Some things you should know:
1. This blog is a loosely-run, grass-roots effort created by strike captains. We do our best to tap the resources of the WGA, but they are kinda busy right now. Go figure. The opinions expressed herein are those of the individual writer or, in the case of what I'll call "The Google Gambit," those of a writer who contacted the admins and bribed us with a doughnut he got from by Jay Leno.
2. My friend Mike Schur, the guy who came up with the strike's best catchphrase thus far (The Internet! For which we get zero dollars!) is crediting me with coming up with Steve Carell's "enlarged balls." But in fact, that account was sent to me by a source who attended a Guild debrief meeting and added that we wished Carell "a slow recovery." I can not take credit for this line which has now become America's favorite urban legend.
3. In just eleven days, we have attracted some amazing readers. I've been humbled by the response to this blog. The other admins and I can't keep up with the emails you're sending. But scanning the subject lines as they pour in, it's clear that there are thousands of you who aren't content just to read about the strike, you want to DO something about it. "Where can we send our Tabasco and peanuts?" you plead. Soon, we'll be telling you about ways you can help bring this mess to a conclusion. But there's one simple thing you can do right now: Tell people about what is going on! Talk about it, blog about it, get the word out. Send your friends to this site. Invite some folks to come down and picket with us. Stay informed and spread the word.
4. Talking about scabs really pushes people's buttons. In the comments of that post, I have restated my position on scabs without any bizarre metaphors or juvenile nicknames to detract from the seriousness of the issue. Sorry to ruffle your feathers, Scabworth! (Couldn't resist.)
11/09/2007
Some Clarifications and a Gentler Appeal to the Scabs
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9 comments:
I've been on my colleges radio station (wyur.org) every night explaining the issue and urging people to read more about it here. Keep it up guys, we're with you!
The word is getting out to at least give moral support from us International fans as well
Interestingly enough, I got an email at the start of the strike from FilmLiteraryGroup.com, a buncha literary managers, explaining how the strike wouldn't effect non-members, and how now would be the best time to get that OJ Simpson biopic out of mothballs and sold.
As I understand it, as part of any script deal available to scabs during the strike, the contractually required "opportunity" to build a railroad from coast to coast by hand is also "offered". Rockefeller must be rolling in his grave what with the unions picketing outside his building.
I've focused blogging this week about companies cheating the people they hire. Not just in the film industry either.
I came across Why We Fight and used it on my blog. It's a great explanation that should make people think about what they are actually paying for.
Keep fighting!
It's good that this is being said, however be wary to let all the information be displayed by one person, not for lack of trust, but because ones person judgement may be jaded, and everyones reality is different whether they want to admit it, your doing a good thing but be careful to teach people to think, not to think like you. Noone is in charge.
I'm a professional writer who needs to take side jobs to make ends meet -- if I were on the left coast, I would be down there with you right now and carrying a picket sign. As it is, I'm posting the UnitedHollywood URL everywhere I can, and the TV is off until the strike is resolved.
And remember -- if it weren't for writers, Hollywood would be saturated with spokemodels and mimes. Think about that.
I'm a WGA member. I love my job. I miss my job. Everyday I don't go to work seriously f's with my head. I walk the picket line because writers matter, what we do matters and we are deserving of approrpiate compensation. We have to chant and picket and not go to jobs we love to make our point. And to all you giddy wannabe scabbers. If you cross that picket line you're saying who you are and what you do doesn't matter. And that's pathetic.
I wrote a blog post today so all two of my loyal readers now know about the strike.
I feel now I have done my humble part to get the word out.
I will do as much as I can to let as many people as I know find out wha tis really going on.
We support you here in nowheresville.
It's a fact that there are scabs every time a union strikes against management. It happen the last time the WGA stuck in '88 (scabs were hired by the networks for their soaps and other writers stayed at home, used fake names, and submitted scripts, and non-WGA writers wrote and submitted their work). And it's happing now. as writers walk the picket line some turncoat, some scab, some sub-human creature is writing for some struck company.
Hell, I overheard two writers at Starbucks talking about the deals they had with studios and how they were still writing (they stopped talking when they realized I was wearing my strike shirt and I couldn't hear who they worked for). And Paramount is filming a movie in my neighborhood and they have writers on the set.
And I heard even Vince Vaughn (he's a non-WGA writer, so I guess it's okay) is doing some writing for the studios. And I bet he's not the only one...
My point is there are always scabs, and the bottom line is, in all likely-hood nothing will happen to them, so why worry about scabbing at all?
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