Earlier this month, Late Night With David Letterman Musical Director Paul Shaffer showed up on the picket line to pump up striking members of the Writers Guild. Here's his pep talk, courtesy of the LateShowWritersOnStrike blog:"I am happy to be here. I support you. You people are show business. And if I may, I have a personal message for the AMPTP: I can accept your unchecked avarice at the expense of the creative community. I can deal with your petty and juvenile half-truths and your dime store manipulations of the collective bargaining process. I can set my watch by your bullying, which comes with the frequency of a bodily function. But when you hold my daytime dramas, my stories, my soap operas if you will, hostage, when you f**k with The Young and the Restless, you f**k with Paul Shaffer. And that, my friends, is a fight you cannot win.
Thank you, and God Bless the Writers Guild of America."
I hope you're taking notes, Randi.
POSTSCRIPT: Word tonight is that David Letterman has negotiated a settlement with the Writers Guild that will allow him to go back on the air in early January with a full complement of writers.
Letterman, a strong supporter of the writers union, has been paying staff for both the Late Show and the Late Late Show as well as rent for the Ed Sullivan Theater and insurance for all of his employees while the strike has been ongoing.
Because he owns his own production company and is union-friendly, the Writers Guild is prepared to grant Letterman an interim agreement and allow him back on the air.
It's good to see David Letterman appreciates the contributions of his writing staff and understands the importance of unions and collective bargaining.
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