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Thursday, September 23, 2021
After Board Strike Vote, Guild Leaders Vow to Show 'What Solidarity Looks Like'
CineMontage: On Tuesday evening, the MPEG Board of Directors voted unanimously to recommend that Guild members back a strike authorization vote for IATSE, after talks for a Basic Agreement with producers broke down.
6 comments:
Reesha A.
said...
I really think that this move will only garner more support for the IATSE strike, because at the end of the day, the things that they are demanding, safer conditions and better wages, are valid and the more support that they get, the faster the path to getting these demands fulfilled. What I found super interesting though is that it was the director's union which has decided to support them. To me, that reads off as that MPEG recognizes the hard work that is put by stagehands and I do not know why, but that makes me really happy. I really hope that other unions also show their support to IATSE in their motives. The more support that they get, the more traction and attention their grievances will get. People will have a chance to see for themselves and realize how important the results of this strike would be for everyone.
Solidarity forever! While it is a problem in every industry, labor exploitation in theatre and film stagehand has been especially atrocious for a long time. This article presents an email from the editors guild telling their members to vote yes on a general strike for better living conditions. Why does it matter what editors have to say about a strike for stagehands? Because labor is more powerful with more numbers. It’s why unions exist, and this is the time that tests the strength of Hollywood unions. In the letter, the president tells the union to not focus on what’s “in it for them”, rather it’s about standing in solidarity and being an ally to their peers. They say that this strike is not just about current negotiations, but about all union negotiations in the future.The question that’s being presented is, does everyone in the industry stand against the billion-dollar companies when they exploit our colleagues, or is solidarity just a word we throw around to not use? So far, most sectors, including the editors guild, stand arm in arm with IATSE.
I've seen multitudes of upsetting stories about working conditions for IATSE workers, but I personally need to learn more about the strike details because I don't quite understand the logistics. For this reason, along with the fact that this letter was rather brief, I'm unsure how this solidarity that MPEG is showing for IATSE will manifest. Will they all stop contributing to the film and entertainment industry until negotiations are seriously considered? Is it simply financial support? Regardless, I think it's an important step that other organizations related to the industry must take. I also strongly believe that the famous actors and celebrities whose entire careers would not be possible without crew members and technicians and designers need to show and give support, because ultimately they hold a lot of power (and probably have a fair amount of funds to offer). I'm sure this applies to people beyond actors: musicians, models, and more should consider how they use their voice for this cause.
The bottom line is that if we don't stand together on issues such as this, we're just going to be more easily exploited over time, and the conditions will worsen over time. I do agree that I am curious to see how this support will manifest because this is definitely one of those time where one can't just show verbal support. It's no secret that these large corporations don't care one iota for the people on the front lines actually working and making it all happen so we need to be out there actually securing our future for ourselves because it's the only way that this change is going to occur. It's brave for other groups to be making a stand with IATSE but as the article points out, this really is in the best interest of all of us. IATSE will be more willing to stand with MPEG and vice versa because of this and we will all collectively benefit.
Solidarity strike like this are really important in determining how successful the main strike is. The Actors Equity strike in 1919 that established so many of the basic protections for Equity was only successful because of the sister organizations that went on strike in solidarity, from the IA to the teamsters and longshoremen. It’s not insurmountable to get scabs to cover one job, but if not only your stagehands walk out, but the editors, so you can’t shift your workflows to accomplish something in a different way, and the truckers so you have to figure out all your logistics again, etc, your labor issue quickly becomes one you can’t just buy your way out of. The step that MPEG just took to help IATSE is a really big one, and especially if others follow suit, I imagine that the streaming producers will have to capitulate pretty quickly and establish the same protections that have existed for films for years.
I really appreciate how IATSE represents everyone from grips to editors. I also appreciate that all of the “artistic” locals are in on this and standing with their fellow working locals in order to demand more safe and healthy work environments for them. Every time I think about it, the AMPT has less ground to stand on because if labor unions in the factory were able to demand 8 hour work days in factories that operate 24 HOURS A DAY, why can’t they come up with some sort of solution that improves the quality of life for their crew members. Maybe what they need is a first and second shift and if some director wants to work 16 hours a day and has no life, they can do that for a second crew. That would also create more jobs for the union employee. Not to mention that if someone wants the overtime, they can have it.
