During these holy days, let us remember ...
Exodus is a story about cruel labor conditions, workers' rights, and strong leaders, making Passover's hero a shop steward for the ages ...
Millions of families around the world, including my own, will sit down together this weekend for Passover Seder to read and celebrate the story of the Jews freeing themselves from enslavement. Independence is an important and powerful part of the story. But I think we're also celebrating something else: the first great moment in labor history.
Seriously.
The parallels come easily. The workers (Israelites) asked their union rep (Moses) to stand up to the boss (Pharaoh) about their terrible working conditions. In Exodus: Chapter 5, the boss denied Moses and doubled the workers' load. ...
Labor issues are remarkably similar through time.
Too much work. Too little rest. Brutal labor conditions. Meager pay.
Through much of human history, most people's lives have been brutish and short. The Top Dogs might live in splendid luxury, but everybody else is down in the muck and mire, scratching out a living. And dying at thirty-five.
It's recorded that a Roman Centurion, between wars, lived on a one acre farm with his wife and five kids, trying to make ends meet. The centurion's life was not untypical of how the lower classes lived.
The Dark Ages were a time of poverty for most. The Renaissance ... and rising incomes ... happened because plagues wiped out so much of the population that wages rose for the few survivors. (When workers are scarce, salaries go up. Adam Smith's supply and demand thingie.)
In the twentieth century, labor laws in the U.S and Europe helped unions get a toe hold, spread pensions and health care to the huddled masses yearning to make a buck, and generally strengthened the Middle Class.
That era has now receded somewhat, and the strong middle with it. So it's good to remember that the struggle between the many and the wealthy few have been going on for a lengthy while now.
"Oh Mary, don't you weep, don't mourn,
Oh Mary, don't you weep, don't mourn*,
Pharoah's army got drownded, oh Mary don't you weep."
* Although the subtitles say "... don't you weep no more," I believe Springsteen is singing "... don't mourn."
Posts
53 comments:
...but can either of the two Steves carrying the banner of TAG somehow part the Red Sea? Can they draw water from a stone? Or call forth manna from above? Let's hope we have not aligned ourselves with false & profiteering prophets.
Part the Red Sea? They can't even figure out a solution to all the unpaid overtime.
Yep, you guys are really like the Hebrews in the Exodus. You whine about your poor treatment and don't want to do anything about it and expect someone to come along and save your asses when if you could only stand together you wouldn't need a savior and you could do it yourselves. They complained every time Moses tried to help them. And then, even after someone fixes your situation, at the first sign of trouble you want to go running back to the safety of your slave-owners. If you're foolish enough to wait for a savior to solve problems you should be able to solve you've already lost.
There's a reason that Moses name is never mentioned in the Haggadah. It's not about him!
Let my people go? Let yourselves go!
This is the dumbest conversation on this site ever - and that's saying a lot.
I love how people prance around acting like the solution is easy, and without risk. Sure Yaweh, just remember when you point the finger you have three more pointing back at you.
The difference between moses and the union is that mose succeeded at his task despite the obstacles.
For what it's worth, things are changing. Some of the VFX folks I know who were once skeptical of unions now want a union to look out for VFX artists.
It has something to do with more and more VFX folks getting treated like disposable crap with inadequate compensation while VFX-heavy films themselves continue to rake in ungodly amounts of money.
They can't even figure out a solution to all the unpaid overtime.
But of course we have a solution.
1) Stop falsifying time cards. (Against the law.)
2) Ask for authorized o.t. from supervisors.
3) File grievance when o.t. is unpaid.
4) Ask the business rep to come into studio and police late work at studios.
5) Don't take work home.
Solutions.
"They can't even figure out a solution to all the unpaid overtime."
A stupid thing to say. The solutions are talked about all the time. The fact that people are working unpaid is only a reflection of their character.
"...but can either of the two Steves carrying the banner of TAG somehow part the Red Sea? Can they draw water from a stone?"
No they cant draw water, they only draw checks. One is derived from the fact that he is elected, and the other at the moment is not. Perhaps that can change, and for the better, it would make him vulnerable to a vote.
"Millions of families around the world, including my own, will sit down together this weekend for Passover Seder"
I dont see why people bring up their religion like its a nationality. This particular one tells me only one thing, and it doesnt have anything to do with girls.
