How the AMPTP uses partial knowledge to increase public pressure and why it’s failing.
108 days in total so far. The WGA and the AMPTP are still apart on a deal, but negotiations are ongoing. That said, the AMPTP has indeed brought new contracts to the table, and the WGA said no. So what did the studios do?
They released details on the contract, which can be found here:
https://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/23924192/amptp-press-release-2023-08-22.pdf
This is not a reported contract, this is what the AMPTP released to the public. The historic wage increases, the significantly higher compensation, and the required employment in the writer’s rooms. This contract is historic! It’s unprecedented! The WGA would be STUPID to turn it down!!
I choose not to be subtle with my sarcasm because the AMPTP is not subtle about its manipulation. If writers ever needed a reason to justify a collegiate pathway or to read, this is it. Specifically with logic and reasoning.
To be simple, this is what they call a “straw man fallacy”. If you can’t beat someone’s argument flat out, take a portion of their argument blow it out of proportion, and beat their bastardized argument. This does not make your argument right, it just destroys a portion that wasn’t put in context.
Here’s what the AMPTP did: They changed their language with victorious words, showed the immensity of the money and the forward-thinking, and showed that a sane person wouldn’t turn this down. Then released this to the public. The public should know how delusional the writers are for turning down such an amazing deal.
There are two problems they didn’t see coming: The people are wise to their tricks, and writers can respond. The public has seen and heard what the AMPTP has done and is planning, so they take it with a grain of salt. At the same time, they ask what does it mean for several key issues. The writer’s room is still too small. Though the AI-generated scripts aren’t from “writers”, what does that mean to completely eliminate it from the industry? Wording something to sound great doesn’t make it great.
In any negotiation, there will always be a loophole to exploit. This is why negotiators and wording is important because it helps one see what the hidden meaning can be. Just because there isn’t a trapdoor doesn’t mean that the rug isn’t hiding a pit full of snakes.
The AMPTP is doing exactly what any company would do in negotiations. They want to make a deal that benefits them. The WGA wants a deal that benefits them. Somewhere between the two is a deal both sides can be happy with. It’s not a matter of if, but when.