WGAW taking dues tiff to judge
WGAW taking dues tiff to judge
April 15, 2005
WGA West has abandoned efforts to mediate its constitutional dispute with WGA East and decided to instead file a formal arbitration that would subject the unions to a judge's binding decision.
The intent was mentioned in a letter sent to members Friday by WGAW president Daniel Petrie Jr.
Recounting the previous weekend's joint board meeting in Los Angeles, Petrie said: "We told (WGAE) that we want to let the constitutional chips fall where they may and feel we have waited long enough to print this matter to a head. Therefore, we would be taking steps to initiate the arbitration process."
The case has not yet been filed, but Petrie suggested that it could be withdrawn if the dispute is resolved at a National Council meeting next month or in a series of meetings in New York in June, when four representatives of each side will discuss their differences.
"I have the highest hopes that the other track of face-to-face talks with our fellow writers will ultimately render arbitration unnecessary," Petrie said.
WGAE vp Warren Leight expressed "disappointment" about Petrie's letter Friday, especially because he felt that the board meeting had produced a "feeling of good will."
"Barely five days later, we are saddened to see the West recklessly rush to arbitration without even attempting to mediate this dispute," Leight said. "The course of action spelled out in Dan Petrie's letter is unnecessary, wasteful and hurtful to the long-range goals of the guild's writers."
At least $1 million in dues money is at stake as well as various jurisdictional claims as WGAW seeks to enforce portions of a 1954 affiliation agreement that have been ignored for three decades.
WGAE has been willing to mediate but not until July, when it expects to be done with several ongoing contract negotiations. Leaders in the West offered to accept the delay on condition that an arbitrator be selected now in case mediation fails. The East rejected those conditions.
Both sides stated their case at a meeting of WGAE's Council and WAGW's Board on April 9-10.
According to Petrie, the West tried to bring up several long-standing constitutional disputes such as the two unions having different membership and voting standards. In his letter, Petrie claimed the East refused to discuss any of these issues.
The West also broached the idea of merging the unions, which currently are separate but share the affiliation agreement.
"We brought up the fact that in this day and age when the studios are consolidating and business is conducted on a high-speed and global level, it makes no sense to have two unions for writers, two staffs, two boards, two spokesmen," Petrie told members in the West. "At the same time, we made it clear that while we thought a merger of the two guilds should be our mutual long-term goal, we recognized that it was unrealistic in the short term."
The near term likely will be consumed with the dues dispute, under which the East is accused of failing to honor two provisions of their constitutions: that a screenwriter must belong to the WGAW regardless of where they live and that half of the East's member dues earned from theatrical films must be paid to the West.
WGAW believes that these terms were honored until the mid-1970s, when they were abandoned for unknown reasons by the East.
If enforced, the terms could obligate the East to pay the West about $500,000 in annual dues money. WGAW separately wants another $500,000 each year to reimburse it for services rendered on behalf of all union writers.
As Petrie noted Friday, the West sees this as more of a constitutional issue than a monetary one, though he noted that he still feels it is being attacked.
"They see enforcement of the constitution as a dire threat to them financially, fearing that it would cost them as much as one-third of their dues," Petrie said. "I hope that members of (the East's) Council saw and heard that we were not acting out of vindictiveness or anger but simply wanted to honor our constitutional and to have every writer pay their fair share."
The weekend meetings, which also saw past WGAW president John Furia unanimously elected as national chairperson, did not produce a breakthrough, leading the West to follow through on its threats to abandon mediation in favor of arbitration.
The intent was mentioned in a letter sent to members Friday by WGAW president Daniel Petrie Jr.
Recounting the previous weekend's joint board meeting in Los Angeles, Petrie said: "We told (WGAE) that we want to let the constitutional chips fall where they may and feel we have waited long enough to print this matter to a head. Therefore, we would be taking steps to initiate the arbitration process."
The case has not yet been filed, but Petrie suggested that it could be withdrawn if the dispute is resolved at a National Council meeting next month or in a series of meetings in New York in June, when four representatives of each side will discuss their differences.
"I have the highest hopes that the other track of face-to-face talks with our fellow writers will ultimately render arbitration unnecessary," Petrie said.
WGAE vp Warren Leight expressed "disappointment" about Petrie's letter Friday, especially because he felt that the board meeting had produced a "feeling of good will."
"Barely five days later, we are saddened to see the West recklessly rush to arbitration without even attempting to mediate this dispute," Leight said. "The course of action spelled out in Dan Petrie's letter is unnecessary, wasteful and hurtful to the long-range goals of the guild's writers."
At least $1 million in dues money is at stake as well as various jurisdictional claims as WGAW seeks to enforce portions of a 1954 affiliation agreement that have been ignored for three decades.
WGAE has been willing to mediate but not until July, when it expects to be done with several ongoing contract negotiations. Leaders in the West offered to accept the delay on condition that an arbitrator be selected now in case mediation fails. The East rejected those conditions.
Both sides stated their case at a meeting of WGAE's Council and WAGW's Board on April 9-10.
According to Petrie, the West tried to bring up several long-standing constitutional disputes such as the two unions having different membership and voting standards. In his letter, Petrie claimed the East refused to discuss any of these issues.
The West also broached the idea of merging the unions, which currently are separate but share the affiliation agreement.
"We brought up the fact that in this day and age when the studios are consolidating and business is conducted on a high-speed and global level, it makes no sense to have two unions for writers, two staffs, two boards, two spokesmen," Petrie told members in the West. "At the same time, we made it clear that while we thought a merger of the two guilds should be our mutual long-term goal, we recognized that it was unrealistic in the short term."
The near term likely will be consumed with the dues dispute, under which the East is accused of failing to honor two provisions of their constitutions: that a screenwriter must belong to the WGAW regardless of where they live and that half of the East's member dues earned from theatrical films must be paid to the West.
WGAW believes that these terms were honored until the mid-1970s, when they were abandoned for unknown reasons by the East.
If enforced, the terms could obligate the East to pay the West about $500,000 in annual dues money. WGAW separately wants another $500,000 each year to reimburse it for services rendered on behalf of all union writers.
As Petrie noted Friday, the West sees this as more of a constitutional issue than a monetary one, though he noted that he still feels it is being attacked.
"They see enforcement of the constitution as a dire threat to them financially, fearing that it would cost them as much as one-third of their dues," Petrie said. "I hope that members of (the East's) Council saw and heard that we were not acting out of vindictiveness or anger but simply wanted to honor our constitutional and to have every writer pay their fair share."
The weekend meetings, which also saw past WGAW president John Furia unanimously elected as national chairperson, did not produce a breakthrough, leading the West to follow through on its threats to abandon mediation in favor of arbitration.
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