Adam Conover is proposing that the WGA be willing to go on strike over YouTube videos.

Totally acceptable, if they have evidence relevant to the case. These appearances seem to have been merely in order to communicate the intensity of the board's desire for a conviction.

Voting takes place next week. And if you haven't had a chance to read the documents, I will highlight the closing made by Edward Drake and his chilling advice for any who might, in the future, find themselves in our board's crosshairs:

Never should a writer be dragged before a committee unless the Guild has absolute proof of their guilt. Yet we ambushed a writer with a trial, demanding he prove his innocence or have his career destroyed. The Guild's own letter, admits that they did not have the evidence:

In the case of Drake, the Guild brought him before the committee on allegations that he wrote during the strike.

Except the Guild permits directors to do such things within reason. A number of WGA FYC scripts even included published rewrite dates from within the strike.

In this case, the head of the committee resigned. "We were assured it was a fair process. I don't believe it was."

Nevertheless, the requested verdict was issued and the board increased the punishment unilaterally.

In one of the cases, the witnesses against the accused were board members themselves! They appeared only to denounce the accused. A clear endorsement to the committee that the board had already deemed this member as guilty.

The WGA constitution exists to ensure the rights of all members. The notion that a board can, at its sole discretion, secretly change the rules without member input is a threat to all of us. This overreach alone is enough to vote down the punishments, but alas, there is more...

Case history shows that the courts would likely look unkindly upon the Guild breaking its rules in order to punish members, but the Guild has chosen targets likely to find a protracted court battle prohibitively expensive, given their now diminished chances of work.

This board, however, seems to think it can grant itself the power to change the constitution AFTER offences have occurred and despite no notice or vote from membership.

To say this is concerning would be an understatement. It is frightening and a clear violation of the Guild constitution.

The WGA constitution affords those found in violation of rules the opportunity to make their case in person before an open meeting of WGA members. This right and protection is even listed in the very documents that the Guild sent us as part of each case.

In numerous cases the board deliberately chose to inflict maximum public damage to careers and did so by overruling the impartial committees assembled to render fair judgement.