Posted in: Max, Movies, Opinion, streaming, TV, TV | Tagged: amptp, David Zaslav, opinion, Warner Bros, warner bros discovery, wga

WGA "Right About Almost Everything" Even If Overpaid: WBD CEO Zaslav

Just when you think Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav is extending an olive branch to the WGA, things find a way of going south.

As SAG-AFTRA members began voting this week to potentially ratify the union's new three-year deal with the studios & streamers, we're getting a chance to look back at the 148-day-long WGA strike – courtesy of Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav. With the strike coming to an end at the end of September, the tentative agreement between the writers' union and AMPTP was officially ratified on October 9, 2023 (more on that in a minute). A little more than a month later – and still hearing about it in the press over the debacle involving John Cena-starring Coyote vs. Acme (with DC Studios co-head James Gunn contributing to the story) – Zaslav admits that the writers were mostly right when it came to what they were asking for during negotiations. But there's a catch.

"They are right about almost everything," Zaslav shared in a recent profile in The New York Times. Setting aside the ten-ton question as to why it needed to take 148 days if the writers' union was "right about almost everything" and looking for a silver lining, it was nice to see Zaslav take that position. But then, the WBD CEO fell into the trap that most folks fall into – those final eight words. Okay, it doesn't have to literally be "eight words," but what it means is that most problems happen when folks don't know when to shut the **** up. They've put something out there that works. There's no serious drama (aside from the question we just raised), so we can move on very quickly in the news cycle. But then Zaslav added, "So what if we overpay? I've never regretted overpaying for great talent or a great asset." Oh no. That's no good. You can't talk "overpaid" if you made what you reportedly made in 2021 (wow). You can't talk "great talent" or "great asset" when you're going scorched earth on other folks' art for a tax write-off. Creativity shouldn't have to pay the price for bad business practices.

Here's a look at the message that went out to union members back in October:

Dear Members,

We are pleased to announce that 99% of WGA members have voted in favor of ratifying the 2023 MBA. Of the 8,525 valid votes cast there were 8,435 "yes" votes and 90 "no" votes (1%). The term of the agreement is from September 25, 2023 through May 1, 2026.

See the summary of the 2023 MBA for more information on what we gained.

We would not have been able to achieve this industry-changing contract without WGA Chief Negotiator Ellen Stutzman, Negotiating Committee Cochairs Chris Keyser and David Goodman, the entire WGA Negotiating Committee, strike captains, lot coordinators, and the staff that supported every part of the negotiation and strike action.

As our negotiations come to an end, we won't forget our SAG-AFTRA siblings who have supported writers every step of the way. We call upon the AMPTP to negotiate a deal that addresses the needs of performers and, until they do, we ask WGA members who can to continue to show up on their picket lines in solidarity.

In solidarity,

Meredith Stiehm, WGAW President
Lisa Takeuchi Cullen, WGAE President

And here's a look back at what the WGA had to share when the news was announced that the writers' strike was set to end back on September 26th – including documentation outlining what union members gained in the deal.

As we reported on Sunday, the WGA reached a tentative agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers on a new three-year Minimum Basic Agreement. Today, your Negotiating Committee, the WGAW Board and WGAE Council all voted unanimously to recommend the agreement. It will now go to both Guilds' memberships for a ratification vote. Eligible voters will receive ballot and materials for the vote which will take place from October 2nd to October 9th.

The WGAW Board and WGAE Council also voted unanimously to lift the restraining order and end the strike as of 12:01 am PT/3:01 am ET on Wednesday, September 27th. This allows writers to return to work during the ratification process, but does not affect the membership's right to make a final determination on contract approval.

Now that we have finalized the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA), we can share details of this exceptional deal, with gains and protections for members in every sector of the business:

MBA 2023 Contract Materials:

Members can read the complete tentative agreement, which is codified in this Memorandum of Agreement (MOA).

We are also providing a short Summary of the MOA.

Here is an update of the 2-pager (now 7-pager) that compares the status of negotiations on May 1st and what we achieved after 148 days on strike.

Contract Informational Member Meetings:

We are convening meetings this week so current members can hear from the Negotiating Committee, Board and Council, and have the opportunity to ask questions about the agreement before the ratification vote.

NYC: Wed. September 27th, 7:00 pm ET at the Manhattan Center. Doors open with snacks and refreshments 6:00 pm. RSVP

Los Angeles: Wed. September 27th, 7:00 pm PT at the Hollywood Palladium. Doors open with snacks and refreshments 6:00 pm. RSVP

Zoom meeting: Thurs. September 28th, 5:00 pm PT/8:00 pm ET RSVP

Zoom meeting: Fri. September 29th, 11:00 am PT/2:00 pm ET RSVP

Please try to be with us in-person on Wednesday either in NYC or LA. We did this together and it would be good to gather again to honor both our strike and what we've accomplished. We look forward to discussing the deal with you.

Enjoyed this? Please share on social media!

Stay up-to-date and support the site by following Bleeding Cool on Google News today!