Nick Counter, who earlier this year retired as chief of the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, died November 6, 2009, at West Hills Hospital in Woodland Hills, California. He was 69.
Counter had reportedly been ill for some time, but the cause of death was not identified.
Counter, who spent 27 years as the chief negotiator for the major movie studios in labor negotiations, stepped down as the AMPTP president in March of this year. He was succeeded by the organization’s longtime vice president Carol Lombardini.
In a statement, Lombardini said, “Nick's passing is a profound loss for the entire entertainment community. We will all remember Nick for his passionate leadership, which was always guided by a resolute sense of fair play and an earnest desire that everyone come out a winner. Nick had a particular proficiency for developing consensus among diverse points of view and he used this skill to great advantage in negotiating hundreds of collective bargaining agreements that led to a sustained era of labor peace.”
Over the course of his tenure with the AMPTP, Counter reportedly oversaw more than 400 contracts with writers, actors, musicians and other entertainment industry professionals. He was chief negotiator in more than 300 labor agreements.
His time on the job was marked by two major strikes, in 1988 and 2008, both by the Writers Guild of America.
He was born March 21, 1940, in Phoenix, Arizona, and grew up near Denver, Colorado. His interest in labor is reported emerged in his youth when, during summer breaks, he worked in a Colorado steel mill where his father, who began as a salesman, eventually became vice president.
A talented athlete, Counter attended the University of Colorado, where he played halfback on the football team and earned a scholarship to study electrical engineering. He eventually developed an interest in the law, and graduated from Stanford University Law School.
He became a labor attorney in Los Angeles, and in 1982 the motion picture studios approached him to unify the newly formed alliance, whose members disagreed over negotiation strategy.
Although he intended to stay only a few years, he remained for more than a quarter-century.
A major challenge arose in 1988, when the WGA went on strike for 22 weeks, which greatly affected production. He sought to avoid future walkouts by commencing negotiations well ahead of contract expirations.
This strategy did not prevent the 2008 strike, which came after many weeks of unproductive talks between Counter and guild leaders. The main point of contention for the WGA at the time was compensation for work made available on the internet.
Counter served as a trustee on 14 of the guild and union health and pension funds and also as a trustee for the Motion Picture & Television Fund.
He is survived by his wife, a son, a daughter, a son-in-law and a grandson.