The Writers Guild of America has reached an agreement with the NAACP to
allow the 39th Annual Image Awards to air, as the 50th Grammy Awards are
threatened to be cancelled, and the Oscars hang in the balance.
WGA
expressed that the NAACP works towards the advancement of people, just
like them. Yesterday, the president of WGA announced that he and his union approved an interim agreement with the NAACP.
Meanwhile, the American Federation of Musicians, which protects the
rights of recording artists, and the American Federation of Television
and Radio Artists, a labor union that represents entertainment
performers and media, are fighting for their own award show airtime. Both groups
control the talent that appears at the annual Grammy Awards.
John Cossette Productions, Inc., the Grammys production company, has
sent in a letter to the WGA to convince them to sign a similar agreement
as that of the NAACP— to allow the Grammy Awards to air at its scheduled
date of February 10. The AFM and AFTRA, many of whose members perform
annually at the Grammys, has been making pleas from the sidelines.
"In light of the news that the producer of the GRAMMY Awards has made a
firm offer to the WGA, AFM and AFTRA strongly urge all of our members to
support the important work of The Recording Academy by participating in
the GRAMMY events,” the AFM and AFTRA said in a statement released
yesterday. “We also strongly encourage all participating union members
to express support for our ongoing efforts to ensure that musical
artists and creative talent receive fair compensation for their work in
digital media,” they continued, “as well as support for our brothers and
sisters in the WGA."
AFTRA have been in negotiations with other major record labels, to
ensure background singers start being paid fairly from digital downloads
and receive fair benefits. But according to the Globe and Mail, WGA has
refused to grant CBS a waiver, if requested, to air the Grammys.
Members of the Academy are confident that the Oscars will still go on.
"We will have a show on Feb. 24 with 3,300 people in the Kodak Theatre,"
Leslie Unger, an academy spokeswoman, told the press recently. But
according to Patric M. Verrone, president of the WGA, there won’t be an
Academy Awards on his watch.
Yesterday, WGA held a press conference in Los Angeles, where Verrone
reiterated that WGA has decided against granting the Academy Awards
approval to air. Earlier this month, the Golden Globes lost their battle
with the WGA, and were scaled back to a mere press conference after fear
of protesters showing up to the usually lavish gala.
The Writers Guild of America strike started November of last year.
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