6 comments:
I really think that this move will only garner more support for the IATSE strike, because at the end of the day, the things that they are demanding, safer conditions and better wages, are valid and the more support that they get, the faster the path to getting these demands fulfilled. What I found super interesting though is that it was the director's union which has decided to support them. To me, that reads off as that MPEG recognizes the hard work that is put by stagehands and I do not know why, but that makes me really happy. I really hope that other unions also show their support to IATSE in their motives. The more support that they get, the more traction and attention their grievances will get. People will have a chance to see for themselves and realize how important the results of this strike would be for everyone.
Solidarity forever! While it is a problem in every industry, labor exploitation in theatre and film stagehand has been especially atrocious for a long time. This article presents an email from the editors guild telling their members to vote yes on a general strike for better living conditions. Why does it matter what editors have to say about a strike for stagehands? Because labor is more powerful with more numbers. It’s why unions exist, and this is the time that tests the strength of Hollywood unions. In the letter, the president tells the union to not focus on what’s “in it for them”, rather it’s about standing in solidarity and being an ally to their peers. They say that this strike is not just about current negotiations, but about all union negotiations in the future.The question that’s being presented is, does everyone in the industry stand against the billion-dollar companies when they exploit our colleagues, or is solidarity just a word we throw around to not use? So far, most sectors, including the editors guild, stand arm in arm with IATSE.
I've seen multitudes of upsetting stories about working conditions for IATSE workers, but I personally need to learn more about the strike details because I don't quite understand the logistics. For this reason, along with the fact that this letter was rather brief, I'm unsure how this solidarity that MPEG is showing for IATSE will manifest. Will they all stop contributing to the film and entertainment industry until negotiations are seriously considered? Is it simply financial support? Regardless, I think it's an important step that other organizations related to the industry must take. I also strongly believe that the famous actors and celebrities whose entire careers would not be possible without crew members and technicians and designers need to show and give support, because ultimately they hold a lot of power (and probably have a fair amount of funds to offer). I'm sure this applies to people beyond actors: musicians, models, and more should consider how they use their voice for this cause.
The bottom line is that if we don't stand together on issues such as this, we're just going to be more easily exploited over time, and the conditions will worsen over time. I do agree that I am curious to see how this support will manifest because this is definitely one of those time where one can't just show verbal support. It's no secret that these large corporations don't care one iota for the people on the front lines actually working and making it all happen so we need to be out there actually securing our future for ourselves because it's the only way that this change is going to occur.
It's brave for other groups to be making a stand with IATSE but as the article points out, this really is in the best interest of all of us. IATSE will be more willing to stand with MPEG and vice versa because of this and we will all collectively benefit.
Solidarity strike like this are really important in determining how successful the main strike is. The Actors Equity strike in 1919 that established so many of the basic protections for Equity was only successful because of the sister organizations that went on strike in solidarity, from the IA to the teamsters and longshoremen. It’s not insurmountable to get scabs to cover one job, but if not only your stagehands walk out, but the editors, so you can’t shift your workflows to accomplish something in a different way, and the truckers so you have to figure out all your logistics again, etc, your labor issue quickly becomes one you can’t just buy your way out of. The step that MPEG just took to help IATSE is a really big one, and especially if others follow suit, I imagine that the streaming producers will have to capitulate pretty quickly and establish the same protections that have existed for films for years.
I really appreciate how IATSE represents everyone from grips to editors. I also appreciate that all of the “artistic” locals are in on this and standing with their fellow working locals in order to demand more safe and healthy work environments for them. Every time I think about it, the AMPT has less ground to stand on because if labor unions in the factory were able to demand 8 hour work days in factories that operate 24 HOURS A DAY, why can’t they come up with some sort of solution that improves the quality of life for their crew members. Maybe what they need is a first and second shift and if some director wants to work 16 hours a day and has no life, they can do that for a second crew. That would also create more jobs for the union employee. Not to mention that if someone wants the overtime, they can have it.
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