International Outsourcing to Evade the Strike

NBC is planning to run shows produced overseas, written by non-WGA writers, reports the Wall Street Journal. This is in addition to NBC's and CBS's plans to re-cut, then rerun, shows from their sister cable networks.

This makes it all the more important that the WGA hold firm on its little-discussed "Industry Standards" proposal. That proposal would require that all subcontracting by signatory companies be subject to the terms of the MBA (the Guild agreement with the companies), which would discourage such subcontracting.

However, since the guild agreement has expired, this provision would do nothing to prevent such subcontracting now, so far as I know. Hopefully, the Guild-organized solidarity marches last month will discourage such writing.