I'm a big fan of labor. Still, while unions are an incredibly necessary structure for a progressive country, there is often bad behavior within the solidarity fold. I have seen it with the United Autoworkers undermining CAFE standards, and the Communications Workers undermining net neutrality. So here's another example: Thomas Short of IATSE attempting to sabotage the WGA in Business Week.
IATSE, a 50,000-person union, says as many as 40,000 editors, grips, and others have been laid off as the strike shut down some 100 TV shows. "I don't believe the WGA ever intended to bargain in good faith," IATSE President Thomas Short says. The talks, he adds, won't continue, "until the WGA leadership starts behaving responsibly, which is unlikely."
Short is trying to undermine the WGA because he wants his union to unionize reality show writers instead of the WGA. It's a petty, dishonest, and short-sighted power play done at the worst possible time for a fellow union.
United Hollywood is keeping CBS mogul Les Moonves in its thoughts and prayers. As Bloomberg news reports, Moonves signed a new compensation package worth, on the low end, $30 million dollars per year. But shockingly, his base salary was cruelly cut from $5.6 million in 2006 to a mere $3.5 million in 2007. Such a devastating loss of income must be particularly difficult around the holidays. It certainly is for all of us on strike or put out of work.
Perhaps when this strike is resolved -- and we writers, below the line crew, actors and directors have our income restored -- we can all chip in to help Les Moonves through his time of need. Until then, Les, if you need a place to crash, I have a futon.
Advertisers are getting angry and the strike is beginning to eat into GE's bottom line. That will deeply concern the executives at these companies, I'm sure.
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