strikes

CEO’s Scab Shows

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I was originally going to mock Drew Barrymore and Bill Maher for scabbing when they announced they were putting their shows back into production while the WGA/SAG-AFTRA strikes are still going on. Unlike CEOs, some celebrities are capable of shame, and both changed their minds after a week of ridicule. I still had to put a Maher jab in here ’cause he sucks.

If the strike continues much longer, the studios’ pipeline of new stuff will dry up. They may think they can wait the unions out, but audiences are less patient and won’t keep their subscriptions autorenewing if the only new stuff they’re getting are reality TV and game shows.

If these CEOs can’t get their shit together, they deserve to be bought out by UPS, a company that realized averting strike for a few million in benefits is better business than losing billions to stick it to the unions.

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Child Scabs Wanted!

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Strike fever is sweeping the nation the same time as child labor laws are being rescinded in Republican states. The actors’ union joined the writers in rejecting the studios’ bullshit deals, making the directors’ guild look like chumps for accepting one.

There’s still a week for UPS and the Teamsters to negotiate a fair deal and avoid a strike. But corporations haven’t been making smart long-term decisions, instead choosing to destroy their assets to goose short-term quarterly profits, so I’m not holding my breath.

My Dad’s a retired UPS driver, and the 1997 strike happened just as I was heading off to college. I’m sure that was a fun financial roller coaster for my parents, but the strike ended up securing his pension so he doesn’t have to greet shoppers at Walmart today.

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Scab Scripts

This entry was posted in comics and tagged artificial intelligence Joe Biden media movies Scabby the Rat strikes television unions WGA on by
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The Writers’ Guild of America declared a strike early Tuesday after the executive side of the entertainment business refused to negotiate their modest demands. A lot has changed since the last writers’ strike in 2007, especially how media is consumed and compensated.

Netflix’s red envelopes were the big new thing back then, and now they’re a relic young people think coexisted with BETAMAX. Yet pay, residuals, and benefits are still stuck in that ancient time before we had to manage a dozen or so streaming logins.

All of these studios are making profits, just not enough to satisfy Wall Street’s maw. So they’re screwing writers and nickel-and-diming their subscribers by canceling shows and memory-holing their back catalogs to save a few cents on residuals, all to squeeze out more dividends and stock buybacks.

Joe “Union Guy” Biden broke a rail strike so the economy wouldn’t take a hit. If this writers’ strike goes on long enough to harm the studios’ bottom lines, I’m sure he’ll find a way to intervene.

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Masochist Airlines

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This week’s Southwest Airlines debacle made regular holiday air travel look pleasant.  COVID, flu, RSV (insert Gilligan’s Island theme song:) and the rest of the viruses we’re pretending don’t exist are causing people to be out sick from all sorts of essential jobs.

Southwest was apparently hit especially hard since they put all their post-shutdown profits towards stock buybacks instead of updating any of their infrastructure. Companies putting buybacks, dividends and executive payouts above improving anything else is what people mean by late-stage capitalism. Everything is getting worse, but LINE GO UP.

Way back in ancient times, I would fly Southwest from Baltimore to Providence often for just $69 (nice) and it would take about 1 and half hours, including what little pre-9/11 check-in hassle there was. Amtrak was over a hundred for 7+ hour trip. Trains haven’t improved, but airlines have pretty much sunk to or below their level.

I haven’t flown in a while. Hope I didn’t draw the seats looking too comfy.

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2023 New Year’s Resolutions

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I’m abstaining from making any predictions about 2023. Not for lack of any ideas where things are headed, but because I don’t want to be too much of a holiday party pooper.

I’ll let COVID, RSV, and flu do that.

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Kellogg’s Corp. Flacks

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After more than two months on strike, Kellogg’s workers rejected a contract offer that would’ve shafted younger employees. So Kellogg’s is pulling a Reagan and replacing everyone instead of negotiating in good faith.

So stop eating their garbage, even Cheez-Its. I stuck to cereals for a visual theme, but the lack of a Cheez-It mascot illustrates just how bad Kellogg’s hiring practices are.

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Stop & Shop’s Corporate Scabs

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Stop & Shop is a massive corporation that is probably second only to Dunkin’ Donuts in ubiquity here in New England. Often there’s a Dunkin’ inside the Stop & Shops. What makes those brands stand-ins for our region isn’t their corporate boards and the profits they shovel to shareholders, it’s their employees. They deserve everything and more than what their asking for.

Their strike is now entering its second week and in addition to not crossing picket lines, the employees can use all the support they can get.

I hope they prevail soon. I have to travel all the way to West Roxbury to buy groceries at Roche Bros. instead.

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