Clink on this link to endorse Jonathan Fernandez:
Jonathan Fernandez Endorsement 2018
Tuesday, July 10, 2018
Jonathan Fernandez for the WGA Board of Directors 2018 Candidate Statement
Heading into the 2017 contract negotiations, I was writing a
limited series for ABC and a feature film for a Chinese Production company. I
was working hard on projects I loved. Living the dream.
And yet… If you had told me when I started my career that I could
be writing two projects at once and feel financially squeezed, I would have
said, ‘Impossible.’ The Chinese Producers paid me right away. But ABC took six
months to close my deal as they tried to secure the rights to a project they
had told me they already owned.
When I emailed my observations to the co-chairs of the
Negotiating Committee, it struck a nerve with them. It made them understand
what many writers are going through right now. This feeling of, ‘I’m working
hard, my dreams are coming true, and yet… how am I supposed to pay my bills?’
More writers are working now than ever before. Gross
earnings are the highest they’ve ever been. And yet…in many ways, it’s never been harder
for writers to make a living.
Here are my thoughts on the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly in
the Writers Guild today.
THE GOOD
EARNINGS are the
highest they’ve ever been. Peak tv means MORE WRITERS are WORKING than ever
before. That’s fantastic because it means our –
PENSIONS are rock
solid. According to the Federal Government’s auditors, our pension is in the
‘Green Zone.’ The fund has almost full recovered from the 2008 stock market
crash. This is not a lucky fluke – in our last three contract negotiations,
firming up the pension has been a priority. As a Board Member, one question I
am asked over and over again is “Will I get my pension?” The short answer is
“Yes.”
HEALTH CARE costs
are spiraling out of control for all Americans, not just WGA members. While the
Cadillac Tax seems to have mercifully disappeared, it’s an ongoing battle to
maintain our health plan at the levels we have all come to expect and depend
on. Our negotiations were successful in maintaining our health plan. For me,
keeping our health plan strong will always be a top priority.
RESIDUALS. The
exponential growth in the amount of money the Guild collects for our members
from new media continues to prove the importance of the WGA’s focus on that
area, especially with the collapse of the DVD market.
PARENTAL LEAVE. In
2017, the WGA negotiated eight weeks of parental leave for television writers
and writer-producers on staff of episodic series or serials. It’s hard to
believe that in 2017 this still had to be fought for (and it was not an easy win)
or that feature writers still don’t have any rights to time off. But they
don’t. This needs to change.
GLOBAL EARNINGS. I
wrote a screenplay for a Chinese Production company. They paid my full quote.
They flew me to Shenzhen, China. But they have not made my Pension and Health
Contributions. The WGA is trying to collect the money. I have discussed with
David Young the idea that we should create a one-sheet for Foreign Producers in
their native language, explaining what the requirements are for a WGA contract.
Stay tuned.
THE BAD
ANIMATION. Feature
animation writing can be covered under the MBA. Or not. Or both. Yes, really.
Some features start off covered by the MBA and then switch to a non-union
contract. What can you do? First off, ALWAYS send your contract in to the WGA.
It’s a union requirement. Then push your lawyer or your agent to get you a WGA
contract.
RESIDUALS, which
should never be commissioned, average about 2% of a film’s domestic gross. So
the next time you are asked to write a non-union film, think about the 2% you
won’t be earning. Then go back and push for a WGA contract. If your agent or
manager or lawyers wants to commission your residuals, tell them you’ll let
them – as long as they negotiate an overscale residual. Why should they
commission something that the WGA negotiated?
THE 25% PROBLEM. When
I joined the Board of Directors, people would be surprised when I’d talk about
how many members pay 25% of their earnings to their agents, managers, and
lawyers. I often felt like I was the only Board Member who paid this absurd
tax. Today, other Board members echo my concerns and David Young understands how
this is a HUGE problem for our membership. Who earns enough to pay out 25% of
their gross earnings? As member surveys say over and over again, people feel
like they need managers because their agents are not giving them the full
service that they used to receive.
BASIC CABLE PARITY.
