Some 12,000 members of the Los Angeles-based Writers Guild of America and thousands more in New York-based WGA-East walked out Nov. 5. The central issue was refusal by the Association of Motion Picture and Television Producers - the bosses - to share revenue from DVD sales and Internet rebroadcasts of scripted TV programs and movies that the writers toiled on.
Five days later, stagehands belonging to IATSE Local One walked off the job in New York City, shutting down 27 Broadway shows. As of Wednesday, producers had to refund more than 7,000 tickets to disappointed showgoers.
Both the writers and stagehands said they were forced to strike to preserve a good future for people working in the entertainment industry.
"While the media conglomerates are busy bragging about new media profits to their shareholders, they\'re crying poverty to writers," the WGA-East said in a statement on its website.
“Writers can look back over 20 years and see millions of dollars they lost by trusting assurances from management," said Melissa Salmons, a Writers Guild member. "So to me, it\'s important that we not kid ourselves: they do not revisit, they will not take care of us later. This is the time to get our fair share in new media."
In a statement on their website, New York stagehands said their strike is "an effort to defend ourselves and protect our families."
The union noted, "Theatre owners and producers are demanding a 38 percent cut in our jobs and wages. They have built a $20 million fund to be used against us from the sale of theatre tickets to the public.
"Broadway is a billion dollar a year industry and has never been more profitable than now. Cuts in our jobs and wages will never result in a cut in ticket prices to benefit the public, but only an increase in the profits for producers.
"Unlike the producers, we are not fighting for our second or third homes; we are fighting to keep the one that we have."
For more information
Visit these websites:
www.wgaeast.org
www.iatselocalone.org/index_noflash.html
www.wga.org
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Some 12,000 members of the Los Angeles-based Writers Guild of America and thousands more in New York-based WGA-East walked out Nov. 5. The central issue was refusal by the Association of Motion Picture and Television Producers – the bosses – to share revenue from DVD sales and Internet rebroadcasts of scripted TV programs and movies that the writers toiled on.
Five days later, stagehands belonging to IATSE Local One walked off the job in New York City, shutting down 27 Broadway shows. As of Wednesday, producers had to refund more than 7,000 tickets to disappointed showgoers.
Both the writers and stagehands said they were forced to strike to preserve a good future for people working in the entertainment industry.
"While the media conglomerates are busy bragging about new media profits to their shareholders, they\’re crying poverty to writers," the WGA-East said in a statement on its website.
“Writers can look back over 20 years and see millions of dollars they lost by trusting assurances from management," said Melissa Salmons, a Writers Guild member. "So to me, it\’s important that we not kid ourselves: they do not revisit, they will not take care of us later. This is the time to get our fair share in new media."
In a statement on their website, New York stagehands said their strike is "an effort to defend ourselves and protect our families."
The union noted, "Theatre owners and producers are demanding a 38 percent cut in our jobs and wages. They have built a $20 million fund to be used against us from the sale of theatre tickets to the public.
"Broadway is a billion dollar a year industry and has never been more profitable than now. Cuts in our jobs and wages will never result in a cut in ticket prices to benefit the public, but only an increase in the profits for producers.
"Unlike the producers, we are not fighting for our second or third homes; we are fighting to keep the one that we have."
For more information
Visit these websites:
www.wgaeast.org