Happy Holidays, You're Fired
I've been getting a lot of email this week asking about the strike, what's going to happen to me and my job, etc so I thought I'd give everyone an update.The news isn't good. Negotiations have essentially broken down, writers and producers are no longer talking. From what I understand, Sunday night there was an exchange of "fuck you's" and that was that. Everyone walked away from the table. And judging by the glum faces I'm seeing around the office, it looks like this strike is going to be a long one. January at least, I think, though I sincerely hope I'm wrong.
For me personally, the consequences of this action by the guild are pretty dire. In our production meeting Tuesday, the staff was told that at the end of next week, if the strike isn't resolved or if the show doesn't go back on the air sans writers, then we're all fired. Yes, fired. And right in time for Thanksgiving and all those wonderful December holidays, too. Great. Thanks so much, everybody.
So after next week, I don't know. Unemployment, I suppose. I'm told Cobra insurance is crazy expensive here in New York, so I guess I'm just going to have to hope neither Mike nor I gets sick or hit by a bus.
Now, the one big worry I have--and it's pretty valid, apparently--is that if NBC does fire us and then the strike ends, they won't hire us back as employees but as freelancers, which means that my good GE health insurance is gone, replaced with a tinker toy, pick-a-doctor-from-a-list-of-guys-who-got-their-medical-license-in-Bolivia type HMO. Vision and dental--gone. Life insurance--gone. 401K--bye bye. I can't begin to tell you how depressing this all is. I fought hard to be made a GE employee. I've worked at this show and been loyal to this network for nearly 12 years now, and even the idea of being asked to return as a freelancer is insulting.
But the most depressing thing here is that, from my perspective, what this strike really boils down to is a bunch of rich guys fighting a bunch of other rich guys over 6 cents. 6 cents! Now, don't get me wrong, I know from experience that each and every television network and production company is its own little den of thieves and any TV or film exec worth his salt would screw over his own mother to post a profit. But let's face it, people, TV and movie writers make a lot of money, too. The production staff on any given film or TV show...doesn't. In fact, many of us make only minimum wage, and yet these people--young, earnest kids working long hours in often thankless jobs--these are the ones this strike is going to hurt the most. And that, my friends, is the definition of unfair.
Bottom line, America: everybody cut the crap so we can all get back to earning a living.
12 Comments:
Ugh.
Hang in there.
Yeah, hang in there.
Was nice meeting you at WFC.
Pat
Thanks, guys. I appreciate it.
And it was great to meet you too, Pat.
Hey Andrea,
Hang in there from me too. I'm pulling for you.
Jeff
Sorry it's so scary right now. Not exactly the way you want to spend the holidays, I'm sure. I'm hoping this will be "when one door closes, another one opens" situation.
That said, being fired and hired back as a freelancer would totally suck, and if there was a benevolent god, it would be ILLEGAL.
It was good seeing you at WFC, as brief as it was. Missed you at the Odyssey dinner---Jeanne said you weren't feeling well.
Next time you're up in Maine, give a shout.
Jeff P.
Thanks, Jeff and Jeff. :)
It was good to see you, too, Jeff. We go to Maine every summer, and stop in Freeport, too. Next year, perhaps I'll knock on your door. I actually am interested in learning more about TV production in Maine.
Oh. Crap.
Er, not to be the voice of brutal reason or anything, but what were your plans when Conan moved to LA? I realize that wasn't going into effect for many more months, but are there any parts of that plan you can move up the timeline?
Also, you might want to talk to a labor lawyer. It's entirely possible that firing you and rehiring you as a freelancer may be challengeable. Certainly it's nothing NBC would like to see go to a jury trial.
We do have plans for next year that, alas, do not translate to the present fiscal situation, shall we say. And besides, my anger is anchored in 1, the principle of the thing. I have nothing to do with this fight, I'm just the innocent bystander getting trampled in the war between giants. And 2, next year when the show ends, I can merrily go out with my resume and get a job at another TV show. With this strike, there are no other TV show jobs to be had. I'm hamstrung here.
Yes, other people have pointed out that firing and rehiring us as freelancers might be illegal. While I would like not to have to resort to talking to lawyers, believe me, should worse come to worst, I will be looking into it.
I've been worrying about you this week (and only just now thought to check your blog, after the somewhat more awesome news about the Tut story). Much sympathy to you through this whole mess and I hope you can at least get your job back when the dust settles. Hang in there. Hope you can get some non-union writing done during your unexpected free time...
Thanks, Eugene. Yes, I have great plans for getting lots of writing done, provided the worrying about money doesn't get in the way. Hope everything is ok in your job, as well. We're all walking on eggshells these days, aren't we.
Blech.
If worse comes to worst, and the job goes poof, you do have alternatives as far as health insurance are concerned. There are at least two writers/freelancers groups -- The Freelancers Union and Media Bistro -- that offer decent prices on health plans with major providers (I've used both in the past). And there are probably more that I don't know about.
Just FYI
-Barbara
Thanks. Yeah, I'm looking into all my options, and people have been really great about pointing me in the direction of alternative health care.
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