Strike Watch 2007!

Universal Suspends 30 Rock, Office Actors

Reuters Canada reported that Universal Media Studios on Thursday began notifying actors on The Office, 30 Rock and Bionic Woman that the studio is suspending them on half-pay for five weeks, due to the force majeure, or "greater force," provisions in their Screen Actors Guild contracts.

Such a contract clause could be invoked for writers soon if the strike progresses. Many writers' production deals "trigger" the termination clause four to six weeks into a stoppage, but in some cases, it could only be two weeks. Friday, Sony began notifying the regulars on two of the sitcoms it produces, Fox's 'Til Death and CBS' Rules of Engagement, that they are being put on unpaid hiatus, remaining exclusive to the studio. This didn't sit well with SAG and AFTRA, the two main actors' unions.

Reuters elaborated, "According to SAG's interpretation of Section 61 of its collective bargaining agreement, the studios have three options in case of a strike: Put series regulars on hold at full salary, suspend them for a period of up to five weeks at half-pay, or terminate them. If, like Universal, the studios opt for suspension, the performers themselves, according to SAG, can terminate their deals at the end of the five-week period. If they don't do that, the studios can choose to keep the regulars with full pay or end their deals." This means that actors can go off and do other projects, but if and when the strike ends, they have to drop everything and return to their network's show.

Warner Bros. also got into the act; a letter sent earlier this week to employees by Warner Bros. TV said that if the writers' strike continues, all of its series — which include ER, Without a Trace, Cold Case and Pushing Daisies — will shut down in the next six to seven weeks, possibly leading to a loss of jobs.

At least two other studios have considered the idea of putting actors on hiatus, but none has actually followed through since SAG and AFTRA's stern reaction to Sony's letters.

Eddie Murphy Walks Off Movie Set

Eddie Murphy was in the Pacific Palisades yesterday to film his new movie Nowhereland, but when picketers from the WGA arrived, the actor left the set and didn't return. There were reports that this drew huge cheers from the crowd of around 50 protesters chanting on megaphones and playing music loudly in order to shut down the production. However, I spoke to writer and protester Katherine Butler, who was at the protest and said the writers were being anything but disruptive. "They are making us sound like we were purposely being obnoxious and disruptive in order to shut down the movie. When, in fact, we were walking in a small circle, occasionally chanting. They even handed out whistles, and no one blew them." Butler did not witness Murphy leaving, but did say that, "There are a lot of us out there who know the problem isn't the hard-working actors, teamsters, grips, sound guys. Unfortunately, the producers aren't on set. I'd like to be outside Nick Counter's office waving a sign. We're aware that we're not making the actors and crew’s life any easier, but all we're trying to do is make our point. We had leaders from the protest at the film set yesterday thanking the teamsters and crew for their support and understanding, and relaying to them that our goal is not to be disruptive; it's only to be heard." While it's clear that production on the movie was suspended for the day, and the WGA is championing Murphy's actions, there has been no official comment by Murphy's camp on whether or not his film walkoff was strike-related or not.

Strike Outlaw? Lost Showrunner Returns to Work

Whatever you think about the writers' strike, ya gotta feel for guys like Lost writer-producer Carlton Cuse. As a writer, he's on strike. But as a producer... mmm, not so much. So even though he's a member of the WGA's negotiating committee, he's returning to work, at least to do some postproduction on the eight episodes that have already been shot. "We feel we owe that to our fans," he tells the New York Times. "We would harm our franchise if we didn't do it ourselves." So who'll be next to punch back in? We'll keep you posted.... In other strike news, um, did they only just hear about it in Canada? Bionic Woman, which shoots in Vancouver, powered down just last week, and Battlestar Galactica will wrap up this Friday.... Although the Hollywood Reporter says that secret meetings are taking place that would bring the hosts of the Late Show with David Letterman, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and Late Night with Conan O'Brien back to their desks, nothing is expected to happen before Thanksgiving.



Young and Restless and Incensed Soap Scribes Deny Returning to Work

Soap scribes aren't picket-line-crossing dirty birds. That's the word from Young and the Restless head writer Lynn Latham, whose staff has issued the following statement refuting trade-mag reports that some in their ranks used the "financial core" loophole to return to their Smith-Coronas:

"As the writing staff of The Young and the Restless gathered together to share pizza — something we have vowed to do weekly until the strike ends — we were incensed to read the incorrect information printed in Variety, [saying] that several writers on our show sought financial-core status. Our entire writing staff of 18 is united, and we fully support our union. Not a single person who was writing for Y&R when we struck has gone core. Not one. We stand united with sore feet from picketing. Well, some of us sit. But we all do our part, and we cannot be parted."

Videologblog: Writers Strike (Colbert Report writers)

Bring On The Pol: John Edwards To Picket

The WGA just announced that Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards will join striking writers on the picket line Friday. "Following his public statement of solidarity with the Writers Guild of America last week, former U.S. Senator John Edwards will ... support the WGA in its ongoing fight to secure a fair and reasonable deal." He will walk the line at 2 PM at NBC Entertainment, 3000 W. Alameda Avenue in Burbank at the NBC sign on the corner. This absolutely one-ups all previous political activity on the line where Barack Obama's LA staff and volunteers joined the strikers. All three Democratic frontrunners have expressed support for the striking writers, but Edwards has had the least amount of Hollywood support financially or celebrity/mogul-wise. Obama was first to make a pro-WGA declaration. I've already reported that the Hollywood/Big Media moguls were pissed as hell that Obama got out in front of the other Democratic presidential candidates and issued what they considered "a totally knee-jerk response" taking the writers' side. And they let him know it, too. (Clearly the CEOs were naive enough to think that just because they've been hosting political fundraisers and giving donations to him that gives them any clout.)