Movie writers get fucked...by their own union

WGA and Divide and Conquer: been there done that. It's fine til NBC decides to take jokes from "outside" writers. As for SAG honoring picket lines around NBC, this means only that actors will not cross. It does not mean that "reality" guests won't cross and they could be more attractive than the tired old Hollywood "stars." Then, it only means TV is the only part affected. It's the movie writers, and for this you have to go back to the old UAW strikes that left their skilled labor guys high and dry.....and they stayed high and dry. Their skill pay differential almost vanished. I think what this really means is that the movie writers have lost all clout. They are still just as fucked, only this time their own union did the fucking. This is very bad news for them and great news for the movie studio/multi-national complex.

Just how important was the DVD issue the WGA just completely caved on? Ask yourselves this one: you are a near blue collar person who earns the average pre-tax wage of $18 per hour (per SSA). This translates into $741 per week (38K per yr) Federal tax is $4200 per yr and the various FICA deductions amount to another 7.2% (2,800). So the after tax net is around 31K or slightly less than $600 per week ($2,400 per month). Costs like food: Best case (Walmart or other discounter) food costs are $600 per month. Rents go from $800 per month in Oklahoma City to 4K in New York; so let's say 1K per month in rent (more if you own and have insurance costs). $1600 per month for basics means disposable income of around $800 per month; subtract car payments, fuel costs, home heating costs, insurance, and a family illness and what you have left is zero. EVEN if you zero out your Federal Tax. And if you exist (not live) in Frisco, LA, or New York you are just flat broke.

How can a family like this go to a movie? Tickets now are $10 per (kids get in for $7) so $34 plus $20 for snax. Average family CANNOT possibly go to the movies other than on very rare occasions. The average family has been priced out of the "going to the movies" market. Movies are at best an upper middle class to wealthy entertainment (like the near dead Broadway) that can only be enjoyed thru DVD rentals.

Without DVD there ain't no movie biz. So the WGA just pissed away the only real market left.

Nice work guys. That's the way unions operate these days. Is there any wonder that everyone under the age of 35 wants no part of them? This is one of the biggest sell outs of dues paying members in a long long time.