2023 Writers + Actors Strike Thread

[BoldRestless]

Nice investigative reporting @Errol! 

[Errol]

Thank you!

There's no official indication that Sheri is writing at DAYS specifically. Only she has opted to go "Fi-Core." It can be ascertained that she did so to write for DAYS, but we won't know until sometime in 2024.

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[DramatistDreamer]

According to the WGAW, writers who go Fi-Core surrender their membership in the WGA.

https://www.wga.org/members/membership-information/wgaw-financial-core-list

This tracks with what I was once told by an instructor while in grad school. This instructor was a former president of the WGAE. One day in a screenwriting class, he warned us that in the event of a writer’s strike, if we crossed the picket line, even if we weren’t yet members, we would never be able to join the Writer’s Guild. So it makes sense the crossing the picket line means that you are no longer regarded as a member.

I am guessing that these soap writers who go Fi-Core at this point are no longer interested in utilizing the resources of the WGA as this will be the extent of their career, perhaps this is the only job they will have until they retire? Also, I am guessing that they no longer care what colleagues in the guild think of them.

[Errol]

Going over the Fi-Core list again, it's interesting how some of Hollywood's biggest names have opted into that status over the decades, including George Clooney,  George Lucas, Francis Ford Coppola, Steven Soderbergh and others. I also noted that Josh Griffith isn't on the list, which is odd since it's been known since the last strike. How odd.

Ah, I know why now. The list is WGAW (WGA West). Griffith is a member of WGAE (WGA East). 

[AbcNbc247]

Were any of the soaps picketed during the last strike?

[Errol]

Back in those days, the best source for WGA strike info was by Nikki Finke during the infancy of Deadline when it was known as Deadline Hollywood Daily (pre-acquisition by PMC), but I don't ever recall seeing picket info re: the soaps either through pictures or articles. I guess one could search that site's old articles written by Nikki to find out, but again, I don't recall anything that stood out to me then. I usually retain useless info like that.

[John]

I do not remember reading much in the 07-08 strie that the WGA was attempting to close down productions. Not saying it didnt happen but it seems to be one of the goals of this strike

[dragonflies]

Can they even legally do that given the soap actors are under a different type of contract that they HAVE to work?

[DramatistDreamer]

It’s a somewhat complex issue, for sure. I can’t speak to actors but from what I have gleaned with, for example, animators, they are allowed to engage in sympathy strike action with the understanding that they can also be temporarily replaced if they are doing work for a production. Their union also bars them from doing work that is WGA set aside. My estimation is that if the actor is unionized, they would need to look at the precepts of their particular union’s guidelines. As far as striking, with the soaps, they are already so “bare bones”, short of a total walkout by the majority of the actors, I don’t know what action it would take to shut them down.

Speaking of workers outside of the WGA picketing in solidarity, this-

https://www.cnn.com/2023/06/15/business/janitors-wga-strike/index.html

[RavenWhitney]

Can someone get their hands on the WGE fi core list as of 2023?  We know of other fi core writers: Fran Newman, Michael Conforti, Jim Brown, deceased: Hogan Sheffer and Barbara Esesten.  Of course, Ken hired Sheri just has he rehired Dena (and Mark) to replace Hogan and Meg during the strike and kept them. Ron's retirement iong overdue....Maybe Peacock saw an opportunity to finally put Ron out to pasture.

[DramatistDreamer]

Have you checked the link posted upthread? Errol posted the link and I posted again afterwards. It has the list by year, including 2023, there appear to be only 4 writers listed as Fi-Core so far in 2023.

[RavenWhitney]

The list provided at the link only covers writers who belong to the WEST division not the EAST of Writers Guild.

[DramatistDreamer]

Oh, I didn’t realize that you were also looking for those on the East. I don’t know whether you will find such a list but have you checked their website? The East and West have two separate websites.

It’s WGAE, not WGE.

[Liberty City]

Considering he is Bradley Bell's co-head writer it does not surprise me. He'll continue the s**tshow Bell has been spewing.

[Vee]

Completely unsurprising to anyone who has known Ryan Murphy to be nihilistic self-loathing scum for decades. @DRW50