Where is Muchnick's Apology?

I'm not even talking about an apology to the thousands of class members he's screwed.  I'm talking about the poor class members who have died and will not be able to share in the revised settlement.

We wondered about how many people have died while waiting to be paid.  Now the revised settlement confirms that there have been several deaths by the named plaintiffs.  That extra 14 percent is really going to help them.  The court papers provide for payment to their estates.  Well, isn't that wonderful. 

The court papers claim that Muchnick and the objectors deserve a special award for looking after the best interest of the class.

Well, I'll make you a deal, Mr. Chalmers.  Since you represent the C class, go ahead and poll them as to whether Muchnick deserves a "special award."

If more than 10 per cent say yes, Muchnick was looking out for their best interest, I'll shut up about it.

THIS INJUSTICE SHOULD NOT STAND

A revised settlement in the Freelance Writers' class action suit was filed with the US District Court in New York Friday.

There are several points in the revised settlement that I don't agree with, but can live with.

This paragraph, however, should not be allowed to stand:

"Revised Terms: Under the revised settlement, Plaintiffs’ Lead Counsel, on behalf

of counsel for the Category A and B works, will apply for a total fee-and-cost award of

approximately $3.3 million, plus a $2,000 special award for each of the nineteen Category A/B

representative plaintiffs and the estates of Derrick Bell and Andrea Dworkin. Counsel for the

Category C works will apply for an “all-in” award of $600,000 for attorneys’ fees, costs, and

special awards to the two Category C representative plaintiffs and eight former objectors. The

Defense Group has agreed not to oppose these applications."

Muchnick should not be allowed to profit for causing such misery to the class members.  It is tantamount to paying him a ransom to release payments for everyone else.  I am going to try to find out exactly what this "special award" is.  If it is anything that amounts to a substantial sum, I will urge all freelance writers to object to this travesty. 

This Dog Ain't Huntin' Anymore

Ever been to the dog races?

The greyhounds are taught to chase a mechanical rabbit that eventually disappears when the race is over.  The dogs never catch the rabbit.

Just like the dogs, freelance writers have been chasing a non-existent settlement for more than eight years.  Irvin Muchnick objected to a fair settlement in 2005 and writers have been waiting around ever since.  Muchnick is the kind of person who can only gain joy from others' suffering, so these last eight years must have been like Valhalla to the failed writer.

This carrot-and-stick routine has gotten stale over the last few months.  Muchnick's attorney keeps promising a revised settlement any day, but there are always new problems popping up. 

We're not playing their reindeer games any more.

This blog will continue to monitor the rantings and ravings of Muchnick.  Muchnick is a complete disaster who is never right about anything.  Therefore, there is an endless supply of new material to comment upon.  The traffic on this blog keeps increasing, so I guess all the people that Muchnick has screwed over the years are finding it through word of mouth.

But as for the primary reason for this blog--we won't be commentating anymore about a mirage of a settlement.