It’s getting better. It’s still not great. But the basic cable providers were
given a break to help them get on their feet. They’re all grown up. Time for
the breaks to end.
DIGITAL PARITY. More
people are watching episodes on Netflix, Amazon, and Hulu than many Network
Shows. The WGA has made big strides with APPLE TV. We still have a long way to
go.
CONTINUING EDUCATION.
Everyone in the WGA needs to keep learning. Continuing education is one of
the hidden gems that comes with your WGA membership. Use it.
THE UGLY
And now, I’m sorry to say, the ugly…
DIVERSITY. In a
city that is 50% Latino, the percentage of Latinos in the Writers Guild is
“Statistically Insignificant.” Seriously, that is just ugly. The diversity
committees are doing great work. But they can’t succeed without the help of
showrunners and network executives.
SEXUAL HARASSMENT.
In the WGA, it’s not about Harvey. It’s about other writers. A shockingly high
percentage of our members have been harassed by other members. Education
is part of the solution. But we ALL need to take responsibility for it. If you
see something, you need to speak up. The WGA will be holding a series of Town
Halls and Awareness Seminars. I urge you to attend. Even better, bring a
friend.
I have been a member of the WGA for over twenty years. I
have served on the last three negotiating committees. I have been on the WGA
Board of Directors for the last four.
I am incredibly proud of what our guild has accomplished. It
is far from perfect. There is much more to be done. But in 2018, look around.
Ask yourself if you know anyone with our Health Care or our Pensions or even at
a basic level our ability to determine our credits. I am grateful for all the
benefits and protections the WGA has provided to me and my family. Right now,
our Guild is on an island. We are one of the last strong unions in the United
States. There are no guarantees. Without vigilance, it could all easily disappear.
I humbly ask for your vote. In exchange, I promise to fight
for all writers. I am always open to your thoughts and suggestions. You can
email me at JFERNANDEZ@WGA.ORG.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Jonathan Fernandez
Monday, August 29, 2016
Jonathan Fernandez for the WGA Board List of endorsements
Please join us in re-electing
JONATHAN FERNANDEZ
to the WGA Board of Directors.
A strong voice and an independent thinker on the
current Board of Directors and the last two
Negotiating Committees.
We endorse Jonathan Fernandez.
Christopher Keyser
Former President
Daniel Petrie, Jr.
Former President
Howard Rodman
President
John Wells
Former President
Mara Brock Akil
Board of Directors
Scott Alexander
Board of Directors
Doug Atchison
Diversity Advisory Group
John August
Negotiating Committee
Alfredo Barrios
Former Board of Directors
Andrea Berloff
Board of Directors
John Bowman
Former Board of Directors
John Brancato
Former Board of Directors
Linda Burstyn
Former Board of Directors
Ian Deitchman
Former Board of Directors
Nancy De Los Santos
Former Board of Directors
Daniel Dominguez
Chair, Latino Writers Committee
Carleton Eastlake
Board of Directors
Maria Escobedo
Former Chair, Latino Writers
Dorothy Fontana
Former Board of Directors
Dorothy Fontana
Former Board of Directors
Scott Frank
Former Board of Directors
Katherine Fugate
Board of Directors
Carl Gottlieb
Former Secretary/Treasurer
Mark Gunn
Former Board of Directors
Karen Harris
Former Board of Directors
Damon Lindelof
Negotiating Committee
Craig Mazin
Former Board of Directors
Aaron Mendelsohn
Secretary/Treasurer
Joan Meyerson
Former Board of Directors
Michael Oates Palmer
Board of Directors
Luvh Rakhe
Board of Directors
Billy Ray
Board of Directors
Shawn Ryan
Board of Directors
Ari Rubin
Board of Directors
Thania St. John
Former Board of Directors
Robin Schiff
Former Board of Directors
Tom Schulman
Former Vice President
Mike Scully
Negotiating Committee
