Pay Cuts And Layoffs At Major Agencies

I’ve been saying repeatedly that the WGA strike is hurting all the agencies, even the major tenpercenteries. A day doesn’t go by when I don’t hear doom and gloom predictions from the Big Six. Four agents at ICM today were placed on strike pay, which means they’re still part of the company but aren’t allowed to come into the building to work, and the high-salaried tenpercenters and executives are experiencing pay cuts. All UTA agents making more than 100K are getting a 20% pay cut. (Agents there claim it’s a voluntary reduction, but they never get it back.) This is weeks and weeks after many big agencies have mandated the assistants  come to work only at 9:30 AM, take an hour lunch, vacate the office at 6:30 PM and have the option to cash-out unused vacation days (but only up to 5 days worth). Meanwhile, Endeavior’s Ari Emanuel slipped away to New Hampshire to support Barack Obama for the primary. (Now you know things are dead at the tenpercenteries, except for reality show orders.) Hmm, it’s been months since I’ve heard of the major agencies splurging on food for the picket lines… (Photo, agents watching WGA picket line, by Jim Stevenson)

1. How Many Agencies Does It Take To Get Screwed By A Writers Strike? All Of ‘Em
2. Cheerio, CAA!
3. Olé CAA!
4. Winners: Endeavor Agent Caption Contest