Posts by Peter Cox
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Sorry, Jacqui I paraphrased 'boycott' there, I was focusing more on the 'collective agreement' part. They don't use the precise term boycott. They say:
'[the FIA] urges each of its affiliates to adopt instructions to their members that no member of any FIA affiliate will agree to act in the theatrical film The Hobbit'.
I just paraphrased that as boycott/strike as most people I think probably would.
The letter also goes on to say:
FIA therefore encourages you to meet immediately with representatives of the Media Entertainment and
Arts Alliance in order to reach an agreement covering all performers engaged on this production.So that's not just the Equity Members, that's every actor whether they are a member and agree with the action or not. Not that the Equity members had voted on it at this stage either. Or even been told about it as far as I can tell. People have said that the AE voted on it before it was called, but like a lot of things in this, I'm not taking anything at face value until I see it.
Certainly none of the other industry guilds were informed.
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What happened was the MEAA sent a number of notices to PJ specifically requesting a collective bargaining agreement (with the MEAA, not Actor's Equity, mind) and telling him there was a boycott on his film (17 August was the first one I can find). PJ sent letters back saying: bugger off, it's illegal. They insisted it was legal, citing the opinion of Simpson Grierson, which effectively agreed that it was illegal, unless the actors were employees. The actors themselves don't seem to want to be employees as far as anyone can tell. I don't know whether the MEAA/AE represented those actors who were in the process of being cast, it doesn't say anywhere.
So then the MEAA issued the official boycott towards the end of September, PJ responded publicly somewhat angrily about the same time. It's hard to tell who went public with the boycott/strike action first.
Then JWL went on TV and said 'we've never asked for a collective contract, we know that's illegal', and 'this isn't a boycott', no one ever said it was a boycott, Simon Whipp's not saying it's a boycott.
And then everyone started to get very angry indeed.
I think that pretty much sums it up.
oil + gas
@ Blake - can someone move the NZ oil/gas supplies to another country?
That's the difference why that worked and this was never going to.
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Talking things through (behind closed doors, away from the public gaze, for the previous two years, as Robyn Malcolm said Equity had been trying to do) seems pretty innocuous and sane to me.
It all rather depends on whether someone can prove whether this kind of thing is true or not:
http://publicaddress.net/system/topic,2769,hard-news-anatomy-of-a-shambles.sm?p=186776#post186776
I've heard other very similar stories from other productions from a number of people. Yet to see any hard evidence though. If it does turn out to be true though... look out.
(PS I feel bad for calling Fran O an asshole back there. Don't agree with her often, if ever, but even so...)
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If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck.... As I said right at the start of this whole thing, it doesn't matter what the union wants to call it, it is in effect a boycott.
US unionists I've talked to call it a strike action, so we can rename it to that if we'd prefer.
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Alright, let's dial it down a notch then ;)
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We will never get there in some race to the bottom aspect of the film industry.
Yes, people should be paid as well as possible, that's what Unions are for, to do what they can to instigate that change on behalf of their members, by acting collectively. But there are far better, constructive ways to do that than the way this has gone down. In my opinion, that collective power and responsibility extends out past a single union, to other unions and workers in that industry, including, obviously the techos, and arguably PJ too. In this case we're seeing the effects of that responsibility not being taken, and the collective power of the union suffering as a result. If you're going to pick up the big stick you damn well better use it responsibly. That's the problem, and the discussion here.
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Brendon, you might want to actually read my posts before responding.
According to Lowe, Jackson and the like, all workers are expendable.
Say what you like about Lowe, but don't go demonising Peter Jackson into a sweatshop owner. It's offensive, stupid and ignorant. It takes a fair bit to get my hackles up, but you're sure getting there, mate. Statements like that are what is causing the march on Monday. Do you think I'm thrilled to see that march? Hell, no! Do I want to see assholes like Lowe or Gery or Fran take advantage of it for their own ends? Hell no too! But I don't blame anyone for wanting to do it, after hearing ridiculous stuff like 'PJ runs a sweatshop where all workers are expendable' spouted about by people that should know better. It's completely unconstructive and damaging to our industry, so if perhaps you might understand why some people are suggesting they bugger off out of it.
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...and here it comes...
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/60139/union-can't-promise-no-strikes-during-world-cup
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Brendon:
but if we are to have the filmic version of a Chinese sweatshop, then I think we need to go back to the drawing board.
Even if that were true (and you might see why certain producers might take offence to the suggestion they're running the equivilent of a Chinese sweatshop), do you think that the way AE/MEAA have run this boycott is a good way of effecting the 'going back to the drawing board' type notion you suggest? If not, then don't tell people that agree with you that they are 'union bashing' please. It makes them get angry, and I think we've got quite enough of that floating about.
@Mike, yup, pretty much, and depressing it is. But there's something to be said also for some genuine idealism going on with the way Helen Kelly/CTU have tried to defend AE which is commendable I think. Obviously, though, it's important to be concerned about all the unions and memberships involved rather than just the one, and unfortunately this Hobbit thing has rather become the one and only Union story in town. Which kinda sucks, not just for the CTU, but all the Unions, particularly those in the film industry.
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"There was never a boycott."
What? She didn't, surely.
EDIT: yep, a genuine question.