Strike, days 33-36
On Friday night, I went in to WGA headquarters to help load up vans for the coming week.
Part of my motivation was banking hours; loading vans is a four-hour shift, and actually counts as two normal shifts. But my larger goal was to learn more about the infrastructure behind the strike.
Ever since picketing began last month, I’ve been curious where everything comes from, and how all the systems operate.1 After all, the WGA doesn’t normally function as a field organization. It’s mostly people at desks, registering scripts, checking residuals, and dealing with the bureaucracy of running a guild. But suddenly, there are thousands of picket signs, and phone banks, and white vans full of supplies.
Clearly, someone had to set up these logistics. I assumed it was some outside contractor, but no. It’s basically just writers and re-deployed staff. Case in point: Jerome, a blog-reader I met during the first week. On day 13, he oversaw the sign-making session in which I got to demonstrate my facility in duct-taping. He was also in charge of Friday night’s van-loading.
Basically, there’s one van per studio being picketed. There’s a list of what each location needs: X number of signs, X number of insulated orange water coolers, X boxes of snacks, etc. It’s very straightforward. Most nights, you’re really just re-filling supplies, since the same basic stuff should have been returned to the van after picketing.
Last Friday was the big rally at Freemantle, after which stuff got thrown into vans pretty haphazardly. So everything had to be emptied out, then restocked from scratch. No biggie. Honestly, it was nice to have a job that had clearly defined objectives. Unlike picketing, you could see what you’d accomplished. You knew when you were done.
We were midway through the job when word came down that negotiations had broken off. Disappointing? Certainly. But it was strange to be getting this news while readying the vans. No one wants this strike to drag on for months. But I can tell you firsthand: on a systems/process level, it’s surprisingly well-run, with really good morale. No one was ducking out early.
This morning I went back to picket with my usual crew at Paramount. It was the fastest shift so far. I didn’t check the time until 8:20 a.m., at which point I was nearly done. A lot of the conversation centered on preschools, since half of us have kids in that zone.
Tomorrow, I’ll be taking the day off (the second of my two banked days from Friday). Thursday, I’ll be picketing (and speaking) at the Indie Gate at Paramount from 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. After that, there are only two more days of picketing until the winter holidays.
- I’m a process nerd at heart. At dinner parties, I’ve been known to interrogate strangers working in interesting fields, as if trying to construct the database for an expert system to replace them. ↩
Articles
December 11th, 2007 at 1:53 pm
I came up with a theory that the AMPTP intentionally engineered the strike for reasons that have very little to do with writers, and much more to do with TV viewers. They want to see if viewers will tolerate lower quality (and cheaper) shows if that’s all that’s available.
I was wondering what you thought of that. I have more details here.
December 11th, 2007 at 1:57 pm
On an unrelated note, my wife and I were discussing giving out candy canes and/or homemade muffins to picketers. We know that they’re out protecting my rights both as a writer and as a fan of TV and movies.
Would such a gesture be welcome, or is there some reason we shouldn’t do so?
December 11th, 2007 at 11:37 pm
Steve, while your theory is interesting, I don’t think the studios have the balls to pull a stunt like that. There is the very real chance that a strike and the corresponding TV downtime could turn a certain quantity of viewers away from the boob tube forever. The studios wouldn’t risk losing customers like that.
December 12th, 2007 at 4:48 pm
Post picketing brainstorm session?
The Idea of the Writer: A Writing Discussion with David Milch
Thursday 12/13, 1-3pm WGA Theater 135 S. Doheny Drive, Beverly Hills, CA 90211
David Milch (creator “Deadwood,” “NYPD Blue”) will host a discussion at the Writer’s Guild Theater titled “The Idea of the Writer.” There is no cover charge for this event and all are welcome on a first come, first serve basis. Limited parking is available at the theater.
December 14th, 2007 at 8:06 pm
I spent a shift making signs specifically for that Freemantle rally. At first it was just me and a couple other guys, but within a few hours there were about ten of us there, all engaged in taping, stapling, aligning, stacking counting, juggling, joking, gossiping and having a swell time. There were writers from television and film as well as standup comics and even a couple SAG members. That was cool.
I’m back in New Mexico now (I made the drive for a week to help out.) I just wish I had grabbed a few extra signs to have on hand for the pickets we’ve been organizing out here.