In 1976’s Network, Howard Beale famously said, “I’m as mad as hell, and I’m not going to take it anymore!”
As we prepare for next year’s Basic Agreement & Videotape Supplemental Agreement negotiations, there has been a clear demand for change from our members. Our various surveys, town halls, and bargaining committee meetings have highlighted numerous challenges entertainment professionals face at work every day. Workplace abuse, exploited contract loopholes, and all manner of “business first, human last” practices have taken their toll on workers in Hollywood and throughout the entertainment community. The data that we’ve collected is full of cold, hard facts that shed light on these issues and will support the proposals we’ll bring to the bargaining table next year. Our members have made it clear. They’re as mad as hell, and they’re not going to take it anymore!
All of this coincides with a remarkable month for the labor movement. “I’ve seen several clever names for it, though I am partial to “Striketober.” United Auto Workers, the culinary workers, and casino workers in Michigan all reached historic agreements for better terms and conditions of their employment. That is to say nothing of the gains made by our brothers, sisters, and kin in the WGA and SAG-AFTRA. “We’ve seen more than three hundred strikes so far this year, with more than 450,000 workers standing up for the belief that they deserve better.” Working people in this country are reclaiming their power.
And we’re far from finished. Workers continue to stand in solidarity as a united labor movement so that every worker can benefit from our movement. Labor is united. Labor is strong. Labor is here.
Or, to put it another way, “We’re as mad as hell, and we’re not going to take it anymore!”
In Solidarity,
Scott Bernard, Business Representative
scottb@local695.com