The union representing Hollywood film and TV writers is bracing for the results today of an investigation into whether its president had done enough writing to be eligible to hold office when she was reelected in September.
The probe into the status of Victoria Riskin, head of the Writers Guild of America, West, threatens the stability of the union as it prepares for contract negotiations with studios in the next few weeks.
The investigator brought in by the WGA, William B. Gould IV of Stanford University, has notified the guild that he expected to deliver his recommendations this morning and was prepared to address the WGA's 16-member board in the afternoon.
Riskin's lawyer, Larry Feldman, said Riskin clearly was eligible to run based on the way the guild has long applied its rules.
To overturn her reelection now, he said, "would clearly be unreasonable and unfair" and would have "serious ramifications" for the contract talks.
As head of the WGA's western division, Riskin represents more than 9,000 film and TV writers. First elected in 2001, Riskin won a second two-year term by defeating challenger Eric Hughes, 846 to 425. Fewer than 20% of eligible members voted.
Riskin has advocated taking a tough stance in contract talks on such issues as sharing studio riches generated by the DVD boom and bolstering the guild's health-care plan. She also has been a vocal opponent of efforts to loosen Federal Communications Commission restrictions on media conglomerates.
Riskin, 58, grew up in entertainment. She is the daughter of Academy Award-winning writer Robert Riskin, whose credits include "It Happened One Night," and actress Fay Wray, best known for starring in "King Kong." Riskin is married to a longtime writer and guild activist, David Rintels.
At issue is whether Riskin's writing inactivity should have disqualified her to hold office. To maintain active membership, writers must generate earnings from projects covered by the guild contract.
For the last two months, Gould -- a labor law expert and former head of the National Labor Relations Board -- has been conducting closed-door administrative hearings at the request of the WGA board, which acted on a formal protest lodged by member Ronald Parker.
Gould has been focusing on whether Riskin should have lost her active status three months before the election for not posting sufficient earnings in the previous four years.
