Last week, actors joined screenwriters on the picket lines in the first dual strike from the two unions in more than six decades.
The writers have been on strike since May 2 after contract negotiations between their union, the Writers Guild of America (WGA), and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) broke down.
According to the union, AMPTP refused to guarantee any level of weekly employment in episodic television, created a “day rate” in comedy variety writing, and stonewalled discussions over free work for screenwriters and the use of artificial intelligence.
“They have closed the door on their labor force and opened the door to writing as an entirely freelance profession,” the union said. “No such deal could ever be contemplated by this membership.”
The actors, represented by the Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA), joined the picket lines last week after negotiations with AMPTP stalled over similar issues of working conditions, pay and the use of artificial intelligence.
“The eyes of the world, and particularly the eyes of labor, are upon us,” actor and SAG-AFTRA president Fran Drescher said at a news conference in Los Angeles announcing the strike order. “What happens here is important, because what’s happening to us is happening across all fields of labor.”
“This is a moment of history that is a moment of truth,” she continued. “If we don’t stand tall right now, we are all going to be in trouble. We are all going to be in jeopardy of being replaced by machines.”
One week after Drescher’s fiery speech, both WGA and SAG-AFTRA made sure their actions matched her words, showing up in force for Wednesday morning’s UPS Teamsters practice picket outside of a UPS hub building in downtown Los Angeles.
As URL Media partner Prism reported earlier this month, unionized UPS workers across the country are prepared to strike if UPS and the Teamsters cannot come to an agreement by Aug. 1.
The union is calling for an increase in starting pay for part-time workers from the minimum wage rate of $15.50 per hour to $25 per hour, and the abolition of a class of lower-paid full-time workers. The group is also calling for an end to mandatory overtime, unfair disciplinary procedures and the use of surveillance cameras in delivery trucks.
The union seemed poised for a strike at the start of the week, but UPS informed them it was willing to resume negotiations after Wednesday’s practice picket in an effort to avert the strike of roughly 340,000 Teamsters-represented UPS workers, and the ripple effect that would have on the logistics industry.
Union-represented UPS pilots — represented by an entity separate from the Teamsters — said they would not cross the picket line and fly if the Teamsters drivers and package sorters walk off the job, resulting in the immediate shutdown of the company’s global air operations.
Of all the unions operating in the U.S., the Teamsters are known for their unwavering support of all workers, because they understand that the fight for better working conditions is a universal fight.
In the words of International Brotherhood of Teamsters Western Region Vice President Lindsay Dougherty, “Los Angeles labor is united, and no greedy-ass employers can break us. When we fight, we win.”
