Steve On Broadway (SOB)

Say What????

Say What????

With all the entertainment related strike activity ranging from the Broadway stagehands --Local One of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (I.A.T.S.E.) strike against The League of American Theatres and Producers -- to the Writers Guild of America (W.G.A.) action against television and film studios, you'd think that the two unions would be completely simpatico.

Guess again.

The very same Tom Short of IATSE, who authorized the stagehands strike last week, has blasted the WGA -- now in its 10th day of striking -- for depriving IATSE's studio workers of jobs!

According to Variety, "Short has taken a shot at the Writers Guild of America and accused its leaders of being strike-happy."

In a letter to WGA West President Patric Verrone, Short writes:

It's time to put egos aside and recognize how crucial it is to get everyone back to work, before there is irreversible damage from which this industry can never recover.

More [shutdown shows] will come. Thousands are losing their jobs every day. The IATSE alone has over 50,000 members working in motion picture, television and broadcasting and tens of thousands more are losing jobs in related fields.

When I phoned you on Nov. 28, 2006, to ask you to reconsider the timing of negotiations, you refused...It now seems that you were intending that there be a strike no matter what you were offered, or what conditions the industry faced when your contract expired at the end of Ocotberr [sic].

Where's the solidarity of union brotherhood?

This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).

Labels: International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, League of American Theatres and Producers, Local One, Lockout, Stagehands, Strike, Writers Guild of America

posted by Steve On Broadway (SOB) @ Wednesday, November 14, 2007