Greg Strangis
Former Board of Directors
Micah Wright
Negotiating Committee
Nicole Yorkin
Negotiating Committee
Giselle Achecar
Cameron Alexander
Eli Attie
Fax Bahr
David Berenbaum
Dan Berendsen
Michael Borkow
Aline Brosh McKenna
Jeffrey Brown
Allison Burnett
Alessandro Camon
Stan Chervin
John Claflin
David X. Cohen
Ed Decter
Lindsay Devlin
Susan Dickes
David DiGilio
Mark Fergus
Joel Fields
Jason Filardi
Peter Filardi
Jacob Forman
Andrew Goldberg
Claudia Grazioso
Cole Haddon
Phil Hay
Mark Hentemann
Joel Hurwitz
David Israel
Leigh Dana Jackson
Karen Janszen
Michael Karnow
James Kelly
Young Kim
Jan Kimbrough
Seth Kurland
Andrew Lanham
Meg LeFauve
Chris Levinson
Steve Lichtman
Thomas Lynch
Antonio Macia
Matthew Manfredi
Rick Marin
Justin Marks
Bisanne Masoud
Ian Maxtone-Graham
Steve Mazur
Bruce McKenna
Diana Mendez
Nancy Miller
Jonathan Mostow
Chris Morgan
Peter Murrieta
Jeffrey Nachmanoff
Daniel O’Keefe
Jack Olsen
Lara Olsen
John Orloff
Ryan Paige
Jonas Pate
Sherman Payne
Jeff Rake
Mike Reiss
Austin Reynolds
Cynthia Riddle
Ray Romano
Michael Ross
Matthew Sand
Barry Schkolnick
Al Septien
Jon Sherman
Kat Smith
Gianna Sobol
Elena Song
Malcolm Spellman
Joel Stein
Lindsay Sturman
Adam Sussman
Anna Thomas
Michael Urban
Jed Weintrob
David Weissman
Jesse Wigutow
Alexis Wilkinson
Roger Wolfson
Jonathan Fernandez 2016 WGA Candidate Statement
Two years after the film I wrote was released, the green envelopes stopped arriving in my
mailbox. I went to the WGA website and looked up my residuals. The website offers a
powerful tool. You can check your payments by year, by project, by source of revenue –
DVDs, streaming, domestic tv.
Scrolling through my payments for Rob the Mob, I saw that my foreign television residuals were... zero.
If I had earned just a nickel, I would have let it go. But could the film really not have had one single foreign tv sale? It seemed unlikely. So dear reader...
I called the Guild.
Amy McGill, a Residuals Collections Administrator at the WGA, said yes, zero foreign tv sales seemed improbable. She said I had called at the perfect time. Two years after the release there were still revenues coming in. If I had waited another year, the cash would have slowed to a trickle and there would be no recourse. Amy called the producers. And suddenly –
I started receiving checks.
At a Board Meeting a few weeks later, Chuck Slocum made a presentation about the improvements to the Guild’s website. I thought about my nonexistent foreign tv residuals and I asked Chuck, “Can this be done automatically? Is there a way to scan EVERY film and look for anomalies – not just zero balances but residuals that seem way too low for what they should be. Could the Guild do this for every member?” And Chuck said...
“Yes.”
I am a current Board member running for re-election. I ran last time because I believe middle-class writers needed a voice on the Board. In the last two years, I have used my personal experiences to advocate for all writers.
On the last negotiating committee, David Young asked what could be done for screenwriters. I said double the script fees from $5,000 to $10,000. We bargained for it. We got it.
This election matters. This Board will lead the WGA into the 2017 negotiations. There is much work to be done. Here are my priorities:
RAISE MINIMUMS. Minimums affect us all. They set the bar for our earnings in everything from per episode fees to residuals.
SECURE OUR HEALTH CARE. Obamacare has done many great things for many people in our country. It also has had some not so great things for our health plan. By increasing the dependent coverage age to 26, the Guild suddenly has a lot more people on our rolls. By guaranteeing mental health parity (something I think is great) our expenses in that category have gone up by over 80%.
Scrolling through my payments for Rob the Mob, I saw that my foreign television residuals were... zero.
