been attempting to. The effort is being organized by the Writers Guild of America East.

Original Media is the company behind Comic Book Men, Swamp People, Inkmaster, NY Ink, LA Ink, Miami Ink, The Rachel Zoe Project and much more. In 2014, the writers and producers voted overwhelmingly to unionize and join the Writers Guild. The vote was 42 to 9. It was a part of a campaign by unions to organize writers in the reality television business. The goal is to provide the kind of benefits and working conditions writers on scripted shows receive. The claim is reality show writers put in long hours without extra pay (some work up to 70 hours a week) and denied insurance and other benefits.

Since then the WGA East has said that Original Media has “refused to bargain in good faith.” Original Media is also being investigated  by the National Labor Relations Board for “failing to bargain in good faith, and by the wage and hour authorities for stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from their freelance workforce.” The Writers Guild has successfully negotiated collective bargaining agreements with at least three other nonfiction television production companies.

In 2013 the editorial crew of Swamp People walked off the job due to a dispute with Original Media. The walkout was due to “unfair labor practice … unlawfully interfer(ing) with employees’ rights under the National Labor Relations Act by interrogating employees about union organizing activity.”

The WGA East is currently running a campaign to have individuals post labor-friendly tattoos on Twitter and Instagram with the hashtag #InkMasterUnion to show support. Below is some suggested text from their alert.

  • Workers on @SpikeInkMaster deserve a fair contract. @OriginalMedia needs to ink a deal #InkMasterUnion
  • I have ink. I watch@SpikeInkMaster. I want @OriginalMedia to stop #Unionbusting & sign a fair contract #InkMasterUnion
  • I Support @OriginalMedia Workers right to a fair contract #InkMasterUnion

We have reached out to the stars of Comic Book Men and Kevin Smith for their comments. The show airs on AMC.