by Doug Spearman
Thanks to the wonders of television and this
age of information we're living in, most of us have seen a union
strike and the accompanying picket lines. The plights of Pennsylvanian
coal miners, General Motors workers, and the men and women who
assemble garments in New York have come into our homes via the
six o'clock news. However, it's one thing to watch a picket line
on television and another to have to cross one. You just don't
get the full, surround sound, yelling, whistle-blowing, picket
sign in your face as your try to get to your office effect at
home, no matter how big your set is.
Here's where the irony comes in. For the
last four days I've been crossing through just such a human gauntlet
to get into the ABC lot here in Hollywood.
Who I am, and what I do isn't that important.
It's really as unimportant as who you are and what you do. But
the strike effects both of us, so I thought you might be interested
in what's going on - from the perspective of the armed camp this
lot has turned into.
Let's start with why there is a strike. The
members of NABET, the technical union that literally runs every
network, decided late Sunday night that enough was enough and
that they would stage a one-day walk out. We're on day four, by
the way. The 2,000 members of the union walked out because they
haven't had a contract since the end of March l997. No contract,
no job security. Very simple equation to understand. However,
what seems to have been the toothpick that disabled the camel
was health benefits. Disney didn't offer the union members a choice
as to what benefits, if any they'd be getting. Disney didn't even
tell the union members what the new health plan would be. Not
that they didn't ask. But, according to the skinny around here,
Disney never answered. Ever. And that was just too much for NABET.
The local decided to walk, and on their side of the table, the
network said fine, stay out.
So, now half the people I work (worked?)
with are standing outside the gate wearing red t-shirts and blowing
whistles and encouraging me to take a sick day. Not that it's
gotten ugly, just incredibly uncomfortable. At least so far.
Two days ago, it was funny. Today, not so
funny. Two days ago, we stopped our cars on the way in to chat
and joke with the our friends on the line. Today, no laughing,
no joking, no stopping, no eye-contact. The network doesn't want
us to speak to them for fear of being accused of unfair labor
relations. Two days ago none of the non-union free-lance editors
had been called names. Today, they're being called scab and their
cars are being scrutinized.
The first day of the strike, the voice-mail,
which always works, didn't. The next day, there was no running
water on the lot. It may just be some freaky coincidence, or it
may be the stuff that conspiracy theories are made of.
The security had trebled. We now all have
special extra badges to wear. The cafeteria, a B experience on
the best of days is now over-crowded because no one wants to leave
the lot and have to look in the face of someone they're supposed
to be working with.
Ok, that's my side… Now here's how it's
going to effect you. If you're a soap fan, be prepared. Things
are shaky. The shows have been trying to get as far a head as
possible, but soon, Todd, Teah, Erica, Brooke, and everyone from
Pine Valley to Port Charles may be in re-runs. Right now, the
people manning the cameras and microphones are not pro's. In some
cases they're secretaries and writers. Yesterday, it took seven
hours to tape one scene on "One Life To Live." Just
to let you know what that means, there are eleven scenes in a
soap. Uh, huh.
ABC local news across the country is facing
the same problems. There are sales people, secretaries, and janitors
all over America who I'll betcha have suddenly found themselves
behind a camera or trying to figure out how to work a teleprompter.
If it's happening here in LA, you can betcha it's happening in
Spokane and Little Rock.
All strikes are political, but this one,
starting at it did during election week, has caused a good deal
of embarrassment. Local candidates in Los Angeles turned ABC crews
away. Even the Vice President, Al Gore refused to speak to a scab
crew. The show must go on, but at what cost.
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