If I had earned just a nickel, I would have let it go. But could the film really not have had one single foreign tv sale? It seemed unlikely. So dear reader...
I called the Guild.
Amy McGill, a Residuals Collections Administrator at the WGA, said yes, zero foreign tv sales seemed improbable. She said I had called at the perfect time. Two years after the release there were still revenues coming in. If I had waited another year, the cash would have slowed to a trickle and there would be no recourse. Amy called the producers. And suddenly –
I started receiving checks.
At a Board Meeting a few weeks later, Chuck Slocum made a presentation about the improvements to the Guild’s website. I thought about my nonexistent foreign tv residuals and I asked Chuck, “Can this be done automatically? Is there a way to scan EVERY film and look for anomalies – not just zero balances but residuals that seem way too low for what they should be. Could the Guild do this for every member?” And Chuck said...
“Yes.”
I am a current Board member running for re-election. I ran last time because I believe middle-class writers needed a voice on the Board. In the last two years, I have used my personal experiences to advocate for all writers.
On the last negotiating committee, David Young asked what could be done for screenwriters. I said double the script fees from $5,000 to $10,000. We bargained for it. We got it.
This election matters. This Board will lead the WGA into the 2017 negotiations. There is much work to be done. Here are my priorities:
RAISE MINIMUMS. Minimums affect us all. They set the bar for our earnings in everything from per episode fees to residuals.
SECURE OUR HEALTH CARE. Obamacare has done many great things for many people in our country. It also has had some not so great things for our health plan. By increasing the dependent coverage age to 26, the Guild suddenly has a lot more people on our rolls. By guaranteeing mental health parity (something I think is great) our expenses in that category have gone up by over 80%.
There are a few ways to solve this problem. Cutting our benefits. Increasing the fees our
members pay. Looking for places to reduce costs. Or increasing employer contributions.
The six major media companies posted a record $49 billion in profits last year. A fraction
of one percent of those profits would put the plan in the black. Problem solved.
PENSIONS. After diverting funds from the last negotiations and with the help of the stock market recovering after the 2008 crash, our plan is back in the green zone. Let’s keep it there.
COMMUNICATION. Most retirement plans have a penalty for retiring early. Ours doesn’t. Did you know that? I didn’t. There’s lots of information (and more dangerously mis-information) out there about the health and pension plans. While the Board doesn’t directly control the Pension and Health Plans it does have influence. The Plan needs to keep members better informed.
DIVERSITY. Do you know how many WGA members are Latino? Statistically insignificant. In a city that is 50% Latino, the number of Latinos in the WGA doesn’t hit 1%. And the number of African-Americans and Asians isn’t much better. What can be done? Well, I can tell you what is being done.
ACCESS. The Latino Writers Committee, under the amazing leadership of outgoing chair Maria Escobedo and incoming chair Daniel Dominguez and Vice Chair Evette Vargas, has led a series of mixers to put Latino writers in front of showrunners, executives, and producers. The programs have been a huge success. Working with Tery Lopez, we have created a system that can now be used by all the diversity committees.
CONTINUING EDUCATION. Our strongest asset is our members. Our members can effect change in a way that no other group can. Carleton Eastlake has run seminars on financial planning for writers. Billy Ray and Craig Mazin have run great mini-courses for screenwriters. If you haven’t taken one, you should. If you have something to teach other members, speak to the Guild and set one up.
The Guild needs to promote GLOBAL EMPLOYMENT. Wherever a member works – the Guild should be right there with them. Increasingly, our members are working for foreign-based entities. WGA writers need to be guaranteed WGA wages wherever they work.
BASIC CABLE PARITY. There’s no excuse that writers on basic cable shows aren’t paid the same as network writers. This was a break that cable networks were given to help them get started. It’s been forty years. They’re started. This negotiation cycle this issue needs to be settled.
PENSIONS. After diverting funds from the last negotiations and with the help of the stock market recovering after the 2008 crash, our plan is back in the green zone. Let’s keep it there.
