Surviving the Strike(s)

The hopeful signs of an end to the WGA strike are in the air, but it hasn't ended yet:

... Patric Verrone, Dave Young and John Bowman -- the WGA leadership involved in Friday's breakthrough session of the writer-mogul talks with Peter Chernin and Bob Iger -- are recommending the deal hashed out Friday and briefed the guild's negotiating committee today. There is also a regularly scheduled WGA board meeting today, and the leadership may brief the board about the deal but that's not certain. I hear no one at the top of the guild will be asked to vote on the deal today. That can't happen until the deal is drafted, and there's the rub. I'm told that if something, or someone, gets tricky with the language or terms, then writing down what was agreed to becomes a major haggle. "Everything needs to be in writing. So there's still a possibility that this thing could get f*cked" ...

Literally tens of thousands of "below-the-line" film workers have been affected by the writers' strike. Even in a best-case scenario of a quick settlement with the WGA, we still have to worry about the Screen Actors Guild contract which expires this summer.

If you're a member of the Animation Guild or any other IATSE union, and if you have been laid off (or are facing layoff) because of the WGA strike, the IATSE, the Animation Guild and other agencies have coordinated a number of assistance resources.

This Friday, February 8, starting at 9:30 am, there will be a Strike Survival Seminar at IATSE Local 80, 2520 W. Olive Ave. (corner Buena Vista) in Burbank. This seminar will be held regardless of whether the strike is settled this week.

Representatives from the Motion Picture and Television Fund Social Services, the Actors Fund and the LA County Federation of Labor Utility Assistance Program will be available to answer questions.

Registration is at 9:30 am and the seminar starts at 10 am. Space is limited and is on a first-come, first-served basis. Parking is also limited; follow the attendants’ instructions to access validated parking.

For further information, visit TAG’s strike assistance page.