"But of course we have a solution.
1) Stop falsifying time cards. (Against the law.)
2) Ask for authorized o.t. from supervisors.
3) File grievance when o.t. is unpaid.
4) Ask the business rep to come into studio and police late work at studios.
5) Don't take work home.
Solutions."
Yes, but what you seem to always fail to realize is that:
1) It's not a solution because it's impractical.
2) Repeating that mantra isn't working.
So it's no solution at all.
Have you ever tried any of those things? Do you know anyone who's been fired for doing any of those things?
Didn't think so.
Big difference? The Union is real. While the bible is a fairy tale.
what you seem to always fail to realize is that:
1) It's not a solution because it's impractical.
2) Repeating that mantra isn't working.
So it's no solution at all.
Here's an idea. Me, the actual person not hiding behind anonymity invites any union member now working unpaid overtime to lunch.
Call me at: 818-845-7500.
We'll set a date and I'll give you a dozen other solutions that will keep you out of harm's way.
But you have to call. And reveal yourself. And explain your issue.
And I'll keep your identity absolutely secret.
(I've made this offer a number of times before. So far, no takers. But I'm ever hopeful.)
818-845-7500.
It's far too late for me to do that. You see, I followed your advice years ago and now I'm blacklisted and no one will hire me. It's all well and good to chant "Stand up for yourself!" until you find yourself unable to afford your car payments. Thanks for the stellar advice, Steve.
Heed my warning, people. Accept that animation is a shitty industry but it's better than working in fast food. The union can't help you once you're labeled a troublemaker, so keep your mouths shut and don't make waves. I wish I had.
You see, I followed your advice years ago and now I'm blacklisted and no one will hire me.
This, I seriously doubt.
The difference between moses and the union is that mose succeeded at his task despite the obstacles.
Also, he was a sadistic mass murderer who killed people randomly, and wrote some of the biggest lies ever put to parchment. Yes, I'm talking about Moses.
d
Um... Steve, it's 100% true. You'd know it was true if you had any clue what it was really like working in this industry. I'd invite you over to my shithole apartment to see the wreck my life has become for standing up for myself, but I'm too embarassed. I need to take medication just to get out of bed in the morning. So don't you dare doubt me you out-of-it bastard.
There could be other reasons you're out of work;for ex., your performance was not up to par,who knows... Blaming other people for your troubles does not solve the problem.
However, this industry does suck!
d.
Until I started standing up for myself with regard to unpaid overtime I was in constant demand.
It's unethical for studios to expect employees to work unpaid overtime. It's also unethical for employees to work unpaid overtime, because this affects everyone else!
Well I feel much better now. I may be eating rice every night, but at least I'm ethical.
Your story is bogus. IF you were "in constant demand" as you say you would get away with standing up for yourself and not suffer some imaginary blacklisting.
Blacklisting can exist at one studio if you piss someone off, by I can guarantee you the other studios will not care. Either you can do the work or you can't.
You have other issues as we all can tell from your whiny self pitying rants prove.
Since your life sucks so much you might as well come out of your anonymous closet if what you say is true so someone here can verify what you say - if it is true...
Allow me to note:
All the anonymous posters who have lost jobs? Might well be true, but since I don't know who they are, and since none have phoned or e-mailed, I have no way of knowing.
Again: 818-845-7500
I don't care if you believe me or not.
I don't believe or disbelieve. It's unknowable.
jolly
The only ones I've ever seen come close to "blacklisted" in this industry are total hacks.
Whatever helps you sleep at night.
I'd lay off getting down on someone who is feeling so bad if I were you. If its not true, then what does it hurt? But if it is, your sailing into the guy just might push him over the edge, as it does happen in this industry as well as all others. Do you want to be responsible for that? I'm only coming from the POV that at the moment Im not there, and this anomonous poster might be so, and needs help, as we all do. You are not helping. Steve, whether he enjoys it or not, cant help. He doesnt want to or have to. He is a writer of prose, and his prose opens up discussions such as this. He really doesnt know what artists go through because he is not one, but he is the friend of too many. Will be sorry to see him go someday, as the monkey two doors down who takes his place will be a friend to nobody. So bad-feeling dude, keep the faith. There is hope and help out there, you just gotta be strong and take resposibility again and again and again. You've done it this far, just keep going.
