Day 3 On The Picket Lines

Other labor leaders are coalescing around the writer's strike because they know that a hig-profile action like this will have positive benefits for them, and might actually start a conversation about union representation in America. If the adage of "If it's not on TV, it didn't happen" holds true, then "If it's stopping TV, it's REALLY happening" holds even truer. Joss Whedon explains:

“The trappings of a union protest…” You see how that works? Since we aren’t real workers, this isn’t a real union issue. (We’re just a guild!) [...] this IS a union issue, one that will affect not just artists but every member of a community that could find itself at the mercy of a machine that absolutely and unhesitatingly would dismantle every union, remove every benefit, turn every worker into a cowed wage-slave in the singular pursuit of profit. (There is a machine. Its program is ‘profit’. This is not a myth.) This is about a fair wage for our work. No different than any other union. The teamsters have recognized the importance of this strike, for which I’m deeply grateful. Hopefully the Times will too.

I love the cross-union solidarity that this strike has engendered. It's not just the Teamsters; Steve Carell single-handedly shut down The Office, for example. And now Hillary Clinton has joined other Democratic Presidential hopefuls with a strong statement of support.

"I support the Writers Guild's pursuit of a fair contract that pays them for their work in all mediums. I hope the producers and writers will return to the bargaining table to work out an equitable contract that keeps our entertainment industry strong and recognizes the contributions writers make to the success of the industry."

No talks have been scheduled, as the studios appear to be preferring a "bleed them out" strategy, despite the WGA already conceding on expanding DVD residuals. While I still feel that jurisdiction and expanding membership should be a strong part of any final deal, clearly the writers deserve a fair share of the profits they are instrumental in creating.