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Hundreds of WGA East members who work for Hearst Magazines Media are planning to stage a walkout Thursday to demand a fair contract. The half-day action is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. ET and will last the remainder of the day. “ WGA East members at Hearst have been bargaining a first contract for over two years and their last scheduled day of negotiations is March 28,” the guild said. “With only one bargaining session left, the Hearst Union is taking collective action with a unit-wide walkout in their fight for a fair first contract.” Rallies in support of the walkout will be held at four locations: outside the Hearst Tower in Manhattan; at the Hearst offices in Easton, PA; at the Hearst offices in Ann Arbor, MI; and the Hearst offices in Birmingham, AL. The guild represents some 500 of the publishing giant’s editorial, video, design and photo staff at more than 25 brands including Esquire, Cosmopolitan, Harper’s Bazaar, Town & Country, Good Housekeeping, … [Read more...] about WGA East Sets Walkout At Hearst Magazines For Thursday; Hundreds Sign Petition

Hundreds of WGA East members employed at Hearst Magazines Media staged a half-day walkout and rally today to demand a fair contract. The walkout at four of the company’s offices – in New York City, Easton, PA, Ann Arbor, MI, and Birmingham, AL – comes after more than two years of negotiations for a first-time contract. The last scheduled day of negotiations is March 28. According to the guild, they’re seeking “fair wage increases, better severance and strong anti-harassment protections,” among other demands. Watch some video of the walkout below. The guild represents some 500 of the publishing giant’s editorial, video, design and photo staff at more than 25 brands including Esquire, Cosmopolitan, Harper’s Bazaar, Town & Country, Good Housekeeping, Popular Mechanics, Car & Driver, Oprah Daily, Seventeen, Elle, Redbook and Woman’s Day . “We’re walking out today because more than two years is too long to wait for a fair union contract,” said Joey Capparella, … [Read more...] about Hundreds Of WGA East Members Stage Walkout At Hearst Magazines Media: “So Many Of Us Pour Our Heart And Soul Into These Brands”

The editorial staff at Fox affiliate WNYW-TV New York has voted unanimously to ratify a new four-year contract with the WGA East . The 52-member bargaining unit includes news writers, writer/producers, assignment editors, segment producers, news assistants and feed coordinators. The new pact includes 3% minimum annual salary increases in the first year, and 2% in each of the next three years. It also includes a fully funded pension for all current and future employees; 26% to 36% pay hikes in the first year for news associates, and a $1 an hour increase in the show producer/line producer fee. “WGA East members at WNYW-TV fought hard to ensure that they received fair annual pay increases, and that their guild pension benefits remained intact for themselves and future members of the union,” said Lowell Peterson, the guild’s executive director. “This new four-year agreement is a tremendous victory, and a testament to the strength and solidarity of this bargaining unit.” … [Read more...] about WGA East Members Unanimously Ratify New Contract With Fox’s WNYW-TV New York

EXCLUSIVE: The WGA made no major gains in its new film and TV contract regarding diversity, which the guild has been pushing for years. “There was a proposal related to diversity on the table,” an industry source said, “but the guild did not get it.” The union did, however, receive additional funding for its training program for episodic TV writers, which is geared toward improving the lot of women and minority writers. Under the new deal, CBS, ABC and NBC will now be kicking in a total of $250,000 a year for the program in each of the three years of the contract – up from $200,000 a year under the previous contract. The new 69-page memorandum of agreement can be seen here , in full, for the first time. Membership ratification of the new pact began today and will conclude May 24. In its 2016 report, the WGA West found that women made up only 29% of the TV writers; that female film writers earned only 68 cents for every dollar earned by their white male … [Read more...] about Studios Snubbed WGA’s Contract Proposal To Boost Women & Minority Writers

Ratification of the new three-year WGA film and TV contract has been overwhelmingly — almost unanimously — approved by members of the WGA East and West, bringing to a close Hollywood’s most contentious contract struggle in a decade. Of the 3,647 valid votes cast there were 3,617 “yes” votes (99.2%) and 30 “no” votes (.8%). There were 9,441 eligible voters. The term of the agreement is from May 2, 2017 through May 1, 2020 . “Our success in these negotiations was due to a highly engaged and dedicated membership, working in tandem with a tireless and informed Negotiating Committee and an extraordinary Guild staff. We achieved new and significant gains that will help today’s writers even as they benefit the next generation,” said WGAW President Howard A. Rodman and WGAE President Michael Winship. “Our thanks go out to all of those who contributed to the process and to the thousands of our fellow writers who participated in the strike authorization and ratification votes.” … [Read more...] about WGA Ratifies New Film & TV Contract

Norman Steinberg , who co-scripted Mel Brooks’ comedy classic Blazing Saddles with and won an Emmy for Flip Wilson’s 1970s variety show, has died. He was 83. The WGA East said Steinberg died March 15 but did not provide other details. Steinberg was a disgruntled lawyer met Brooks in the 1960s at a Manhattan coffee shop, where he would run into the future EGOT winner regularly. After repeatedly telling him that we wanted to be a comedy writer, Brooks relented and told Steinberg to submit a script for his James Bond-spoofing sitcom Get Smart! The series was canceled, but Brooks told the would-be scribe that this his script was funny — and Steinberg quit his hated job at a law firm. Steinberg started writing for the music trade mag Cash Box before landing a gig writing a political humor album for David Frye. He later moved to Los Angeles, where he was partnered with George Carlin writing for NBC’s comedy-variety series The Flip Wilson Show. That year, the show’s … [Read more...] about Norman Steinberg Dies: ‘Blazing Saddles’ Screenwriter & ‘Flip Wilson Show ‘Emmy Winner Was 83

The American Film Market will be moving to a new home for this year’s edition, setting up shop at Santa Monica’s Le Méridien Delfina Hotel on Pico Blvd. The shift slightly to the south east comes as the Loews Hotel, where the AFM has been staged for 30 years, closed for lengthy renovations earlier this month. The AFM runs from October 31-November 5. Organizers said the move to the Méridien “will provide a new look for the AFM and a dynamic and innovative backdrop for you and your company to unite with the global film industry, showcase and discover the latest projects and offerings, connect with partners and engage in conversations about marketplace insights and trends.” Although the new venue is not beachfront, it does offer views of the Pacific, but it will mean more time required to get to lunch at The Ivy or grab a steak at Chez Jay. AFM organizers are “delighted that our new location means you will be returning to the same sunny beachside city for AFM 2023, to … [Read more...] about AFM Moving HQ To Santa Monica’s Le Meridien Delfina