How to Help Workers on Strike
Plus sexy hobbit photos!!!
I tried to write a thoughtful essay about emotional safety or art or something but got distracted by eating salt and pepper fried shrimp and explaining Tree Paine to my best friend from college (thank you
for serving as a key academic resource). Anyway, instead I’ve got some general ways you can help workers on strike.A very brief primer on strikes in general
First, if you want to skip all this and just head straight to the Labor section of the Zinn Education Project site, I get it. You will miss important photos of me looking like Bilbo Baggins, but I get it.
You might already know all of this (plus much more than I do - leave recommendations in the comments, Ghost of Howard Zinn!) Still, here’s a simple little guide. Every union is organized a little differently, but there are some common aspects. One is the most basic and effective tool for collective bargaining: going on strike.
When folks agree as a group to leave the job site and hit the picket lines, there’s often a lot of early excitement. Depending on how much their labor affects local, state, national or international economic activity, there may also be a lot of early media coverage. This often dies down if the strike drags on for awhile. But these workers still need us!
Now, if these workers provide services that many people find indispensable - for example, transit workers in a city that relies on public transportation - the work stoppage may lead to negotiations and a deal rather quickly - or not.
Often, a strike goes on for awhile. Never underestimate the willingness of the folks in power to abuse and discard the workers on whom they depend and to attempt to replace them as soon as possible.
A very brief intro to the current WGA strike
Because a lot of film and TV projects are already in the can waiting to be shown to you, it can take awhile for viewers to feel the difference in what’s being provided for your entertainment. It’s totally understandable. That’s part of why so many WGA members keep talking about the strike on our social media.
It’s also why this thing might last a good long while. Our last strike, from November 2007 - February 2008, went on for over 100 days. Our current strike has hit Day 50.
Each entertainment guild does its own deal with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP). The Directors Guild of America (DGA) recently reached an accord that enables their members to continue working. The Screen Actors Guild - American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA), of which I am also a member, is currently in negotiations with the AMPTP.
Thus far, the AMPTP has refused to speak further with our union. Here’s WGA negotiating committee co-chair Chris Keyser in a Deadline article from today:
“All it would take [is] for them to say, ‘We are ready to have a conversation about reasonable demands to fix what’s broken,’ and they’ve refused to do it,” Keyser said of the AMPTP. “They hide behind an excuse so they can only negotiate with one guild at a time, but that’s nonsense. Disney can run cruise ships and theme parks and movies and TV shows all of the time. They can certainly talk to two guilds at the same time. They do it on purpose.”
A very brief primer on why/how I’m a union member
I work at a healthcare nonprofit as a digital marketer, trying to craft compelling messages for mobile, email, and our website to get more people to help us help sick and injured folks here in the US of A. I get a lot out of this job beyond just the paycheck and health insurance (although I am grateful for and need those things, too!) This is not a WGA or SAG-AFTRA job.
I’m also an author, writing coach, and tutor. These aren’t union jobs, either. We’re getting there!
I’m a WGA member because I have developed and/or adapted three of my books for film and TV, and because I’ve been in a TV writers room and done a few other WGA contract gigs. Once in awhile, I act on TV, and that’s why I’m in SAG-AFTRA.
Believe it or not, there are a lot of people like me in both unions. Some of us have a full-time job outside the industry but dip into entertainment stuff here and there; some of us have two full-time jobs and lead a sleepless Batman With Fewer Weird Toys and Bruce Wayne With Fewer Dollars type of half-unusual, half-conventional lifestyle; some of us juggle several entertainment gigs; some of us are entirely unemployed at the moment; some of us are partly or mostly retired; some of us mostly work at home doing childcare and/or eldercare for our families, but pick up acting or writing jobs when we can.
Because most pickets take place during my work day, and because my fellow employees and I agree to not do political or outside union work on our organization’s time, I do not often show up for picket activities. I’ve done it a couple times so far, when I was able to use vacation time to do so.
