The History - Act I
The History - Act I
Let’s start at the very beginning, and courtesy of the late Dean Parker, we have the story of the guild’s beginning, transition to union, and the trials and tribulations of the first fifteen years.
Dean Parker, a union stalwart and consummate writer, died 14 April 2020 and is sorely missed. In our story – the story of the New Zealand Writers Guild his words and contributions live on.
Act One: 1975-1990 By Dean Parker (abridged)
Everybody's memories of how the Guild started are going to be different. But what kicked it off certainly occurred in 1975. And that was Close to Home... Close to Home was our first soap opera. For the first time, large numbers of writers stood the chance of making a sort of living from their craft. As individuals, they would be at the whim of television producers and executives. Together they could establish minimum fees and conditions of work...
The decision was made tocall public meetings of writers in Wellington and Auckland. These meetings tookplace enthusiastically. Resolutions were passed, names and addresses weretaken, and the show was on the road. It was to be called the NZ Scriptwriters'Guild.
If the Guild was to thrive ,it had to produce the goods for its members. It had to win improvements in fees and conditions on TV and radio, the principal income-earners for local scriptwriters…
In 1978, a negotiating team led by Michael Noonan brought the Guild its first industrial documents. These were national awards covering fees and conditions for writing for television and radio…
In 1979, following the Guild's acceptance into the Federation of Labour , the Guild joined the International Affiliation of Writers Guilds and shortened its name to the NZ Writers Guild...
As Dean Parker charts, there were disputes with governments, union leaders, other writers, and of course producers. The Springbok Tour, Bastion Point, Rob Muldoon, grievances, negotiations and finally approaching the 1990s the Lange-Douglas climate of deregulation and things did not look bright for the future of the NZWG.
…The realities remained. There was no money in the bank. Membership was, at best, static. Morale was low, the volunteers exhausted. The national awards we had all fought so hard for, while still providing the basis for new contracts, were, legally, worthless pieces of paper. Somehow, as it faced the 1990s and an unsympathetic government, the Guild had to re-shape itself…
Act One: 1975-1990 By DeanParker (abridged)
Everybody'smemories of how the Guild started are going to be different. But what kicked itoff certainly occurred in 1975. And that was Close to Home... Close to Home wasour first soap opera. For the first time, large numbers of writers stood thechance of making a sort of living from their craft. As individuals, they wouldbe at the whim of television producers and executives. Together they couldestablish minimum fees and conditions of work...
Already an NZWG member? Sign in here
The History - Act I
Let’s start at the very beginning, and courtesy of the late Dean Parker, we have the story of the guild’s beginning, transition to union, and the trials and tribulations of the first fifteen years.
Dean Parker, a union stalwart and consummate writer, died 14 April 2020 and is sorely missed. In our story – the story of the New Zealand Writers Guild his words and contributions live on.
Act One: 1975-1990 By Dean Parker (abridged)
Everybody's memories of how the Guild started are going to be different. But what kicked it off certainly occurred in 1975. And that was Close to Home... Close to Home was our first soap opera. For the first time, large numbers of writers stood the chance of making a sort of living from their craft. As individuals, they would be at the whim of television producers and executives. Together they could establish minimum fees and conditions of work...
The decision was made tocall public meetings of writers in Wellington and Auckland. These meetings tookplace enthusiastically. Resolutions were passed, names and addresses weretaken, and the show was on the road. It was to be called the NZ Scriptwriters'Guild.
If the Guild was to thrive ,it had to produce the goods for its members. It had to win improvements in fees and conditions on TV and radio, the principal income-earners for local scriptwriters…
In 1978, a negotiating team led by Michael Noonan brought the Guild its first industrial documents. These were national awards covering fees and conditions for writing for television and radio…
In 1979, following the Guild's acceptance into the Federation of Labour , the Guild joined the International Affiliation of Writers Guilds and shortened its name to the NZ Writers Guild...
As Dean Parker charts, there were disputes with governments, union leaders, other writers, and of course producers. The Springbok Tour, Bastion Point, Rob Muldoon, grievances, negotiations and finally approaching the 1990s the Lange-Douglas climate of deregulation and things did not look bright for the future of the NZWG.
…The realities remained. There was no money in the bank. Membership was, at best, static. Morale was low, the volunteers exhausted. The national awards we had all fought so hard for, while still providing the basis for new contracts, were, legally, worthless pieces of paper. Somehow, as it faced the 1990s and an unsympathetic government, the Guild had to re-shape itself…
Join the New Zealand Writers Guild
Become a member and access exclusive benefits and resources.
