The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) reports that its former President and chief negotiator, Nick Counter, has died. He was 69.
Counter had headed AMPTP for 27 years from its founding in 1892 until his retirement in March of this year. Even before his long run at the helm, Counter had been outside legal counsel for its predecessor organization. Along the way, he negotiated more than 300 contracts on behalf of the Hollywood studios with the various unions.
“Nick’s passing is a profound loss for the entire entertainment community,” said AMPTP President Carol Lombardini. “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. Those of us who worked directly with him have lost a valued colleague and a dear personal friend. Our hearts go out to his family – his wife, Jackie, his daughter, Samantha, and son-in-law, Alex, his son, Nicholas, grandson, Jack, his sister Carol and brothers, Steve and Charlie,” she said.
In the course of his tenure, Counter led the AMPTP through two major strikes by the Writers Guild of America (WGA), in 1988 and 2008.
