(With all the best to Frank Pierson and thanks to Jon Avnet)

The latest AMPTP offer, Thursday's "groundbreaking" proposal, certainly wasn't what any of us hoped for. If we assume the AMPTP sincerely wants to end the strike, then everything they've done so far is counter-intuitive. Given the stakes, their behavior is crazy-making. Most members were shocked and demoralized that the offer was so inappropriate.

But when has anyone enjoyed a negotiation?

Personally, I hate negotiating. At first it feels good when I'm thinking about what I want. My mind's racing with the possibilities. But when the process starts and the first counter-offer comes in, I go through the seven stages of grief. If I want a deal that I can live with, I have to tough it out.

(From fans4writers.com:)

Fans should gather at Universal Studios beginning at 11:00 AM. We have a customizable picket sign (pdf) you can use. Mingle with other fans, wave your signs, experience the thumbs-up and honking car horns of passing drivers.

Then, when the time comes, head to NBC Burbank, where many striking writers will be headed, in time for a larger strike rally to be visited by presidential candidate John Edwards beginning at 1:45 PM.

This is a relatively last-minute event, so spread the word far and wide. And keep an eye out here for future developments, because preliminary discussions are underway for a much larger Fan Day event to show the Companies just how much fans support the writers have.

(We want to welcome SAG Member Justine Bateman as a regular contributor to United Hollywood. We hope to continue opening the site up to more voices from SAG and other unions. Justine reminds us that this fight belongs to all of us. We're all on the same page.)

Attention all SAG Actors:

I believe it's appropriate at this time to call all actors into action in support of the Writer's Guild on strike.
I know many of us have been walking the picket lines and attending the rallies, but I want to challenge ALL SAG members to see if they can commit an HOUR-A-DAY to walking the picket lines.
The AMPTP has been jerking the Writer's Guild around.
1. They offered nothing but insulting Roll-Backs to the WGA in the negotiations that caused the strike.

WGA member Rene Balcer (show runner of "Law & Order" and co-creator of "Law & Order: Criminal Intent) may have a new ripped-from-the-headlines story to write after the strike is over. Today, while picketing at the executive gate at Fox (Gate 3), Balcer was pushed numerous times by a black SUV driven by a Fox employee, as he walked legally through the crosswalk . According to one of six

The last day of official picketing ended with a high point at Fox.

Writers were joined on the picket line by many supporters. The honking at the Pico gate reached new decibel levels as crowds of picketers filled the sidewalk and waved their signs at the passing traffic.

The signs told the story: "WGA-DGA-SAG", "The House is Not Divided," "DGA-WGA Member," "Union Solidarity".

The appearance of so many SAG and DGA members made the point that even though the AMPTP spin machine works hard to create the impression that there is dissension between the unions and in the ranks of the WGA, the opposite is true.

Of course the strike has created tensions. How could it not?

There should be tensions when so much is at stake and so much has been sacrificed in the fight with the congloms. But our common interests outweigh that tension, and our solidarity is real.

Tune in to hear writer/director/producer Joss Whedon (Angel, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Firefly) who joins us on United Hollywood Live today (12pm Pacific/3pm Eastern). We'll be talking to Joss about the "Mutant Enemy Strike" in which fans of Joss' shows will picket outside Fox's Pico Gate this Friday.

Also on the show will be the staff writers from JERICHO as well as members of the Network Organizing Committee who will be discussing the Fremantle rally, also coming up this Friday.

Tomorrow at Raleigh Studios, home of ABC's "Ugly Betty," C. Jay Cox, Chad Darnell and Michael Medico are inviting WGA, SAG and all friends of the L.G.B.T. community to join them at the 10am-2pm picket. Silvio Horta, creator of "Ugly Betty," will be in attendance as well as cast members from the show. Raleigh is across the street from Paramount at 5300 Melrose Ave, and for more information you can click through to C. Jay's blog post.

The following is letter from Paul Diamond, son of I.A.L. Diamond (Billy Wilder's writing partner, "Some Like It Hot", "The Apartment"). This message was initially meant only for members of his strike team, but with Paul's permission we reprint it here for our readers.Dear Mick -- if you would, pass this on to the other Barham Gate Strikers...

UH News
• Contract Update from Verrone and Winship
• UH Live for 12/5

Upcoming Events
From the WGAw
THURSDAY, 12/6THREE GENERATIONS OF WGA MEMBERS: Sherwood Schwartz, (creator of "Gilligan's Island" and "The Brady Bunch"), his son Lloyd, (writer and producer of "The Brady Bunch" feature films and many television comedies), and Lloyd's son Andy, a story editor on "Scrubs" -- will picket together at the main gate of CBS Radford from noon until 1 p.m. Sherwood Schwartz, 91, was a founding member of the Television Writers of America, which merged with screenwriters to become the WGA.

