The Mary Sue: The Burbank, California police department is helping the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) silence striking writers by trying to prevent drivers from honking in support of strikers. The Writers Guild of America has been on strike since May 2 due to the AMPTP’s failure to negotiate a fair new contract for the union.
3 comments:
This is absolutely absurd, the fact that the police department has decided to side with the studio is not necessarily surprising even though they have defended the protestors to the studio before when the studio destroyed the trees to remove the shade, the city made the studios put up tents to replace them as they hadn’t done it legally, even still it is appalling that the police have put up this sign. Picketing is vital to a successful strike, as is causing a ruckus. Certainly the protestors have other ways of making noise but even still it was a great way to show support for the protestors. Hopefully the protestors decide to bring air horns or something of the sort to honk themselves as the police can’t stop them from doing that. I also hope that this law gets removed although it is unlikely that it will especially since people have tried in the past.
The reported involvement of Burbank Police in aiding the AMPTP in curbing the striking writers raises significant concerns about the balance of power between labor and management in the entertainment industry. The right to strike is a fundamental aspect of labor rights, and any allegations of law enforcement working to suppress this right must be thoroughly investigated. The situation highlights the complexity of labor disputes within Hollywood, where creative professionals often face challenges in securing fair compensation and working conditions. Striking is a legitimate tool for workers to negotiate better terms, and any efforts to silence them infringe upon their rights. It's important for both sides to engage in open and constructive dialogue to reach a fair resolution. The entertainment industry thrives on creativity and collaboration, and finding common ground is essential for its continued success. The reported involvement of law enforcement in labor disputes is a reminder of the need for transparency, fair negotiations, and respecting the rights of all parties involved.
While I am not at all surprised that the Burbank police are more in favor of supporting the studios over the striking writers, I am frustrated with how much these studios are getting away with. Warner Bros cut down many of the trees providing strikers with shade and other studios have made comments on waiting out the strike until writers lose their housing. As the article mentioned, this is a crucial stop for WGA strikers to picket with the office buildings of both Walt Disney Studios and Warner Bros. Another article I read quoted that if major companies like Disney, Paramount, Warner Brothers, Netflix, and Amazon agreed to the terms, it would be less than 0.2% of revenue. As another article page quotes, executives of these major production companies are simply waiting on union members to start losing housing to end the strike. I guess I’m naive in my belief that companies should care more about the people they employ.
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