Late Night Shows Lead Way To Breaking Writers Union

They are trying their best to put a good face on it but Leno, Letterman, and O'Brien have led the charge to break the Writers Guild of America (WGA). AAEA-Hollywood previously reported ("Hollywood Producers Are Out To Break Writers Union") that the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) is out to break the writer's union. The surrender by the late night shows, regardless of special deals, signals the beginning of the end for the writers. And the writers have reason to worry because once they are broken, every waiter and waitress in L.A. are actors and writers on the side. The AMPTP is just bidding their time to replace WGA union writers with hungry nonunion restaurant help. Note the facts below.

Jay Leno's "The Tonight Show," is owned by corporate giant NBC Universal and General Electric. They have to be delighted that the union blinked. Yet Leno returned without writers stating that the 19 on his show were putting 160 other employees out of work. Conan O'Brien, whose show "Late Night" is also owned by NBC Universal, also returned writerless. Go click on the AMPTP site to see the money being lost because of the strike.

David Letterman produces and owns his CBS late-night show, Worldwide Pants, worked out his own agreement with the Writers Guild of America so that Dave and his writers could return with no picketing of the show. Another huge blink. Craig Ferguson's, "Late Show," which follows Letterman on CBS and is owned by Letterman's company, was back with its staff of writers intact. And what about Letterman's staff's website http://www.lateshowwritersonstrike.com/, which is maintained by Letterman's staff instead of the writers? Another strike breaker asterisk in our opinion. (More: The Washington Post)