NLRB sides with writers in Webisode matter

LOS ANGELES, Calif., Aug. 9 (UPI) -- The U.S. National Labor Relations Board agreed with the Writers Guild of America's arguments and dismissed an unfair labor practice complaint about Webisodes.

Brought by NBC/Universal Television, the complaint alleged that WGA-West in Los Angeles unlawfully pressured "show-runners" -- people who oversee day-to-day operations of a show -- of NBC programs not to write Webisodes, original material intended for the Internet, the WGA said in a news release.

The three-member panel upheld an earlier decision by NLRB judge Gregory Z. Meyerson. He ruled WGA did not coerce show-runners, but was "appealing to its show-runner-members to ... refrain from performing any writing duties on the planned Webisodes until such time as the union and the employers entered into a new agreement."

"We are pleased by the board’s decision, which reaffirms the guild’s right to represent its members in the growing new media marketplace," WGA-W Executive Director David Young said in a news release. "Whether downloaded, streamed, or broadcast, it’s all about quality content -- and writers deserve fair compensation for what they create. The guild stands ready to negotiate a deal that is mutually beneficial for all parties involved."