Yeah, because making all of this up would just have tremendous value to me. Christ what a horrible industry this is. Thank you union leaders and union brothers.
Christ what a horrible industry this is.
Animation ain't got nothing on the VFX industry. I know one VFX artist who's broke, another VFX artist who's blind, a frightened VFX artist who almost committed suicide and a VFX artist who is now dead because our industry won't protect its artists with health insurance.
>Christ what a horrible industry this is. Thank you union leaders and union brothers
Such Bullshit. Just anonymous clap-trap from those who want to stir shit on this blog.
You're so mad at Hulett and TAG, give us your name. Let's hear your sob story, hack.
Christ what a horrible industry this is. Thank you union leaders and union brothers.
Uhm, what are we supposed to do if you won't give one iota of detail of the troubles you've seen?
Artists in this industry are pitted against each other for their jobs, true. However, claiming one is blacklisted yet can't or won't say how or why doesn't really break that wall of insecurity, does it.
I gave you all the details you need to know. I was an in demand animator until I followed steve's advice by standing up for myself and now I'm blacklisted and broke. And my plight has been met with such an utter lack of sympathy from my so-called union brothers how can you blame me for wanting to stay anonymous?
Ya' see, you really don't want to help yourself. I'm a director looking to hire someone very soon and I don't care about blacklists (despite your weird feeling that all you have to do is piss one studio off and you're through with every studio), but I can't give you any consideration whatsoever because you want to play this "miserable me" game.
I know plenty of seasoned professionals that probably should be blacklisted if there were such a thing. But they always seem to find work despite their failing at one job after another.
I don't buy that you managed to land on a magical blacklist that everyone uses and it keeps you from working because you insisted on standing up for your legal rights.
My misery is not a game.
I have a hunch this is not true. My feeling this is some corporate shill trying to scare people into doing unpaid OT, or suffer the consequences, as it were.
Again, it is unethical for employees to do unpaid overtime. The misfortune of some anonymous artists is unfortunate and sad, but that does not change the principle mentioned already.
If this industry sucks, well, it's not the only line of work you can perform, isn't it?
d
Remember, jesus was a socialist community organizer.
Yeshua was an apocalyptic rabbi who pissed off the Sanhedrin in Palestine. Then, later some supernatural claims have been made about him, which resulted in the myth some of us have bought into....
read Bart Ehrman. He's awesome!
d
Bart Ehrman is fun. And of course, he's right. The bible has changed over time again and again to fit the contemporary fears and fortunes. It is extremely fallible.
In the best sense, it is a fairy tale.
I gave you all the details you need to know. I was an in demand animator until I followed steve's advice by standing up for myself and now I'm blacklisted and broke.
Feature films? Direct-to-video? Hand animated? CGI? In town? Union shop with something resembling a non-slave industry reputation? Was the production well-organized in terms of schedule and meeting deadlines and quality of work, or did it have rapid turnover of talent because it was a hot mess? How many directors were fired from the production? What happened after you called the union to file a grievance and the union contacted the production? What was the response from other artists on the production? One would think that privately they'd reach out and share a kvetchfest since artists are REALLY good at that.
You haven't included a single relevant detail. You're either a troll or not nearly as good as you thought you were.
My testimonial is 100% true. And not only am I not a hack as some of you assholes have implied one of my frustrations was that at every studio (all major union shops) I was not only always given the hardest assignments but I was always being given the assignment of FIXING the shitty work other people turned in. My whole point is I wasn't fired, but I kept standing up for myself and gradually got the reputation as a troublemaker. You can't file a grievance against that because it's too insideously unofficial. When I finally stopped working unpaid overtime the producers and directors hated me for no longer being a "team player" and the other artists hated me for not working the free overtime they were. Much like on this thread my fellow animators stabbed me in the back. Everyone just assumed I thought I was too good to work 80 hrs a week uncompensated like they were. The only people who have been sympathetic are others who have been through the same thing I have (and there are more than you think).
My career was going great until I started to follow the unions fantastic advice. Which is why I encourage others to accept the fact that the industry is awful, the union can't help you and your fellow animators won't back you. Keep your mouth shut and cash your check. I wish I had.
