More Fallout From Last Year's WGA Strike

[brimike]

I think a lot of people don't understand an important fact about "fi-core".

It's not a "WGA option". EVERY union across the country has fi-core membership - it was something instated by the Supreme Court decades ago, to say that no strike could force someone not to work.

Fi-core status is frowned upon in EVERY union - not just in entertainment, but in all unions, deliverymen, construction workers, techies, etc. It's not something the WGA decided to offer its members once upon a time, and now they're giving them hell for it.

Fi-core exists in other unions, but it was never a prevalent discussion until the WGA strike, because most blue-collar unions have members who wouldn't even THINK about going fi-core.

Financial-core status was a creation of the SUpreme Court, and it's something most unions would want to be thrown out anyway if they had their druthers.

[EricMontreal22]

Yeah but it is different in many ways--as others said a soap, one that some of these writers at least have a lot investe din money AND emotion wise, could die cuz of a long strike. A postal worker doesn't have the same opportunity to go fi-core and deliver packages on his own, or something

[rhinohide]

Anytime workers go on strike in any industry, there is the risk of shutting down the business. It happens all the time. Workers go on strike and a plant closes and all those jobs are lost. It's a risk they take and they are aware of. There is something that just seems wrong about so many people who lost their jobs and future opportunities because the industry shrunk, but plenty of people who never made any sacrifice at all will reap the benefits of the strike. I don't have so much of a problem with them working before during and after the strike as I do them receiving the financial benefits that were won as a result of the strike.

Furthermore, I think the industry was irreparably damaged by the strike. All the fi-core writers did was stay employed, and allow the industry to muddle through a bit longer. They didn't allow it to "survive".

[brimike]

And that's exactly it. Thanks, Rhinohide.

[marceline]

Soap writers weren't the only ones invested in their shows - emotionally or monetarily. Does anyone think it didn't cost Tim Kring, Tina Fey, or Bryan Fuller money or heartbreak to stand out on the line and know that the their shows could die?

And thanks for the information brimike. Now I'm more comfortable than ever with the union roasting the Fi-Cores over a spit.

[brimike]

To be fair, I did have a problem with the way the WGA letter was worded, especially the "kept at arm's length" part. I don't think more "black-listing" was what was needed. But I do think making their names public, so people can make informed decisions ON THEIR OWN was the right move. The guild just took it a step too far, and made it into a Public Relations nightmare.

[rhinohide]

I agree that just naming them would have been as effective and eliminated the darker implications. Writers "black-listing" writers kind of reeks after the McCarthy era. Never-the-less, it's disgusting to me that these writers apparently suffered no harm from the strike and yet will benefit -- and that's from someone who doesn't believe the strike was justified or of real benefit to anyone. It just damaged the industry, shrunk the pie and enhanced the financial benefits of a smaller pool of writers. But that smaller pool should NOT include those who didn't fight for it.

[MarkH]

Ultimately, though, this whole thing makes the WGA seem impotent.

Why? 'cause most of those FiCore writers are writing...on soaps...and as the soaps head into their final 1-2 years, they got a final 1-2 years of life...perhaps in part because of this move.

On the other hand, talented WGA writers (say, Tom Casiello) have not seen a soap writer's room since then.

No matter what your "side" of the WGA strike was, you know that soaps are a different, dying breed. It is a question, for me, whether those who went FiCore were being selfish, or whether they were sacrificing their rights to save their dying shows. REGARDLESS, no good came of the blacklist.

[brimike]

I see your point about these people only getting another couple years' work out of soaps anyway, Mark... but what happens then? Those who have been writing soaps who would like to write for prime-time or film will REALLY reap the rewards of the new media residuals post-strike, much more so than daytime will. And in that case, those that went fi-core who get a prime-time gig really shouldn't be benefiting from a strike they chose not to support.

If they want to retire after soaps die, I guess there's a decent argument as to why they went fi-core (someone like Kay Alden for example, who will probably be part of the Bell shows in some capacity until she chooses not to be). And in that case, I have no problem (and neither should they, for that matter) with their names being on record. (Not necessarily black-listed, but at least on record.) Especially if they plan on retiring from writing anyway when daytime goes.

But for those who went fi-core, and hope to move on into primetime and film afterwards, the fi-core issue remains a very big deal.