Alliance Of Motion Picture

Carol Lombardini may have the least glamorous job in Hollywood. As the chief negotiator for the major studios, she must find consensus among a group that often has conflicting interests and priorities. But Lombardini, the new president of the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, has had plenty of time to learn what she's getting into. The 54-year-old former labor attorney has spent most of her career at the alliance, where she worked under her longtime mentor, Nick Counter, who died last week after retiring this year.

Carol Lombardini may have the least glamorous job in Hollywood. As the chief negotiator for the major studios, she must find consensus among a group that often has conflicting interests and priorities. But Lombardini, the new president of the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, has had plenty of time to learn what she's getting into. The 54-year-old former labor attorney has spent most of her career at the alliance, where she worked under her longtime mentor, Nick Counter, who died last week after retiring this year.

Nick Counter, the long-standing former negotiator for the major studios who squared off against Hollywood's writers during a 100-day strike in 2008, died Friday night. He was 69. The former president of the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers was taken to West Hills Hospital earlier this week after collapsing in his Los Angeles home. His family declined to specify the cause of death. Counter was a fixture in Hollywood labor circles, having overseen some 400 labor contracts with writers, actors, film crews, musicians and scores of other professionals.

Nick Counter, the long-standing former negotiator for the major studios who squared off against Hollywood's writers during a 100-day strike in 2008, died Friday night. He was 69. The former president of the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers was taken to West Hills Hospital earlier this week after collapsing in his Los Angeles home. His family declined to specify the cause of death. Counter was a fixture in Hollywood labor circles, having overseen some 400 labor contracts with writers, actors, film crews, musicians and scores of other professionals.

Soap opera writers: In a Dec. 31 Calendar article about how soap opera writers are coping with the Writers Guild of America strike, a comment by "All My Children" writer Michelle Patrick was not placed in the correct context. When she said, "The more heinous the producers behave, the angrier I get," Patrick was referring to members of the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, not the individual producers of soap operas.

Casting directors and associates have tentatively agreed on a contract with Hollywood producers. The Teamsters union and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers said they agreed after three days of talks on a three-year contract. It would cover about 400 casting directors and casting associates represented by Teamsters locals in New York and Los Angeles. Members must vote on the agreement.

RE "The Strike's Winners, Losers" [by Patrick Goldstein, Feb. 12]: Two of Goldstein's chosen "winners" are actually big losers: (1) Jay Leno. He betrayed his longtime writing staff by doing scab writing of his monologues and prolonged the strike by alleviating the network's pain. (2) Directors Guild of America leadership. They helped create rather than alleviate the impasse between the conglomerates and the Writers Guild. Nick Counter of the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers would not have walked away from the WGA bargaining table had he not known that the always-management-friendly DGA would rush to the table to take the WGA's place.

The board of directors of the Writers Guild of America has voted 10 to 9 to not renew the contract of Naomi Gurian, its executive director. Gurian, who has held her post since 1982, had been the subject of considerable criticism by some members for her handling of the union's recent strike against the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. Many writers believe that the dispute ended unsuccessfully.

Thank you for "Portrait From the Strike: Left Out to Dry by a Trickle-Down Effect" [Paul Brownfield, Feb. 1]. I am a relief worker for entertainment industry workers, from hairdressers to boom operators, and I can tell you that these are the people who need to be highlighted in the press. From Santa Clarita to Santa Ana, thousands of families are in trouble as the third month sans paycheck rolls around. Savings are used up and mortgage payments still come due. In addition, the emotional stress of having a family member out of work for such a long time wreaks havoc on relationships.

In a move to defuse labor tensions, the chief negotiator for the major studios Wednesday offered to begin contract negotiations with Hollywood's actors March 31. The current contract expires June 30, but leaders of the Screen Actors Guild have faced intense pressure from A-list members to begin immediate negotiations to avert another costly strike after the 100-day walkout by writers that ended last month. Fears of an actors strike also have held up a number of film projects. Nick Counter, president of the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which represents the studios, made the offer during a meeting with leaders of the Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists at SAG's headquarters in the Miracle Mile district, a spokesman for the alliance said.

Casting directors and associates have tentatively agreed on a contract with Hollywood producers. The Teamsters union and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers said they agreed after three days of talks on a three-year contract. It would cover about 400 casting directors and casting associates represented by Teamsters locals in New York and Los Angeles. Members must vote on the agreement.

In a move to defuse labor tensions, the chief negotiator for the major studios Wednesday offered to begin contract negotiations with Hollywood's actors March 31. The current contract expires June 30, but leaders of the Screen Actors Guild have faced intense pressure from A-list members to begin immediate negotiations to avert another costly strike after the 100-day walkout by writers that ended last month. Fears of an actors strike also have held up a number of film projects. Nick Counter, president of the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which represents the studios, made the offer during a meeting with leaders of the Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists at SAG's headquarters in the Miracle Mile district, a spokesman for the alliance said.

RE "The Strike's Winners, Losers" [by Patrick Goldstein, Feb. 12]: Two of Goldstein's chosen "winners" are actually big losers: (1) Jay Leno. He betrayed his longtime writing staff by doing scab writing of his monologues and prolonged the strike by alleviating the network's pain. (2) Directors Guild of America leadership. They helped create rather than alleviate the impasse between the conglomerates and the Writers Guild. Nick Counter of the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers would not have walked away from the WGA bargaining table had he not known that the always-management-friendly DGA would rush to the table to take the WGA's place.

Thank you for "Portrait From the Strike: Left Out to Dry by a Trickle-Down Effect" [Paul Brownfield, Feb. 1]. I am a relief worker for entertainment industry workers, from hairdressers to boom operators, and I can tell you that these are the people who need to be highlighted in the press. From Santa Clarita to Santa Ana, thousands of families are in trouble as the third month sans paycheck rolls around. Savings are used up and mortgage payments still come due. In addition, the emotional stress of having a family member out of work for such a long time wreaks havoc on relationships.

Lionsgate: An article in Friday's Calendar section about Lionsgate's efforts to get its TV series back into production referred to the firm as "a small, independent production company." While Lionsgate is small compared with the conglomerate members of the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, the company is known as a mini-major studio with a substantial worldwide distribution arm.

Residuals paid for programs shown on cable TV remained a major obstacle Tuesday as contract talks between Hollywood studios and actors unions continued to creep toward a midnight Saturday expiration date. Although both sides in the talks have downplayed the potential of a strike, sources involved in the negotiations said frustrations have risen this week. Three other issues are also proving sticky: minimum payments to actors (actors want a 5% raise, compared with a studio offer of 3.

On Aug. 25 The Times published a letter from Charlton Heston containing the inaccurate assertion that the Writers Guild strike of 1988 "collapsed" within weeks of a Supreme Court decision ruling upon the dues required from workers who elect "financial core non-membership" status instead of membership in a union. The Writers Guild strike did not "collapse." The court's Beck (vs. Communications Workers of America) decision had no impact on the Writers Guild strike. The strike came to a conclusion when the guild and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers negotiated an agreement that both sides could accept.

On Aug. 25 The Times published a letter from Charlton Heston containing the inaccurate assertion that the Writers Guild strike of 1988 "collapsed" within weeks of a Supreme Court decision ruling upon the dues required from workers who elect "financial core non-membership" status instead of membership in a union. The Writers Guild strike did not "collapse." The court's Beck (vs. Communications Workers of America) decision had no impact on the Writers Guild strike. The strike came to a conclusion when the guild and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers negotiated an agreement that both sides could accept.