"What We Have Here Is a Failure to Negotiate"

(With all the best to Frank Pierson and thanks to Jon Avnet)

The latest AMPTP offer, Thursday's "groundbreaking" proposal, certainly wasn't what any of us hoped for. If we assume the AMPTP sincerely wants to end the strike, then everything they've done so far is counter-intuitive. Given the stakes, their behavior is crazy-making. Most members were shocked and demoralized that the offer was so inappropriate.

But when has anyone enjoyed a negotiation?

Personally, I hate negotiating. At first it feels good when I'm thinking about what I want. My mind's racing with the possibilities. But when the process starts and the first counter-offer comes in, I go through the seven stages of grief. If I want a deal that I can live with, I have to tough it out.

Of course the companies are trying to get the cheapest deal they can. Of course they're trying to humiliate us so we'll lose our will and accept their low-ball offer. Of course they'll use everything in their PR arsenal to encircle us with unflattering press.

That's the business of business. We have to take the process in stride.

Not to get all-motivational about it, but both sides are playing for big stakes. We are fighting for the future. That's how they see it too. To get what we want, we have to be determined.

Just like any negotiation, nobody is going to fight our fight for us.

We've got to take care of ourselves.

Going back to the picket line is our opportunity to show the AMPTP that we're in the game. They volleyed, now we'll return.

The AMPTP wants to demoralize the membership with school yard psychological warfare. They want to isolate us and drive us back to our rooms.

The picket line is the antidote to all their manipulation.

With the picket line, we show the corporations that we're not cowed. The picket line is the visible symbol of the membership's determination. The picket line is where we get recharged by walking with other writers and our supporters.

We have strength in numbers. Let's use them.