COMMUNICATION. Most retirement plans have a penalty for retiring early. Ours doesn’t. Did you know that? I didn’t. There’s lots of information (and more dangerously mis-information) out there about the health and pension plans. While the Board doesn’t directly control the Pension and Health Plans it does have influence. The Plan needs to keep members better informed.
DIVERSITY. Do you know how many WGA members are Latino? Statistically insignificant. In a city that is 50% Latino, the number of Latinos in the WGA doesn’t hit 1%. And the number of African-Americans and Asians isn’t much better. What can be done? Well, I can tell you what is being done.
ACCESS. The Latino Writers Committee, under the amazing leadership of outgoing chair Maria Escobedo and incoming chair Daniel Dominguez and Vice Chair Evette Vargas, has led a series of mixers to put Latino writers in front of showrunners, executives, and producers. The programs have been a huge success. Working with Tery Lopez, we have created a system that can now be used by all the diversity committees.
CONTINUING EDUCATION. Our strongest asset is our members. Our members can effect change in a way that no other group can. Carleton Eastlake has run seminars on financial planning for writers. Billy Ray and Craig Mazin have run great mini-courses for screenwriters. If you haven’t taken one, you should. If you have something to teach other members, speak to the Guild and set one up.
The Guild needs to promote GLOBAL EMPLOYMENT. Wherever a member works – the Guild should be right there with them. Increasingly, our members are working for foreign-based entities. WGA writers need to be guaranteed WGA wages wherever they work.
BASIC CABLE PARITY. There’s no excuse that writers on basic cable shows aren’t paid the same as network writers. This was a break that cable networks were given to help them get started. It’s been forty years. They’re started. This negotiation cycle this issue needs to be settled.
The 25% QUESTION. When I started in Hollywood, my agents at ICM negotiated my
deals and did the legal work all for a 10% commission. Twenty years later, I still pay my
agents 10% but now I also pay my attorney a 5% fee and my manager a 10% fee. I don’t
know too many writers who can afford to give away 25% of their income and yet... many
of us do. I don’t know the answer to this question but I think it’s something we all need to
discuss.
I have worked in Hollywood for over twenty-five years. I started as Roger Corman’s assistant, answering his telephones and bailing his dog out of the Santa Monica Pound. The first feature I wrote predicted the downfall of the Soviet Union. NPR and CNN interviewed me wanting to know how I predicted in a Corman movie something that the CIA had missed. I’ve produced movies for Dino de Laurentiis and spent many years working as a film executive. My childhood dream came true when I wrote for Star Trek: Enterprise. I am a Harvard graduate who worked in Argentina as a reporter for the Associated Press.
I am not the richest writer in the Guild. But I am a working writer, who has had many good years and a few horrible ones. As so many of us have over the last few years, I have been forced to re-invent myself.
I started off as a tv movie writer (I predicted the end of the world in Y2K.). I have written on staff as a television writer, I have written pilots for networks and basic cable. I have written features for the major studios. My last film was a New York Indie. And now I am writing an eight-episode limited series for ABC. It makes me laugh because ‘limited series’ sounds so fancy – but really, I’m just back where I started writing tv movies.
I humbly ask for your vote. In exchange, I promise to fight for all writers.
I have worked in Hollywood for over twenty-five years. I started as Roger Corman’s assistant, answering his telephones and bailing his dog out of the Santa Monica Pound. The first feature I wrote predicted the downfall of the Soviet Union. NPR and CNN interviewed me wanting to know how I predicted in a Corman movie something that the CIA had missed. I’ve produced movies for Dino de Laurentiis and spent many years working as a film executive. My childhood dream came true when I wrote for Star Trek: Enterprise. I am a Harvard graduate who worked in Argentina as a reporter for the Associated Press.
I am not the richest writer in the Guild. But I am a working writer, who has had many good years and a few horrible ones. As so many of us have over the last few years, I have been forced to re-invent myself.
I started off as a tv movie writer (I predicted the end of the world in Y2K.). I have written on staff as a television writer, I have written pilots for networks and basic cable. I have written features for the major studios. My last film was a New York Indie. And now I am writing an eight-episode limited series for ABC. It makes me laugh because ‘limited series’ sounds so fancy – but really, I’m just back where I started writing tv movies.
