Protest

The SAG/AFTRA Strike Continues on at Warner Brothers Studios

Posted on by The Ultimate Rabbit

It has been a bit, but I finally made the time to walk the picket line in support of the SAG/AFTRA strike. The WGA strike concluded after 148 days after a tentative agreement with the AMPTP was reached, but many of their members still took the time to join the picket line in continued support of the union’s efforts to gain a fair contract. While I have traveled to different strike locations in the past, this one had me returning to Warner Brothers Studios in Burbank, California. This is because I do not often get over the hill (figuratively speaking) to the other side where the valley is.

Actually, this day, October 2, 2023, is a very significant one as the SAG/AFTRA negotiators are set to meet with the AMPTP in an attempt to end this long-running strike once and for all. In the meantime, we still marched up and down Barham Street to make our presence known. The sun was still shining brightly in the sky, but the temperatures have cooled down a bit and there was a nice breeze going on which we really could have used during July and August.

For me, this day allowed me to catch up with friends I have not seen in the longest time (thanks for nothing COVID). It was fantastic running into Madonna Cacciatore and Robin McWilliams, both of whom have been doing fantastic work as strike captains, making sure everyone crosses the street safely and no one gets hurt. In the past, the three of us trained together for the Los Angeles Marathon as part of Team to End AIDS. More importantly, we ran it in 2011 which became forever known as the monsoon marathon as the rain kept pouring down on us with a vengeance.

I also ran into a former neighbor of mine, a screenwriter whose career has unfortunately taken a hit due to the work stoppage. Fortunately, his wife has a big job which has proven to be all consuming, and this allows him to be a stay-at-home dad to his children. Of course, he would like to get back to work soon.

But even as the SAG/AFTRA strike could be reaching an end, another one is set to begin as the union has a authorized a strike against video game companies. I included a quote near the end of this video I edited about my day on this picket line from Ralph Garman, a longtime voiceover artist and host of “The Ralph Report,” who voiced his frustrations with doing video game work, and his remarks speak volumes about how performers are endlessly being taken advantage of.

Please check out the video below and be sure to make a donation to those artists in need.

Walking the WGA and SAG/AFTRA Picket Line at Paramount Studios

Posted on by The Ultimate Rabbit

On July 20, 2023, I did something I had been meaning to do for a long time: walk the picket line alongside members of the Writer’s Guild of America (WGA) and the Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG/AFTRA). Both unions are in a furious labor dispute with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) as streaming has forever changed the landscape of entertainment. The residual deals many actors and writers previously enjoyed are no longer such a thing, and streaming services have not been quick to give out the numbers of viewers or streams their programs have received thus far. Also, with artificial intelligence (AI) on the rise, many careers threaten to be rendered obsolete as those with all the money keep finding new ways to eliminate the human equation. Plus, when you compare the amount of money someone like Bob Iger makes to the average worker, one cannot help but be infuriated by the infinite corporate greed on display. As John Carpenter once said, the 1980’s never left us.

Signing up to walk in the picket line was very easy, and you do not have to be a member of either union to participate. Considering the continued divide between the haves and the have nots and the dangers posed by AI, I encourage you to participate as the technology itself poses dangers not just to acting and writing careers, but to careers in other fields as well. Clearly, many people still need to watch the first two “Terminator” movies to understand what happens when AI becomes self-aware.

It was a privilege to be walking with these people, union and non-union alike, along Melrose Avenue outside of Paramount. It quickly became clear to me of how everybody was looking out for one another, and this was great considering the hot temperatures we are currently enduring. The temperature reached up to around ninety degrees at one point, and there was only so much shade we could hide in. Paramount does not have any Ficus tress outside their studios, but if they did have any, they would already have had them trimmed.

Big applause goes out to the strike captains who made sure everyone was safe and kept everyone in line, and to all those who donated food, water, snacks and tons on sunscreen for us to utilize. You can never wear enough sunscreen on a day like this. I also have to say how much I appreciated everyone crossed the street both safely and legally. These days in Los Angeles, no one seems to know how to cross the friggin’ street anymore.

With the video I shot and edited above, I wanted to show the harmony of the strikers on display as this event has brought Los Angelenos together in ways I have not seen outside of the LA Marathon. Also, this video shows how everyone was looking out for one another, and how everybody was respectful of the rules set out for them. These visuals really do speak for themselves more than words can. Granted, writers can say a lot about the strike too, but we need to pay them more first.

If you are interested in helping out in the strike or want to make a donation, please visit the following websites by clicking down below:

Writers Guild of America

SAG/AFTRA

Motion Picture & Television Fund

Entertainment Community Fund

WGA on Strike

WRITER’S NOTE: For the record, I am not currently a member of the WGA or SAG/AFTRA. This video is my creation alone and is not endorsed by either union or any other organization.