Union Strong, Folks!
I am a proud dues paying member of both the WGA and SAG/AFTRA. In good years I get my insurance coverage from SAG. In really good years I get it from WGA. In bad years I scramble like everyone else. I never take my membership for granted.
We are all striking. Both Unions. Solidarity.
Despite what anyone thinks about Hollywood or show biz and what any of us do out here, we work for a living in a highly competitive business with very specific corporate overlords in most cases. Not everyone makes a lot of money in this racket. Struggle is the norm. In most cases there’s hardly any job security. Unions are important.
Obviously, the issues now are with AI and streaming services. There were concessions made years ago about back-end and residual payments. Some of those issues remain but now we're also dealing with issues of literally owning artists' identities for future use as AI representations and having machines generate actual scripts. Creepy.
I really don’t work much as a writer. It was never my bread and butter. I have written on my own show and sold shows that were never made. My main union is SAG/AFTRA.
The specific issues that SAG/AFTRA is negotiating around are:
- Compensation, which has been eroded with the rise of streaming.
- Rules that need to be updated to account for current structures for both upfront pay and residual payments.
- Artificial Intelligence rules, specifically the need to protect the identities and the work of union members going forward.
SAG/AFTRA was not offered a fair agreement that addresses these terms. In terms of what we can do on the podcast, it’s pretty specific.
While the union is on strike, we will not be booking anyone to promote anything that's the product of the major studios, broadcast television networks, streamers and other members of the AMPTP trade association.
The Union guidelines do say that any pre-banked press appearance that was agreed upon AND completed before the strike date of Thursday, July 13th, is permitted to air or be published.
We have a few interviews that are banked from before the strike and we will still air those interviews to discuss the guest's life and work.
Today's interview with Cillian Murphy was recorded on Tuesday, June 27th. On Thursday I talk to an old comedian friend Michael Rowe about his career in comedy writing and he tells me some good stories.
Enjoy!
Boomer, Monkey and LaFonda live!
Love,
Maron
Solidarity.
