Posts tagged WGA
Drew Barrymore’s Talk Show Is Returning — Without Her Striking Writers
September 12, 2023 // She added that she was approaching the new season, which premieres Sept. 18, “with an astute humility” — despite the optics of resuming her show during two strikes, which have called attention to inequitable working conditions in film and television.
National Union Solidarity Day In NYC Draws Big Names Amid Big Crowd: Jesse Eisenberg, Carla Gugino, F. Murray Abraham & More
August 24, 2023 // National Union Solidarity Day kicked off on Tuesday in New York City with several hundred marchers forming a picket line that stretched two full blocks outside the Manhattan corporate offices of Amazon and HBO. Striking writers and actors saw their ranks bolstered on Tuesday by unionized teachers, nurses, truckers, musicians, retail and hotel workers, and they got vocal encouragement from union chiefs who promised to have their backs.
WGA and SAG-AFTRA Cancel Monday Strike Pickets Ahead of Tropical Storm Hitting Los Angeles
August 21, 2023 // Both the writers’ and actors’ unions have canceled their Monday pickets due to anticipated heavy rain and potential flooding expected as Hurricane Hilary moves into Southern California. Hilary is expected to be downgraded to a tropical storm by the time it hits the Los Angeles area, according to the National Weather Service, but could still dump a significant amount of water on the area.
Lisa Vanderpump questions push to unionize reality TV stars ‘plucked from obscurity’
August 21, 2023 // "One of the great things about reality shows is that they've always been able to be produced for less money than scripted shows," Vanderpump said. "And I don't really understand how you can have a union for people that are normally plucked out of obscurity." Vanderpump has been a cast member and executive producer on "Vanderpump Rules" since 2013, when it debuted as a spinoff of "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills," which she starred in from 2010 to 2019. "You know, I'm very happy with what I've been paid over the years. I think the first season is always like an audition and then it's what you make of it, you know?" Vanderpump explained.
Terence Crawford Takes Aim at Boxing Corruption, Wants to Start Union
August 18, 2023 // “If all of the top fighters with a name and a brand behind them came together, we could make change,” he said. “We have different races, different ages, different countries — it’s everyone from all walks of life coming together. I think it can be done.” In January 2022, Crawford filed a lawsuit seeking nearly $10 million against his former promoter Bob Arum of Top Rank, accusing him of racial bias against promoting Black fighters. “Boxing is one of the most corrupted sports there is and ever [has] been in the history of sports,” Crawford said in another interview with Boardroom. “We’ll take a $5 million guarantee not knowing there’s $30 million dollars that we missed,” he added. “Once I started asking [contract] questions and learning a bit here and there, it became a problem between me and my old promoter, and at that point in time, I knew it was time to go.”
TV Staff Minimum Remains Key Sticking Point, but Some in WGA Privately Grumble: ‘Nobody Asked for This’
August 17, 2023 // Another writer added: “All the showrunners that want a staff should be given a staff. I don’t think it’s important to force those few that don’t want a staff to have a staff.” The WGA proposed in the spring that TV shows should hire a minimum of six to 12 writers, depending on the number of episodes in a season. At its meeting on Tuesday, they agreed to reduce that ask by one writer — but would not forgo the basic structure. Several showrunners told Variety they did not want to be forced to hire writers who are not needed. In its worst form, they say, that would amount to “featherbedding,” an illegal labor practice in which employers are required by union rules to hire workers who do no work.
Do Other Real Housewives Want to Unionize With Bethenny Frankel?
August 1, 2023 // Frankel has since shared a video outlining proposed terms, and suggested that until those terms are met reality TV stars like the Kardashians should stand down from filming and show up to support less successful participants. Frankel suggested that essential workers, including nurses and teachers, could be inspired to create their own models because of her call to action. “Change takes courage,” Frankel posted on her social media, referencing how the call to unionize has potentially affected her business. “I’ve alienated this industry & burned bridges with the entire network and streaming community in one fell swoop. This is not for the faint of heart but it’s for the greater good.”
Organized Labor Is Causing ‘Union Joe’ Biden A Lot Of Headaches
July 28, 2023 // “Biden likes to look pro-union, he’ll turn on those running the unions when it’s politically advantageous—as it was during the railway strike,” David Osborne, fellow at the Institute for the American Worker, told the Daily Caller News Foundation. “Union executives rarely take issue with it, because doing so would threaten their own political celebrity. Unfortunately, rank-and-file employees are caught in the middle, and they’re the ones with the most to lose when negotiations break down or workers go on strike. The rank-and-file workers will blame Biden, but because they represent such a small percentage of the electorate—and their union executives will endorse Biden anyway—Biden won’t know about it and won’t care.”
Universal hit with $250 fine for trimming trees striking writers and actors used for shade
July 26, 2023 // “In this case, StreetsLA determined the trees were not significantly damaged and will likely recover in 6-12 months,” Mejia continued. “Through our investigation, we’ve learned that StreetsLA can’t proactively protect our 700,000+ City trees and investigate abuse. The City has only 12 inspectors.” WGA and SAG–AFTRA workers were outraged when they returned to the picket line to find that the trees had been trimmed during their ongoing strike. An online post of the bare trees quickly went viral. A spokesperson for NBCUniversal admitted to The Post in a statement that the pruning “has created unintended challenges for demonstrators,” but added, “that was not our intention.” “In partnership with licensed arborists, we have pruned these trees annually at this time of year to ensure that the canopies are light ahead of the high wind season,” the studio said.
Actors’ Equity Supports SAG-AFTRA Strike; Broadway Shows Won’t Be Impacted
July 14, 2023 // The SAG-AFTRA strike will not impact Broadway productions. SAG-AFTRA members who appear on Broadway operate under Equity contracts, with actors typically having dual memberships in the unions.