Interesting... I did not know that!
Posted on 11/30/2007 8:11:18 PM PST by Red Badger
Today was the last day for most of the 120 staffers on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," who left with an early Christmas bonus check and no guarantee of a job when the strike ended.
"Do we have a job when the strike ends? That's what everyone keeps asking," one former staffer said. "They've guaranteed no one a job. They just keep saying, 'The letter explains it."
That letter is a notice from NBC's human resources department that says, "If your services are needed, we will contact you."
Sources said that while some higher-level executives received severance packages, other staffers received only Leno's traditional bonus of $100 times the number of years the staffer has been on the show. Writers were not included in the bonuses, but one writer emphasized that "he's not being Scrooge. He just wanted to get the staff taken care of first. I can't emphasize enough how generous Jay is."
Others were less forgiving.
"We haven't heard from him since the second or third day of the strike," the former staffer said. "He called on speakerphone while we were in our daily meeting and said, 'Don't look for other jobs , no one's going to lose their house, we'll get though this.' Two weeks ago, we got the heads up that we had two more weeks (of pay) and that's it. Everyone wondered, 'Is Jay going to come through?' And nothing happened. Conan makes less and he said, 'I'm going to pay for my people.' "
Still on the payroll are the exec producers and a skeleton crew to answer phones. Leno was not on hand for the layoffs. Instead, Leno's assistant notified the staff yesterday that they would get their Christmas bonus early. Leno's bonuses usually go out the week before Christmas.
"People are devastated today because we thought that he meant something more than an early Christmas bonus," another said. "A lot of people didn't look for other work, based on Jay's assurances."
“Look for, the Union Labe....”
Lino didn’t call the strike.
Are you posting in the right forum? I don't think most people here are sympathetic to union strikers -- especially those who constantly bash and denigrate conservatives as the Leno writers do every single night. They should all be fired a la Reagan's firing of PATCO. Good riddance to them all.
These aren’t strikers.........
...but he didn’t exactly resist it either. He’s been picketing with the rest of the writers.
At least Carson had the cajones to go without writers back in ‘88 while the last strike went on.
Wahhhhhhh we want to go on strike and get paid too. Wahhhhh..what do you mean we wont get paid? but but we are on strike ..we deserve it.
Ohhhhhhh pahleaseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.
Hardly a night goes by now that he does not have a joke or two with the "Bush is stupid" theme.
These are the staff- not the writers
then the staff can “write” thank you notes to the strikers, if that isnt against the striking rules.
A staff of 120? Almost as many staffers as cars for Jay.
These are the non-striking staff. They’ve been laid off while Leno and the writers strike.
see 10
Typical democrat … neither for nor against, just going with the flow. He will blame his stance (or lack thereof) on his producers.
Jay could sell one of his cars and pay them.
Not that he should, or would.
Jay Leno is one of the good guys in Hollywood, but that seems pretty cheesy for a multi million dollar earning show.
Interesting... I did not know that!
Hi, guys!
http://weblogs.variety.com/wga_strike_blog/2007/11/tonight-show-la.html
Just in case you hadn’t seen this, check out the anti-union comments. Does a heart good.
Will the strikers be eleigible for unemployment or food stamps?
I am uninterested in Leno reruns (or any others, for that matter.) I wonder how long it will take for sponsors to pull their ads and for some enterprising studio exec to try importing some programming from off-shore. Wouldn’t surprise me if their were some young, hungry Monty Python wannabes out there who would just love a shot. Both sides in this strike could be shooting themselves in the foot...
That many people have to work real hard to make him seem funny.
I never watch Leno, usually watching Simpson’s reruns as I fall asleep. Jay has been one to support our troops over the years and not display BDS (Bush Derangement Syndrome).
120 staffers probably means he personally pays $95,000 at Christmas time in bonuses.
They are NBC employees, not his, so they should be grateful for his generosity IMO.
Hi Lainie! Sunday nights are no fun without the Drudge thread.
I would think that going on strike after a while will be seen as quiting.
They choose to not go to work.
Hi lainie,
Happy Holidays to you.
Miss you and the Drudge threads.
Screwed by the liberal media and the unions.
Looks like we got 120 new Republicans out there.
little trivia about Jay.....he was worth 100 million before he took the Tonight Show gig....Probabally the willingest hard worker ever.........nice and mannered in person
no kids ( scared of failure ,his words)
he is tight with cash tho.........
Yup. And while the stuff he wrote wasn't necessarily earth-shaking, it was good, and it was great to know he'd written it himself.
I sure miss Johnny.
What has struck me about this strike is that the tv talkers’ shows shut down without their writers, yet don’t conservative talk show guys go on every day without writers?
THey have to wing it from call to call.
I hope the’’writers’’ never come back...I couldn’t even begin to tell you what shows are on the Alphabet networks....the last time I watched one it was nothing but pure trash anyway...I had to sit there and wonder what the audience was laughing at...
Carson didn’t need the writers.
He is not scrooge. He does not owe them anything. The strike is not Leno’s fault. I think he is actually a great guy. 100 times better than Letterman IMHO.
Well in all honesty, Clinton for ALL his faults was not stupid. I know they did a comparison of Bush’s grades with Kerry, but I don’t think the results would have been the same if they compared Bush’s grades with Clinton’s. I believe that Clinton was pretty intelligent which was his downfall in the end...too smart for his own good.
We need Drudge back on Sundays...
While he doesn’t “owe them anything” it’s interesting to see that Conan is continuing to pay his staff, Letterman is paying his through year’s end and Carson Daily is going back to work without writers so the staff don’t get laid off. It makes Leno look like a classless spendthrift.
While he doesn’t “owe them anything” it’s interesting to see that Conan is continuing to pay his staff, Letterman is paying his through year’s end and Carson Daily is going back to work without writers so the staff don’t get laid off. It makes Leno look like a classless spendthrift.
When compared to others, I have to completely agree with you.
That may have been some of worst stuff even written.
This writers guild strike reminds me of an old Sugarloaf song
don't Call us, weeeee'lllll callll you!"
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