Monday, November 12, 2012
LD On The DL: The Incredible, Bendable Contract
LiveBlog: One of the hardest aspects of my job is navigating the complex union work rules that govern how our day unfolds. Specifically when do we bend the rules, and when do we adhere strictly to them? Given the additional workload in the TV industry these days because of political conventions, presidential debates, and new T.V. shows, I find myself asking this question several times a week. Answering the question affects budgets, OT, and start times so — in actual dollars — how we address the issue matters tremendously.
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3 comments:
I really like Lance's assessment on the role of unions, and depiction of the problem he is facing. I agree that the goal of entertainment is client service, and the rules behind union contracts are to ensure client service is achieved in an excellent way while ensuring laborers are treated fairly. I think too often people get hung up on what the rule says instead of thinking of the goal behind the rule. I guess this sometimes occurs because people realize that without the rules, they get taken advantage of, but when management is operating in a fair and just manner, I really wish more people involved in entertainment could think about the goals behind their union, contract, and job, and just work together to create a great piece of entertainment. I realize this is the idealist in me, but the exact issue Lance is addressing is something that has been bothering me lately: people need to operate at the goal level, and not just deal with the black and white tasks.
I love that it is someone's job to negotiate from a contract for union workers. I too like his interpretation of the role of unions. I appreciate how he really looks into the union rules and why they are necessary and why they are beneficial. I like a narrator's take on rules; that he likes them and agrees they should be in place, but at the same time they can not be the end all be all of the business. Room for negotiation is necessary for the rules to function properly.
Unions are extremely powerful and possibly dangerous entities. Companies also need workers, so a good solid and fair contract is really important. The author does a good job of summarizing this issue. I think it is actually really important to understand how to interpret the rules so that he can satisfy both parties. The ability to negotiate a contract that will not constrict an entity is extremely important, especially considering the number of lives at stake.
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