The first delivery of Pencils2MediaMoguls took place on Tuesday 12/11 in Burbank. Check out our photoset on Flickr. Full report from Jeffrey Berman:We had a good crowd. The press was there. ABC, NBC, AP and several local radio stations including KFWB covered the event.

Strike TV is an Internet fundraiser. It's an online "channel" featuring original video shows created by working professionals in the TV and Film Industry. These shows are self-funded and owned by their creators. Funds raised by ad revenue will go toward the Writers Guild Foundation Industry Support Fund, assisting union directors, actors and below the line members who are affected by the strike.

Compiled from WGA and United Hollywood emails. -JA

TUESDAY DECEMBER 11TH:

PENCILS2MEDIAMOGULS: It's here! The first delivery of pencils will take place today. Over 500,000 pencils have been shipped. Please join us as we deliver the pencils to NBC CEO Jeff Zucker, Robert Iger, CEO of The Walt Disney Company, and to Universal Studios for GE's CEO Jeffrey Immelt. Writers slated to appear include: Ronald D. Moore (Battlestar Galactica), Joss Whedon (Buffy, the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Firefly), Carol Barbee (Jericho), Alfred Gough (Smallville), Miles Millar (Smallville). We will meet at 11:30 am at Johnny Carson Park, 400 Bob Hope Drive in Burbank.

The Writer's Strike Story (So Far) depicts events through moments in classic film:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qkvttQRZtBo

Mogul "Saddened" By WGA Strike demonstrates how one mogul is coping during the Writer's Strike:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8A14db2Wco0

A fan broadcasts how the strike is affecting him, and pleads with the CEO's to come back and negotiate.
http://www.thepalestra.com

United Hollywood is proud to announce that FairDeal4Writers has become the first annual United Hollywood Short Film Contest.

Unlike Strike TV, films in this contest will tackle the issues that are roiling the entertainment industry right now. The winner of the contest will receive an authentic WGA strike poster with over 175 signatures by writers, actors, actresses and directors who autographed

Three of the original Munchkins from THE WIZARD OF OZ will be joining striking writers on the picket line Friday morning at NBC Studios in Burbank. Among them will be Jerry Maren, the original Lollipop Kid who uttered the famous line, "We represent the Lollipop Guild."

Unfortunately for Jerry and his co-stars, the Lollipop Guild didn't have any better luck than other Hollywood guilds of the era in getting the actors or its screenwriter any residuals for their creation which has earned an untold fortune in the years since.

Oscar-winning cinematographer Haskell Wexler released this statement in the wake of IATSE president Tom Short's letter to Patric Verrone, president of the WGA. Wexler is a legend, and when he evaluates the state of our unions, he does so with authority. Without minimizing the difficult decisions that everyone faces in a strike, we found this note stirring and wanted to share it. -JA I walked the WGA picket line along with 6000 film workers demonstrating in front of Fox Studios.

The spirit I saw in that demonstration is exciting to me, it gives me hope. These strikers are resisting further concessions, concessions which compromise all our futures.

I caught the eye of a couple of grips and electricians driving through the line. Although I understand why our guys go through the line, it saddens me.

John August maintains one of the essential blogs on screenwriting and Hollywood. In a post from a few hours ago, he frames the current situation with typical wisdom:For any writer — WGA or otherwise — tomorrow would seem an especially important day to be on the picket lines. If the strike is ending, it’s your last chance to be part of the picket line. If it’s not ending, then a big showing on

WGA member "Chris" sends this anecdote. -JA

I have a nice story from the line that will warm the heart:

We're at the CBS TV City main gate today, and it's raining, with big, slappy drops. There's maybe a dozen of us braving it out for The Cause, but only a couple umbrellas, meaning most of us are getting soaked. (Someone asked, "What's more unappealing than an unemployed writer? An

(This is a photo of 7th grader Chris Williams, and two of his buddies walking the picket line with us. I received the following email from WGA member Rama Stagner.)

I just met the most amazing kid on the picket line. He was obviously alone and I was curious so I asked (jokingly) if he was a WGA member, with someone who was - or if he was just there to support us. He was just there to support us. It blew me away.

As the media blackout continues, the only voices we hear are our own as we discuss the DGA deal, parsing it for nuances, looking for weaknesses and breakthroughs. On the picket line the work continues, as we keep our struggle in the public eye. Voices4Action! has been posting video interviews with our fellow members.

Steve Gaghan gives a clear-headed, no-nonsense view of the strike. Jordan

MONDAY DECEMBER 17th: