How does a neutral observer square “more WGA progress” and “things are looking very good” (posted two days ago by the WGA-friendly Nikki Finke) with Michael Ceiply‘s 1.31 N.Y. Times report about Phil Alden Robinson‘s United Hollywood 1.29 post saying the DGA deal is wrong for the WGA and calling for a toughened bargaining position?
I’m not getting a conciliatory let’s-build-upon-the-DGA deal, things-are-starting- to-coalesce vibe at all. (Consider also this Alan Rosenberg/Doug Allen letter to SAG membership letter.) Feels like the same-old digging in the heels. Ceiply concludes with a paragraph that says that Robinson and Jeff Hermanson, the writers√ɬ¢√¢‚Äö¬¨√¢‚Äû¬¢ strike coordinator, recently met with Academy chiefs “to hear their case for allowing the Oscar ceremony to proceed without interference by strikers. The guild officials told academy leaders they believed the strike might be settled by 2.24, when the ceremony is scheduled for broadcast by ABC. If not, they said the ceremony would be picketed.”