The facts, the law, and the pounding of tables

by Dante Atkins (hekebolos) [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

Full disclosure: I was on an official contract with the WGA, and continue to work unofficially with the crew at United Hollywood.

So, the AMPTP walked out of negotiations in what seems overwhelmingly like a pre-prepared cynical ploy, given the fact that the corporations had a press release ready for submission no more than 20 minutes after they walked out of the talks.

Well, in response to the AMPTP breaking off talks, the WGA is filing a complaint with the NLRB asserting unfair labor practices by the AMPTP--namely, refusal to negotiate in good faith.

And the AMPTP has responded with the following little snippet, under the direction of their Union Buster-in-chief, Chris Lehane:

The WGA's filing of a complaint with the NLRB reminds us of the old lawyers' adage: When the facts are on your side, argue the facts. When the law is on your side, argue the law. And when you don't have either the law or the facts on your side, you pound the table. The WGA has now been reduced to pounding the table, and this baseless, desperate NLRB complaint is just the latest indication that the WGA's negotiating strategy has achieved nothing for working writers.

Well, let's talk about the facts and the law.  The facts are as stated: the AMPTP broke off talks unilaterally while the WGA has remained at the table.  And the law says that both management and labor have a duty to negotiate in good faith.

So, given the fact that both the law and the facts are on the side of the WGA, the people that are resorting to pounding the table are the execs at the AMPTP, with the pounding carefully orchestrated by formerly Democratic hack Chris Lehane.