Writers at Comedy Central reach a landmark deal

[Omaha Steve]

http://unionreview.com/writers-comedy-central-reach-landmark-deal

Writers at Comedy Central reach a landmark deal

Submitted by Richard on Mon, 06/25/2007 - 10:53am.

With the Employee Free Choice Act potentially going to vote this week and numerous attempts to squelch workers' voices exercising their right for better wages and a fair contract, it is critical to look at (and applaud) our successes as well.

One of those successes is with the team of writers that make America laugh. On June 19th a landmark deal was reached between Viacom's Comedy Central and Writers Guild East and Writers Guild West.

According to a press statement, the deal covers writers of four of the network's top shows, including The Sarah Silverman Program, Mind of Mencia, The Showbiz Show with David Spade, and American Body Shop.

In the negotiated agreements, more than 30 writers for the Comedy Central Network will receive Writers Guild compensation levels, pension and health benefits, credits, and a residual formula for reuse (including DVD, basic cable, and Internet).

"I'm so proud to be one of the writers who stood together to demand fair and just treatment," said Jeff Schimmel, a supervising producer of Mind of Mencia. "I feel good about what we were able to accomplish not just for us but for the Comedy Central writers I've never met, who in the future will also benefit from our efforts."

Writers of Comedy Central's New York-based hits The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and The Colbert Report won WGA contracts earlier this year. With the new contracts, the WGA now covers every live action show currently in production on Comedy Central.

FULL story at link.

[Ian David]

1. Meanwhile, the writers of "Stella" and "Freak Show" and "Naked Trucker" will be publicly flogged.n/t

[TlalocW]

2. Can part of the deal be that

Carlos Mencia stops stealing other comics' jokes and stops thinking he's topical because he says, "Beaner," a lot?

TlalocW