I have my eye on doing a 5 AM to 9 AM picket shift soon, and I will be bringing rocket fuel level homemade cold brew coffee for the line and taking photos of the damn sunrise like a sunrise tourist. This is also a nice chance to say good morning to various Teamsters, who do not cross picket lines.
Photo break! Let’s take a moment away from all this text. Here are some photos of me (FULL HOBBIT HAIRCUT LOOK AT IT) and some friends getting our steps in with signs we pulled out of a giant bag. Not to besmirch our signs, which are delightful, but you’ll see some award-worthy work over on WGA Strike Signs.
I’m smiling in these photos because I’m happy to be in the sun with Oren, Erika, Dave, Neil, Brian and everybody else like a proper pansexual adventure hobbit instead of in my usual work-from-home Gollum form.
But I know that folks who do this every weekday are getting pretty fucking tired, and they could use all our help.
How you can help ANY workers on strike
Boost their cause on social media - This is very easy. Check out WGA East and WGA West for more info. Most unions are pretty good about updating their social media with strike support info, especially since it’s the easiest and most cost-effective way to get the word out.
Support their strike fund and/or a related nonprofit/mutual aid fund - Most unions can refer you to a dedicated fund for striking workers and their families. In our case, The Entertainment Community Fund seeks to help everyone in entertainment, not just folks in NYC and LA (and not just union members, either.) They have a special initiative to support film and TV workers in need.
If permitted, join them on the picket line - If you’re willing, ready and able to obey the union’s rules of behavior and conduct (no fighting, no biting, no drinking, no drugging, etc.) you may be able to join the picket line in support of striking workers. Check with specific unions and their workers ahead of time, or just politely ask in person. There will typically be a strike leader or captain on site at any picket line. The WGA Contract 2023 site lists ways you can be of help.
Bring snacks - Walking around for hours means people get hungry and thirsty. While unions typically provide food and water for their workers, there’s nothing like a delicious donation from a kind community member. When we were at the NBC Upfronts, the NBC pages bought a bunch of Dunkin Donuts for us. In terms of specificity alone, it was a pure and beautiful East Coast moment.
If somebody brought either homemade tamales or rhubarb pie to any picket line where I was present, I would pledge my life to that individual. I am not alone in being this food-motivated, so get creative and support your favorite union workers with carbs!
Honk and wave - This is also super easy. If you’re driving by, honk and give a friendly wave. It’s very weird how much this picks up the human spirit, but it does, I swear.
One more way to help
Try offering your services to striking workers. Are you a CPA or certified financial planner willing to help striking workers for low or no cost? Are you a dentist willing to give a discount to workers on strike, even just for a standard cleaning?
Hell, maybe you’re a personal organizer or experienced babysitter willing to donate some time to a stressed-out parent who is juggling childcare, picket line duties, mounting bills and ever-growing piles of laundry.
I’m on a group thread with a bunch of women who work in film and TV, and I sent them an email offering to do a few hours of free essay tutoring (if we can make it work schedule-wise) for any rising 7th-12th graders who also happen to be the kids of WGA members. I have an M.A.T. in English from Teachers College at Columbia University, I like working with kids, and I have Zoom.
Plus, it’ll make me feel better about not being able to hit those picket lines so much (selfish altruism!) If you’re a WGA member as well and you’re an interested parent or guardian, email me at saratoninnewsletter@gmail.com and we’ll see if we can schedule something.
In conclusion
Again, some of you probably have more wisdom to share than I do and are well-versed in the ways of union things, Dolores Clara Fernández Huerta (if this 93-year-old heroine were a subscriber to this very newsletter I would surely pass out from shock, joy, and also embarrassment at not having done a better job so far!)
Even if you are not Dolores Huerta, feel free to leave your recommendations in the comments, Ghost of Studs Terkel (I would be more intimidated if Dolores did but would still be intimidated by Ghost Studs).
I’ll probably be back to silly pop culture recommendations mixed with obsessive ranting about history audiobooks soon.
Look at my hair one more time!
Love,
Sara