Posts tagged Fox
Predawn Picket Lines Help Writers Disrupt Studio Productions
May 30, 2023 // But production shutdowns are affecting not only the studios. Crews and other workers — like drivers, set designers, caterers — lose paychecks. And if the shutdowns accumulate and more people are unable to work, some wonder whether the writers will begin to erode the current good will from other workers. Lindsay Dougherty is the lead organizer of Local 399, the Teamsters’ Los Angeles division, which represents more than 6,000 movie workers, from the truck drivers the writers are trying to turn away to casting directors, location managers and animal trainers. A second-generation Teamster, Ms. Dougherty is one of the union’s few female leaders. Her copious tattoos, including one of the former Teamster leader Jimmy Hoffa, and her frequently profane speech have made her a bit of a celebrity to the writers during the strike. And she said the solidarity with the writers remained strong. “I think collectively, we’re all on the same page in that streaming has dramatically changed the industry,” Ms. Dougherty said in an interview. “And these tech companies that we’re bargaining with, during the last writers’ strike — Amazon, Apple, Netflix — they weren’t even part of the conversation.”
NLRB Sets Up Clash Over College Athlete Unionization, Employment
May 22, 2023 // The complaint alleged that USC’s media policies violated labor laws. The school’s handbook tells students to “smile” and “be positive” when being interviewed by the media. It also tells students not to “post anything that would embarrass USC, your team, or your family” on social media. The legal action, which has been in the works since December 2022, sets up a court battle over the status of student athletes this November. The moves also open the door to unionization and employment status for the college football and basketball players who create the biggest media draws for their conferences.