WWE does not pay residuals to RAW and SMACKDOWN writers

[Jello Biafra]

Not sure how they get away with being a non-union shop when they are broadcast TV shows with full writing rooms.

Even if they try to say they are reality TV shows they still have credited writers and reality TV writers are covered by the Writers Guild of America.

Having not only SAG but WGA start to come for WWE's neck is going to end up being a disaster for Vince.

 

[Vice Queen]

Ah yes, this is something I was wondering about as well.


Disaster long waiting to happen, no wonder Patrice didn't give a fukk.

 

[Mike the Executioner]

A while ago, I said that the only reason WWE (Vince, basically) gets away with a lot of their bullshyt is because wrestling isn't nearly as popular as it used to be. And there are still gatekeepers that are focused on protecting the business, no matter what.

These next couple years, we're going to see what happens when people begin breaking the doors down and holding the company accountable.

 

[Jello Biafra]

Ah yes, this is something I was wondering about as well.


Disaster long waiting to happen, no wonder Patrice didn't give a fukk.

I foresee Vince having to end his long held fantasy that he is putting on a serialized TV show and get rid of his writer's room. He'll just be handing wrestlers post-it notes of what he wants them to say right before sending them out on camera.

 

[Norrin Radd]

Yeah, nobody (outside of the business and with power) cares about wrestling enough to actually try and change things.

 

[NYChase718]

Is that picture the writing team
They look like a bunch of out of touch geeks

 

[Hey_zeus]

Yeah, nobody (outside of the business and with power) cares about wrestling enough to actually try and change things.

Yeah otherwise it would be under fire like the rideshare business.

 

[stro]

I hadn't thought of this before but it made sense in a pre-Network era where the shows never replayed anyway, but writers never getting any residuals from merch with catchphrases they came up with is pretty fukk. I could swear Rock used to give part of his merch money to Brian Gewirtz. I don't know how the writers aren't union, though. They're not independent contractors. All those office people are "actual" employees with insurance and benefits and all that.

 

[Vice Queen]

I hadn't thought of this before but it made sense in a pre-Network era where the shows never replayed anyway, but writers never getting any residuals from merch with catchphrases they came up with is pretty fukk. I could swear Rock used to give part of his merch money to Brian Gewirtz. I don't know how the writers aren't union, though. They're not independent contractors. All those office people are "actual" employees with insurance and benefits and all that.

That also answers my further question about WWE Films. If they not giving their show writers union benefits then I know their movie sets aren't unionized.

 

[JerseyBoy23]

Figured this after Jim Johnston admitted he didn't get any residuals. Wrestling is in that sweet spot where even though they admit it's scripted, the show is produced like it's an actual sports production so they don't have to run credits.

At the same time, I'm sure the fact that they don't get residuals is in the contract so ultimately, it's up to the person whether they accept the terms.

 

[prophecypro]

A while ago, I said that the only reason WWE (Vince, basically) gets away with a lot of their bullshyt is because wrestling isn't nearly as popular as it used to be. And there are still gatekeepers that are focused on protecting the business, no matter what.

These next couple years, we're going to see what happens when people begin breaking the doors down and holding the company accountable.

To that point, I always felt like part the reason they get away is the general public has either sadly accepted the stereotype that its a carny industry and the few businesses that chose to work with them do it out of nostaglic reasons

 

[Cartier Murphy]

What a fukked up company to work for

 

[PortCityProphet]

Nobody pimps their employees like Vince McMahon.
And you still got people dying to work for him. Wrestlers don't get insurance or travel expenses, writers don't get credits or residuals.
Wouldn't surprise me if he got kids out there putting the ring together and stringing lights cause they cheap labor.

That dude is a bonafide slave driver

 

[Legal]

Not surprised by this at all. They have no revenue sharing whatsoever on their TV deals, and give their talent less than five percent of their merch income. fukk would they be giving credits and royalties to writers for?

 

[jwinfield]

And on top of that, they stay up all night writing shyt, just for Vince to bush it thirty minutes before the show