Support the Strike

The boards of both American Guilds (East and West) have officially accepted the recommendation of their negotiating committee and approved a strike of their members against the member companies of the Association of Motion Picture and Television Producers commencing at 12.01am on Monday morning the 5th November 2007 (8.01am our time).

The Chairperson of Irish Playwrights & Screenwriters Guild, Audrey O'Reilly, has written to the Chairs of both American Guilds expressing the Guild's complete support for its colleagues in the United States and its admiration of their determined fight for principles that are essential to all writers, not just the members of the American guild. As you will know from the media the position adopted by the producers in their negotiations with the Guild was extraordinarily aggressive from the beginning. Their intention is clearly to ensure that income from internet distribution will not be shared with the creators of the content that they distribute.

This issue is remote from the day to day life of most writers but in fact it is the key issue for the future. We are fortunate to have the Writers Guild of America so determinedly fighting for this base-line principle on behalf of all writers.

The IPSG is a member of the International Affiliation of Writers Guilds. The members of the IAWG have agreed "To the greatest extent permitted by contract and law to honor work stoppages, publicize information about work stoppages to their respective memberships, and to lend all aid possible to each other in support of negotiating goals."

Consequently the IPSG requests members of the Irish Guild, and Irish writers in general, not to accept work from any member companies of the AMPTP for the duration of the strike.

Members of the IPSG and Irish writers in general should be aware of Rule 13 of the WGA Strike Rules which states:

"The Guild (WGA) does not have the authority to discipline non members for strike breaking and/or scab writing. However, the Guild can and will bar that writer from future Guild membership. This policy has been strictly enforced in the past and has resulted in convincing many would be strike breakers to refrain from seriously harming the Guild and its members during a strike."

As Bernie Corbett, General Secretary of the Writers' Guild of Great Britain put it in a statement to British writers: "Strikebreaking would have a devastating long-term effect on a writers' US career."

How can you help? We will be distributing a letter for signature at the ZeBBie awards on Tuesday which you can sign. As the strike progresses we may also be seeking your support for our American colleagues fight in other ways.

Success for the Writers Guild of America is a prerequisite for us to be able eventually to share in the economic life of the content we create. A victory for them will be a victory for us.

Any member of the IPSG with a specific question should contact David Kavanagh at the Guild office.