My career was going great until I started to follow the unions fantastic advice. Which is why I encourage others to accept the fact that the industry is awful, the union can't help you and your fellow animators won't back you. Keep your mouth shut and cash your check. I wish I had.
You stood up for yourself, refused to work uncomped o.t., and so are permanently ruined?
Nothing is permanent. When they need you, they hire you. Management changes all the time; new managers don't know about previsous trouble-makers.
Let's take the case of John D. (just as an example): fine artist, but a major league bitcher/ moaner/ trouble maker. Also had a major league drinking problem that finally killed him.
But he got a second chance ... third chance ... fourth chance (and so on). I was around to see most of them.
Nothing is forever. And anon. in the crappy apartment. I still think you should CALL me.
Well hooray for John D. That's not what happened to me. I have a feeling John D. worked in a different era before Seth McFarlane became God almighty and all the major studios became Satan incarnate.
At the end of the day they'd rather hire someone shitty who keeps their mouth shut and works for free than hire someone who stands up for himself.
And unless you're going to hire me for something I see no reason to call you.
Your choice.
"And unless you're going to hire me for something I see no reason to call you."
What a CROCK! You accuse us 'fellow animators' of stabbing you in the back and yet you refuse to make a simple phone call that could potentially help others who might end up in the same situation. You don't want to help yourself let alone help improve the situation for others.
If you stood up for your rights,then good for you! More animators should refuse to work unpaid ot! Shit, I refuse to work uncoimpensated OT, and I'm employed, regardless of me working 40 hrs a week. I might do a little more every now and then, but never more than 10 hrs of ot a week.
I don't know, I'm still skeptical of the story. However, whatever your situation is, it does not change the principle that working uncompensated overtime is unethical!
d.
I'd rather be unethical and able to pay my rent.
Be as skeptical as you want. Doesn't change the fact that I stood up for myself and it bit me in the ass from all sides. So when Steve posts drivel like this that makes the union leaders seem like champions for the common man it makes me want to puke.
From everything you've "claimed" (assuming there's any truth in it whatsoever) it sounds more like the reason you were in demand is because you were willing to work unpaid overtime and the minute you became smart enough not to your talent wasn't good enough for them to feel you were necessary unless you would for free. Definitely not worth even union scale or the way the industry is you'd have no problem finding work. That's the way it is and you'd know that if you were as fabulously talented as you seem to think. Even "trouble makers" get work if they can do the work.
Yep, no blacklist here.
As has been repeated over and over there is no mutual Blacklist between studios, but if that helps you sleep at night go ahead and keep your private delusions. We know better.
No. It's like you screaming that the sky is red and everyone that disagrees with you is crazy and everyone else knows the sky is blue then it's pretty clear who is the crazy one.
I might be a self righteous prick, but it's pretty clear you're the ignorant one. And why you have so much trouble finding work. It's not that you refuse to work overtime, it's because you don't get along with people and are deluded and think you are beyond reproach....maybe it's time you rethought why you're in the situation you're in and stop blaming others for it. Feel free to take some credit for screwing your own life up. I doubt Steve has the power to screw your life up as much as you would like.
First you don't believe me at all now you're trying to tell me how it all happened. Uneblievable. It must be nice to have such an awesome perspective on things you weren't around to see. Speaking of which if you're so right about everything why are you remaining anonymous? At least I have an excuse. I could give you details that would disprove everything you accuse me of but I know no matter what that you're just like the people who believe moses parted the red sea and jesus zombie is coming to save them. You put all your faith in your precious union and nothing is going to change that. At least when I turn things around I'll know better than to count on help from anyone least of all your magical union.
lol....he's got nothing left to lose and he's on a magical Blacklist, but he needs to remain anonymous even to the point of refusing to call the union. He also thinks all the anonymous that are reacting to him are from one source.
It took awhile, but that last rant made it pretty clear. He's an anti-union troll.
"At least when I turn things around I'll know better than to count on help from anyone least of all your magical union."
Well, you've already said you rather be unethical. Why would I feel any sympathy for someone who's ethics are questionable? You also lump people into two groups, those who are with you, and those who are against you. That's a false dilemma. There are also those who remain neutral, since you haven't provided enough evidence, and those who remain apathetic.
Keep putting that foot on your mouth. And get used to the taste of foot.
d.
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