Another Strike: Would the Soaps Survive?

[DaytimeFan]

The whole business is in a tough spot, the strike certainly didn't benefit soap writers.

[remos]

Nope, especially considering they are amoungst the most poorly paid to begin with and put out 5 times the scripts of a weekly show.

Right now it's looking like a huge inverted triangle that's about to fall over. Luckily, the entire entertainment industry has it's roots in talented artists who will create/produce/act regardless because that's who they were created to be. The downside is that it won't necessarily be seen by those who live further afield.

[bellcurve]

AFTRA would never allow its union members to organize a strike, which is why they are often seen as the "shitty" union by so many people in the business. The AMPTP tells AFTRA to bend over and take it and AFTRA happily obliges with or without hesitation or Astroglide. Daytime actors would have to get together and organize a full walkout of their respective series, but even then, SAG doesn't want anything to do with daytime soaps. Soaps aren't well respected or regarded in SAG. The walkout would be a battle in and of itself, considering how badly some of these people need their jobs. But support from SAG is nearly impossible.

And DF, has La Flannery pushed hard for AFTRA(which represents not only actors in non-"filmed" projects, but news/weather/sports announcers) and SAG to unite, or is she a fan of SAG simply representing all actors? I think it's more the latter than the former. I think what Flannery was trying to organize with SAG at B&B in 2008 was an all out raid of their set, as AFTRA has done to SAG projects in the past. That's where the real controversy was. I think everyone wants SAG and AFTRA to merge, but I think Flannery knows the likelihood of that happening is next to impossible. Which is why she got press for what she, John McCook and others were attempting to do: organize a raid of the B&B set.

Nevertheless, AFTRA and SAG will be so tricky during these upcoming negotiations. Now that shows are shot digitally and look like film, what constitutes live or taped(AFTRA) vs. film(SAG) these days? It's one of the reasons why AFTRA is able to represent shows like Rules of Engagement and Damages, IIRC. Because even though it looks as if they are shot on film, they are shot digitally.

[DaytimeFan]

I have a really poor understanding of what went down with La Flannery and SAG, that's really interesting that she simply wanted B&B's actors to opt into SAG...I can understand from a residuals perspective, but damn, she's ballsy!

I've always been under the impression that AFTRA is weak in comparison to SAG, but with how niche daytime performers are, I wonder why they've never formed their own union, they're already treated like an entity unto themselves, why not unionise as such?

[SFK]

I think TPTP might see this as a perfect opportunity to extend those plans to cut several episodes per year and air reruns, or even other programming. Of course it would be played off like the writers' forced the networks' hands and they had no choice but to do this. Who knows, maybe it wouldn't be such a bad idea if the writers came back with a vengeance (alevei ).

[remos]

You've also got a generational thing going on here. JE, TG, SF, etc. are all ex-hippies or hippy wannabes. They were part of that generation who - God luv 'em - walked and demonstrated and picketed and damned the torpedos to get their points across. Those attitudes are not found in most of the younger (read GEN X, Y, etc) groupings of actors. And this is across society. My husband is a heavy Union boy up here in Cannuckistan, and it's like pulling teeth to get anyone to see the long term ramifications of cutting pensions, denying salary increases, increasing executive payouts, etc.

[SFK]

bell, some are for the merger, some are deadset against it. I'm not an AFTRA member so I don't know all the particulars, but remember, SAG covers taped sitcoms too so it isn't merely a matter of video/film format. Of course neither can get their grubby little hands on web series which is a whole 'nother kettle of fish as the industry adapts in this online age. SF just felt that SAG ran a tighter ship and she wanted to explore the option of them being at the helm of B&B's cast's contracts. I linked this article once before, but here was SF's beef:

"Just so everyone understands, the idea of exploring the possibility of a new 'collective bargaining agent' began with me," she said in a letter to the SAG board. "There have been over the past 21 years at 'B&B' a growing dissatisfaction with AFTRA regarding health plans, residuals, pensions, meal penalties, turnarounds, etc. In the final analysis, the contracts negotiated on our behalf over the years, in our opinion, have fallen very short of our expectations!"

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117984067.html?categoryid=13&cs=1

[Sindacco]

The scabs wrote The Black and White Ball? I remember Guza giving the November sweeps preview for that.

[remos]

^^ He outlined the B&W Ball, but didn't actually pen the details.

[bellcurve]

This was widely reported by Nikki Finke and Variety when it went all down. Here are some articles:

http://www.deadline.com/2008/03/sources-aftra-now-refusing-to-jointly-negotiate-with-sag-for-contract/

http://www.deadline.com/2008/04/bold-beautiful-actress-susan-flannery-wants-to-set-the-aftra-sag-record-straight/#more-5501

La Flannery tries to save face by saying there was no petition or no attempt to get SAG to raid B&B, but it's so damn obvious that's what she was trying to do.

And as noble as it would be for daytime actors to form their own unions, you'd still get people who would fear "the machine" and get the screws put to them...probably worse than they would if they had AFTRA representing them. You'd get someone like Michael Muhney as head of such a union and you know he's a corporate asslicker for the Bell/SONY machine.

If it meant soaps could survive, I'd be a huge fan of cutting at least 8-10 weeks of episodes from daytime shows and spreading that out over the year. Two weeks off during March Madness and the road to the final four, a month off in July or August, two-three weeks off for Christmas, a full week out for Thanksgiving and pick other weeks.

[Toups]

Guza did write it. GH's strike episodes were from: January 4, 2008 to March 12, 2008 (49 episodes)

[remos]

So give soaps a lighter version of the Tony Geary Special?

I don't know that that would work - and it would certainly disrupt the continuity. But on the other hand with less to do those involved would hopefully put more into what they are producing.

Either way I'm still feeling like we have to move towards a more On Demand type of viewing and remove International Barriers for the entire US entertainment industry to step into the future. Artificial boxes like TV schedules and broadcasting geography are not protecting intellectual property anymore thanks to the Internet, so it's better to join the party and see how they can work their power WITHIN the viewing practices of the current and future generations of viewership rather than choking the medium and placing higher restrictions.

There's truly nothing that annoys me more than waiting for a video to start running and then be greeted with "International restrictions means you can't watch this". It's maddening and incredibly short sighted.

[remos]

You mean I seriously have to thank Guza for some of the best LuNacy every written.....

... I'm going to need a moment....

I was under the impression that he didn't completely write it, but he did contribute, and that as of January everything was then being written by the Replacement Writers. There is a grey period in there.

[Sylph]

You're thinking just like Rob Dickins, who a few weeks ago said CDs should cost ₤1.

Then a whole bunch of people went on and attacked him: Preposterous! Etc.

[DRW50]

Susan talks some here about her views on these matters.

http://www.welovesoaps.net/2009/12/susan-flannery-interview-part-four.html