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What's up with these "tantalizing tv/streaming deals" that this Tumblr post was vaugeposting about? And what does this have to do with worker solidarity? (self.OutOfTheLoop)
submitted 1d ago by La_knavo4
I saw this Tumblr post vaugepost about some "deals" and "workers rights" and "scabs"???
Can anyone explain what this is about?
Can anyone explain what this is about?
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andersoortigeik 35 points 1d ago
Answer: It's related to the current strikes in Hollywood. The writers and actors unions in the US are currently on strike, so they're not working.
The idea of a strike is that if everyone stops working, the company can't function. The company generally tries to get around this by hiring people who aren't in the union. These people are called scabs. Is every worker is stands together union or not and doesn't work (the solidarity they're talking about) they'll be in a far better position to negotiate.
This vague tumblr post is alleging that big Hollywood production companies are trying to hire youtubers to work anyway. If those youtubers would take the offer, they would be scabbing, therefore making it harder for the writers and actors to negotiate for higher pay.
The idea of a strike is that if everyone stops working, the company can't function. The company generally tries to get around this by hiring people who aren't in the union. These people are called scabs. Is every worker is stands together union or not and doesn't work (the solidarity they're talking about) they'll be in a far better position to negotiate.
This vague tumblr post is alleging that big Hollywood production companies are trying to hire youtubers to work anyway. If those youtubers would take the offer, they would be scabbing, therefore making it harder for the writers and actors to negotiate for higher pay.
NuclearLunchDectcted 24 points 1d ago
To add context, the big Hollywood people have stated publicly that they are going to let the writers and actors starve until they come crawling back and accept whatever bullshit they're offered. The current plan is to go with shitty reality shows, which I assume the post in the OP is referring to streamers that are basically livestreaming reality shows.
OneGoodRib -1 points 17h ago
The big Hollywood people know that most of the actors have enough money that they could just stop working right now and never do any job of any kind ever again and wouldn't starve, right?
Actually, do the ACTORS know that?
Actually, do the ACTORS know that?
andersoortigeik 6 points 16h ago
No most actors don't have that kind of money. Why do you think that?
Far_Administration41 5 points 16h ago
You are living in dreamland. Most actors struggle to put food on the table. Big famous actors have money, yes, but they are a minority. Only something like 20% of actors are working at any given time. The rest are doing minimum wage jobs to get by while trying to get work in their chosen field.
ZachPruckowski 1 points 3h ago
So, this is a common misconception. Strikes like the Writers' Strike or the Actors' Strike are less about the big name folks who make high hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars per year, and more about the lower-level or just-starting-out folks. For every actor with a fancy mansion, there are 5-10 living in a moderately nice house they have to keep working to afford the mortgage on, and 40-50 struggling to pay rent on apartments.
One of the major Writers' Guild complaints is that studios are making writers rooms smaller - instead of a showrunner and a full room of people it's a showrunner and a couple people. Which is annoying from the PoV of more work, but it's also a problem in that being in a writers room and getting maybe one episode a season is how writers start out their careers, and it's a stable middle-income job.
Similarly, on the actors side, it's the extras and the guest stars and the recurring folks who are the focus of SAG-AFTRA's attention, not the big guys. Nobody is seriously going to digitize Florence Pugh and insert her hologram into a movie, but that's a thing they're trying to do to some extras - pay them for one day, scan their bodies, and then reuse those digital bodies whenever/wherever.
One of the major Writers' Guild complaints is that studios are making writers rooms smaller - instead of a showrunner and a full room of people it's a showrunner and a couple people. Which is annoying from the PoV of more work, but it's also a problem in that being in a writers room and getting maybe one episode a season is how writers start out their careers, and it's a stable middle-income job.
Similarly, on the actors side, it's the extras and the guest stars and the recurring folks who are the focus of SAG-AFTRA's attention, not the big guys. Nobody is seriously going to digitize Florence Pugh and insert her hologram into a movie, but that's a thing they're trying to do to some extras - pay them for one day, scan their bodies, and then reuse those digital bodies whenever/wherever.
