Incumbent Riskin wins WGAW presidency in landslide
Riskin, Sargent retain WGA offices
SepT 22, 2003
Victoria Riskin has been re-elected to a second two-year term as president of the WGA West, defeating newcomer Eric Hughes. Also re-elected was WGA East president Herb Sargent.
And while the guild decided not to publicly release the results of the voting -- a break from recent WGA election protocol -- it was revealed in the "members only" section of the WGA Web site that Riskin received 846 votes, while Hughes received 425. A total of 7,600 ballots were sent out, with 1,378 returned.
Also re-elected to the WGA West leadership were vp Charles Holland (905 votes) and secretary-treasurer Patric Verrone (693 votes).
Elected to the WGA West board of directors were Elias Davis (691 votes), Irma Kalish (664 votes), Peter Lefcourt (663 votes), Melissa Rosenberg (519 votes), Tim O'Donnell (466 votes) and incumbents Robert King (672 votes), Don M. Mankiewicz (500 votes) and J.F. Lawton (483 votes).
"I think people feel comfortable with the leadership they have -- and of course the new (board members) are terrific -- but I think the membership is generally satisfied with the direction that the guild is heading," Riskin said regarding the incumbent sweep.
Riskin's first term was marked by quiet cohesion, with organizing efforts aimed in the fields of animation and nonfiction. There was also a contentious referendum on alterations to the guild's credits manual and a full-court-press lobbying effort in Washington against media consolidation.
With studio and network negotiations on the horizon, however, Riskin said all eyes and energies are listening to the needs of members getting to the table and working out a fair deal. Riskin stressed as primary objectives improvement in employer contributions to the guild's pension and health plan, increased payments from video/DVD sales and several creative rights issues, including free rewrites.
As for the start date for negotiations, Riskin said: "It all depends how serious the companies are about sitting down early and making sure we can get some good things for our membership. I am open to any possibility, but the primary thing is that when we do sit down that we make some gains in our contract and that the time is used wisely."
Asked whether her low-key campaign and the toned-down rhetoric vis-a-vis that of three years ago were any indication of the guild's upcoming approach to negotiations, Riskin said: "I don't think you can read into that one way or another. We don't know whether (the companies) are going to be serious about making some good adjustments in the contract for us. And if they don't, the membership will hear about that, and they will be responsive."
At the tail end of the campaign, Hughes upped the rhetoric, criticizing Riskin for disenfranchising working and younger writers. Hughes said in an interview Sunday that this was just the first chapter and that he is not going away. "I am just disgusted," he said. "I don't know how the nominating committee, how the people who vote or how anyone can be comfortable with the WGA where only 11% decide who is president. And the board and officers feels that they are representing every writer in the guild?"
Asked why the guild declined to release the voting results, a WGA West spokeswoman said, "There was concern that it would embarrass people that put themselves forward, and it is as simple as that."
The WGA West's minimum basic agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers expires May 1.
Riskin received the endorsement of Bryce Zabel, outgoing chairman of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, as well as several past WGA presidents, including John Wells, John Furia Jr., David Rintels (Riskin's husband), Ernest Lehman, Del Reisman and Brad Radnitz.
Sargent, who has the held the WGA East presidency since 1991, defeated Richard Wesley and Ron Baskin.
In other WGA East election results, Warren Leight -- running unopposed -- was re-elected vp. Gail Lee, also running unopposed, was re-elected as secretary-treasurer.
Jerome Coopersmith, Penelope Koechl, Stephen Schiff, Donald Westlake, Pete Hamill and Suzanne O'Malley were elected to two-year terms on the WGA East council.
And while the guild decided not to publicly release the results of the voting -- a break from recent WGA election protocol -- it was revealed in the "members only" section of the WGA Web site that Riskin received 846 votes, while Hughes received 425. A total of 7,600 ballots were sent out, with 1,378 returned.
Also re-elected to the WGA West leadership were vp Charles Holland (905 votes) and secretary-treasurer Patric Verrone (693 votes).
Elected to the WGA West board of directors were Elias Davis (691 votes), Irma Kalish (664 votes), Peter Lefcourt (663 votes), Melissa Rosenberg (519 votes), Tim O'Donnell (466 votes) and incumbents Robert King (672 votes), Don M. Mankiewicz (500 votes) and J.F. Lawton (483 votes).
"I think people feel comfortable with the leadership they have -- and of course the new (board members) are terrific -- but I think the membership is generally satisfied with the direction that the guild is heading," Riskin said regarding the incumbent sweep.
Riskin's first term was marked by quiet cohesion, with organizing efforts aimed in the fields of animation and nonfiction. There was also a contentious referendum on alterations to the guild's credits manual and a full-court-press lobbying effort in Washington against media consolidation.
With studio and network negotiations on the horizon, however, Riskin said all eyes and energies are listening to the needs of members getting to the table and working out a fair deal. Riskin stressed as primary objectives improvement in employer contributions to the guild's pension and health plan, increased payments from video/DVD sales and several creative rights issues, including free rewrites.
As for the start date for negotiations, Riskin said: "It all depends how serious the companies are about sitting down early and making sure we can get some good things for our membership. I am open to any possibility, but the primary thing is that when we do sit down that we make some gains in our contract and that the time is used wisely."
Asked whether her low-key campaign and the toned-down rhetoric vis-a-vis that of three years ago were any indication of the guild's upcoming approach to negotiations, Riskin said: "I don't think you can read into that one way or another. We don't know whether (the companies) are going to be serious about making some good adjustments in the contract for us. And if they don't, the membership will hear about that, and they will be responsive."
At the tail end of the campaign, Hughes upped the rhetoric, criticizing Riskin for disenfranchising working and younger writers. Hughes said in an interview Sunday that this was just the first chapter and that he is not going away. "I am just disgusted," he said. "I don't know how the nominating committee, how the people who vote or how anyone can be comfortable with the WGA where only 11% decide who is president. And the board and officers feels that they are representing every writer in the guild?"
Asked why the guild declined to release the voting results, a WGA West spokeswoman said, "There was concern that it would embarrass people that put themselves forward, and it is as simple as that."
The WGA West's minimum basic agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers expires May 1.
Riskin received the endorsement of Bryce Zabel, outgoing chairman of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, as well as several past WGA presidents, including John Wells, John Furia Jr., David Rintels (Riskin's husband), Ernest Lehman, Del Reisman and Brad Radnitz.
Sargent, who has the held the WGA East presidency since 1991, defeated Richard Wesley and Ron Baskin.
In other WGA East election results, Warren Leight -- running unopposed -- was re-elected vp. Gail Lee, also running unopposed, was re-elected as secretary-treasurer.
Jerome Coopersmith, Penelope Koechl, Stephen Schiff, Donald Westlake, Pete Hamill and Suzanne O'Malley were elected to two-year terms on the WGA East council.
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