The latest volley in the writers strike was fired by the Writers Guild, as they have offered up the possibility of making deals directly with studios and production companies, rather than deal directly with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP).
Why would they do that? It's a smokescreen to cover up dissension in their own ranks, as a number of writers have expresses dismay and frustration over union negotiators getting way off track into unwinnable issues, and not staying focused on the compensation for work done on the Internet.
The smokescreen is an attempt to make the studios look disjointed and fractured, rather than the Writers Guild. I don't think this has a chance of working, neither is it expected to. It could even be an excuse to get some writers working under the guise of cooperation with renegade producers.
At this time, David Letterman, who is a member of the WGA, has said he's willing to negotiate as a separate company, via his Worldwide Pants independent production company.
Executive producer of the "Late show," Rob Burnett, made the statement, "Worldwide Pants has always been a writer-friendly company. Since the beginning of the strike, we have expressed our willingness to sign an interim agreement with the guild consistent with its positions in this dispute. We're happy that the guild has now adopted an approach that might make this possible. It is our strong desire to be back on the air with our writers and we hope that will happen as soon as possible."
Burnett is also a member of the WGA, as Letterman.
While the conflict of interest is obvious, the reason they're so willing to work with the Writers Guild isn't because they're necessarily "writer-friendly," but because they really have nothing to lose.
Who goes on the Internet to listen to the David Letterman show? Not many. So when they say they're willing to work with the WGA, they're not offering any real sacrifice, as a deal which allows residuals for airing of the "Late Show" on the Internet would cost them basically nothing. There wouldn't be any residuals to speak of.
I agree with the statement made by Jesse Hiestand, who is a spokesman for the AMPTP, who commented on the attempt to negotiate individual deals saying:
"This is merely the latest indication that the WGA organizers are grasping for straws and have never had a coherent strategy for engaging in serious negotiations. The AMPTP may have different companies with different assets in different businesses, but they are all unified in one common goal—to reach an agreement with writers that positions everyone in our industry for success in a rapidly changing marketplace."
Even if a couple of small, independent companies like Worldwide Pants goes along with the Guild, it really won't make any difference. Once the vast majority of studios and producers reject it, it will make the Writers Guild look as weak and out of touch with reality as it really is.
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