Today, Tuesday, 11/20/07, Los Angeles will experience a labor rally in support of the WGA strike. Marching west on Hollywood Boulevard from Ivar and gathering in front of Grauman's Chinese Theater, thousands upon thousands will join together to celebrate the importance of labor unions in American life.
And how will you know about this momentous occasion? You'll have to be there.
At the last rally in front of Fox Studios, 4,000 writers and their supporters marched and rallied, but when you watched the evening news, you'd never know it . There was plenty of time that night to talk about lost kittens but nothing about the peaceful march that closed down Pico Boulevard and Avenue of the Stars.
Today's rally marks a crucial juncture: a mass demonstration of our strength before the negotiations restart.
On that Monday after Thanksgiving, when the WGA and AMPTP sit down again, the moment is ripe for progress. Both sides will have the chance to move past their posturing and work out a fair deal.
Both sides are coming back to the table because stopping work hurts everyone.
Showrunners and screenwriters have had to walk away from projects they're passionate about. Members of SAG, the DGA, IATSE, and the Teamsters watch their shows go dark and their paychecks stop, when there are no more scripts to film.
For the AMPTP there may be short-term advantages in force majeur, but they are in the business of entertainment and it doesn't help that business when popular TV shows are in reruns and blockbuster movies don't go into production because the scripts aren't ready to shoot.
Today's rally is important because we will see a show of strength from LA's unions. The protections, benefits, and fellowship of unions is vital to the health of our industry and Los Angeles.
Today's rally is important for the AMPTP as well because there can't be a successful negotiation if one side dismisses the value of the other.
For three weeks the studios have seen the steady resolve of the writers on the picket line. Over the past month the press has been forced to acknowledge that the public overwhelmingly supports the writers.
Today's rally will visualize all that and more.
And past all the speeches and the chants, the AMPTP will hear the message loud and clear. You must negotiate with us. We are your partners.
And seeing through the AMPTP's dismissive, bitter statements, the writers know that even though we've marshalled an unprecedented show of strength, the strike is about specifics. We want a fair deal. This isn't a rebellion, it's a negotiation. We're empowered for a purpose.
Today LA will see and hear all that in front of Grauman's Chinese Theater. And if the local news won't broadcast the rally, watch it on Google Earth.
No comments:
Post a Comment