Breaching Contracts

The L.A. Times had a an article this morning about show runners (those are writer-producers of television series) and how conflicted some of them are:

... They feel torn between their dual loyalty to the guild and to their programs. Most aren't working but a few are doing otherwise, cutting and editing episodes written before the strike began ...

I think it's admirable that these folks are doing their best to honor their union and the people who work for them. And it can't be made easier by things like this:

[Showrunner Edward] Bernero, a former Chicago police officer and son of a union truck driver, has not worked despite receiving a letter threatening legal action from CBS for breaching his contract.

Ah yes. The studios are getting all nipply over contract breaches during a job action.

Let me tell you a little something about "breach of contract."

Eight or nine years ago, a major employer was cutting a bunch of animators loose despite the fact that each had six to fourteen months left to go on his or her term deal. Some employees knuckled under and went along. Others balked.

The studio rep I dealt with got kind of huffy at those renegades who didn't drink the Kool Aid. You know, there was something wrong with them for not agreeing to cut their throats economically and take the three or four weeks of buy-out on a twelve-month personal service contract like the corporate overlords wanted.

So pardon me about not being overly sympathetic to the studios' threats and brow-beating now that the roles are reversed.