Robert J. Elisberg: AMPTP Hissy Fits and Other Tactics
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Robert J. Elisberg: AMPTP Hissy Fits and Other Tactics

Robert J. Elisberg's latest Huffington Post column, WGA Strike Primer: Spin the Bottle, puts the latest AMPTP ploys and PR stunts into perspective. The entire piece is a must read but here are some highlights...

Regarding the AMPTP releasing a press release just 20 minutes after storming out of negotiations (again) and demanding the WGA drop six issues or else the companies "petulantly won't even talk," Elisberg writes...

"This is important. The press release appeared after 20 minutes. We're dealing with nine corporations here on the board. To get approvals from nine multinational conglomerates, nine PR departments, nine CEOs - until it's right - this takes more than 20 minutes. It takes many days. Which means the corporations knew before sitting down to negotiate that they had no intention to negotiate. That they knew they were going to blame everything on the "six issues" and then storm out in a hissy fit.

Which means the "six issues" aren't issues at all. It just means the AMPTP corporations wanted to cause dissension among the writers and see if it took hold, get enough people to buy the spin and become all flibberty-gibberty terrified."

Furthermore, Elisberg states...

"...when one side demands you remove six items before they'll talk...you simply can't do it. If you do, the negotiation is over. You lose. Go to jail, do not collect the $250. The Guild tried that once, removing the 4-cents DVD increase because the AMPTP demanded it. And the AMPTP corporations didn't change one thing. What they did do is walk out of the room. (Sound familiar?) So, that didn't work out too well. And removing six items now because the AMPTP "demands it" would work out worse."

We all know that there's a lot of worry and anger out there -- members, crew, everyone who's striking or been put out of work by the strike is vulnerable to the AMPTP's fear tactics. But the problem here is a simple one: they issued an ultimatum and walked away from the table.

We want to negotiate. We're ready to negotiate. We're still sitting at the table, ready to get this town back to work.

Hopefully when the AMPTP is done having its hissy fits and playing games, they'll join us.

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