ZachPruckowski 2 points 3h ago
>This vague tumblr post is alleging that big Hollywood production companies are trying to hire youtubers to work anyway. If those youtubers would take the offer, they would be scabbing, therefore making it harder for the writers and actors to negotiate for higher pay.
Also worth pointing out that it's a poisoned chalice as well - scabs can't get Union cards\[1\]. Which means that once the strike ends, unless the guilds are completely and utterly broken, you're getting the boot and you're further away from any Hollywood dreams you might've had. You'll be banned from working on an unionized film or tv show, which basically limits you to cheap reality TV. And a lot of writers or actors will see you as a traitor or corporate stooge, rather limiting your networking reach.
​
\[1\] - as a general rule. Maybe there's some sort of amnesty mechanism or fine you can pay, but the unions see it as betraying your fellow writers, so getting in their good graces is hard.
Also worth pointing out that it's a poisoned chalice as well - scabs can't get Union cards\[1\]. Which means that once the strike ends, unless the guilds are completely and utterly broken, you're getting the boot and you're further away from any Hollywood dreams you might've had. You'll be banned from working on an unionized film or tv show, which basically limits you to cheap reality TV. And a lot of writers or actors will see you as a traitor or corporate stooge, rather limiting your networking reach.
​
\[1\] - as a general rule. Maybe there's some sort of amnesty mechanism or fine you can pay, but the unions see it as betraying your fellow writers, so getting in their good graces is hard.
Shadowsole 15 points 1d ago
Answer: Okay so a few months ago the writers guild of America striked over contracts, so all the writers that have been writing shows movies etc aren't working right now. Additionally last week the Screen actors guild also striked so now all the actors aren't working.
This has pretty much halted Hollywood.
These guilds have quite a bit of power, i'm not 100% sure on the details but the contract makes it that most of not all actors/writers on a production company need to be part of the guild. The contract also deals with pay, residuals, they're unions.
When a strike happens all the members of a union have to stop working for the companies that they are striking against. If you go against this rule you are "crossing the picket line" and are kicked out of the union. If you aren't part of the union you will be barred from ever joining. People who do this anyway are "scabs" and are heavily looked down upon because they weaken strikes.
Hollywood would absolutely love right now for a bunch of non union workers to become scabs so they can continue writing and producing shows.
YouTubers are a tempting target to be offered acting jobs and deals to cross the picket line as most wouldn't be part of SAG and could see this as a big break.
Theoretically if enough skill could be found the production companies could turn to the strikers and say we don't need you anymore and stop discussions the unions would lose a lot of their power and dissolve. This is bad for future actors or writers.
If the strike ends with a new contract and a YouTuber became a scab they would then be forced out of Hollywood as they would be barred from joining the guilds.
This has pretty much halted Hollywood.
These guilds have quite a bit of power, i'm not 100% sure on the details but the contract makes it that most of not all actors/writers on a production company need to be part of the guild. The contract also deals with pay, residuals, they're unions.
When a strike happens all the members of a union have to stop working for the companies that they are striking against. If you go against this rule you are "crossing the picket line" and are kicked out of the union. If you aren't part of the union you will be barred from ever joining. People who do this anyway are "scabs" and are heavily looked down upon because they weaken strikes.
Hollywood would absolutely love right now for a bunch of non union workers to become scabs so they can continue writing and producing shows.
YouTubers are a tempting target to be offered acting jobs and deals to cross the picket line as most wouldn't be part of SAG and could see this as a big break.
Theoretically if enough skill could be found the production companies could turn to the strikers and say we don't need you anymore and stop discussions the unions would lose a lot of their power and dissolve. This is bad for future actors or writers.
If the strike ends with a new contract and a YouTuber became a scab they would then be forced out of Hollywood as they would be barred from joining the guilds.
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