I humbly ask for your vote. In exchange, I promise to fight for all writers.
Tuesday, August 12, 2014
Check out who's supporting Jonathan Fernandez for the WGA Board of Directors!!
JONATHAN
FERNANDEZ
will offer a fresh and positive
perspective to the WGA Board of Directors.
He will work hard to protect
the rights of all writers in a changing media landscape.
He was a strong and independent
voice on the last two Negotiating Committees.
Please join us in supporting
Jonathan.
Christopher Keyser
President
Daniel Petrie, Jr.
Former President
Patric M. Verrone
Former President
John Wells
Former President
Past Officers and Negotiating Committee Members
Past Officers and Negotiating Committee Members
John Aboud
Board of Directors
Alfredo Barrios
Board of Directors
John Bowman
Former Board of Directors
John Brancato
Former Board of Directors
Ian Deitchman
Former Board of Directors
Nancy De Los Santos
Former Board of Directors
Carleton Eastlake
Board of Directors
Scott Frank
Former Board of Directors
David Goyer
Board of Directors
Damon Lindelof
Negotiating Committee
Carol Mendelsohn
Negotiating Committee
Billy Ray
Board of Directors
Howard A. Rodman
Vice President
Ari B. Rubin
Board of Directors
Thania St. John
Board of Directors
Robin Schiff
Former Board of Directors
Tom Schulman
Former Vice President
Mike Scully
Negotiating Committee
Greg Strangis
Former Board of Directors
David Weiss
Former Vice President
Micah Wright
Negotiating Committee
Nicole Yorkin
Negotiating Committee
JONATHAN
FERNANDEZ
will offer a fresh and positive
perspective to the WGA Board of Directors.
He will work hard to protect
the rights of all writers in a changing media landscape.
He was a strong and independent
voice on the last two Negotiating Committees.
Please join us in supporting
Jonathan.
Giselle Achecar
Cameron Alexander
Jane Anderson
Eli Attie
Fax Bahr
Alan Ball
Dan Berendsen
Michael Borkow
Michael Brandt
Aline Brosh McKenna
Allison Burnett
Dana Calvo
Alessandro Camon
David X. Cohen
Rick Dahl
David Diamond
Susan Dickes
David Digilio
James Duff
Guy Endore-Kaiser
Maria Escobedo
Jon Feldman
Mark Fergus
Jason Filardi
Peter Filardi
Mitch Glazer
Andrew Goldberg
Claudia Grazioso
Phil Hay
Mark Hentemann
John Hlavin
Joel Hurwitz
David Israel
Leigh Dana Jackson
James H. Kelly
Lance Khazei
Simon Kinberg
Seth Kurland
Andrew Lanham
Margaret LeFauve
Jennifer Jason Leigh
Luisa Leschin
Chris Levinson
Gordon Lewis
Steve Lichtman
Stephanie Liss
Justin W. Lo
Justin Marks
Dan Mazeau
Ian Maxtone-Graham
Bruce McKenna
Nancy Miller
Geoff Moore
Chris Morgan
John Morgan
Jonathan Mostow
Henry Myers
Jeffrey Nachmanoff
Jack Olsen
Lara Olsen
John Orloff
Ryan Paige
Mike Palleschi
Jonas Pate
Sherman Payne
Mark Perez
Mitchell Pross
Jeff Rake
Joe Reinkemeyer
Mike Reiss
Kristin Robinson
Alvaro Rodriguez
Ray Romano
Michael Ross
Matthew Sand
Beth Schacter
Barry Schkolnick
Diane Sherer
Jon Sherman
Kat Smith
Elena Song
Holly Sorensen
Dan Sturman
Lindsay Sturman
Adam Sussman
Barbara Turner
Irene Turner
Ligiah Villalobos
Jed Weintrob
David Weissman
Cormac Wibberley
Marianne Wibberley
Maiya Williams
Roger Wolfson
David Wyatt
David
Zuckerman
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