Dear Writers Guild of America Strike Committee,
You have requested that we writers report any incident of STRIKE BREAKING OR SCAB WRITING for investigation by the Strike Rules Compliance Committee (SRCC).
"(The SRCC's) mission is to discourage violations of the Guild's Strike Rules by investigating allegations that writers are undermining our strike efforts by engaging in strike-breaking activities or scab writing and, in appropriate instances, by recommending action against such writers. By doing so, we hope first and foremost to discourage such writers from breaking the Strike Rules."And that is just what I hope to now. As a WGA member I have had to suffer the slings and arrows of our strike as well as the unemployment it brings. Then again, for me, these problems aren't necessarily limited to the strike. But I digress... I certainly don't mind walking the picket line here in Philadelphia - which is very lonely (pretty much just me and M. Night) - but why must I defend our rights, but you let bigwigs like Bill O'Reilly stay on the job with no sacrifice nor retribution? Last night during the O'Reilly Factor mail segment, in response to a letter-writer who said that the WGA strike had affected the caliber of the show, Bill explained he was the sole writer of the show. That, of course, explains the quality of the writing, but it doesn't explain how he is allowed to continue writing the show. I'm not sure if he is a paid up WGA-ite, but he should be. In the very least he should honor the strike. First of all, there is the matter of "Those Who Trespass," the classy O'Reilly novel that Bill sold to WGA member Mel Gibson. The sale to a WGA signatory production company had to fall under WGA precepts and, in affect, brought Mr. O'Reilly into the WGA fold. If not the fold, at least near enough to benefit from the minimums the WGA has fought and died for.* Secondly and most important, the WGA strike affects those writing television fictional drama and comedy. Certainly judging which of the two Bill's work falls under might be in question, but that he serves up plenty of fiction is not. That in itself should fall under Guild jurisdiction. Whether Fox News is a signatory network shouldn't be of matter. Fox TV is and that's Murdoch-close enough for me. And if I can't watch "The Daily Show," the Folks „ shouldn't be able to watch "The Factor." We cannot stand by and let Scab O'Reilly get away with continuing to sell Factor Gear on the backs of the striking writers' efforts he has profited from. The WGA must call for him to cease and desist. In addition, every WGA writer should contact the SRCC or call the WGAW STRIKE TIP HOTLINE at (323) 782-4898 to report O'Reilly. Whether fictional news is on the Comedy Channel or Fox News, it cannot continue during the strike. *If not dying, certainly the fair-skin of most of us has suffered while picketing under the CA sun. Melanoma is not funny, no matter who wrote it. Disclaimer: WGA member, Steve Young, is author of "Great Failures of the Extremely Successful" (www.greatfailure.com) and his "All The News That's Fit To Spoof" appears in L.A. Daily News opeds every Sunday(www.dailynews.com/columnists), right next to Bill's...really
