Sitting down to watch an extremely protracted season finale of Lost last night reminded us of how extremely vital it is for us to never again allow our entertainment be interrupted by a labor stoppage. I don't think any of us will ever forget the horrible suffering we all experienced, wondering whether or not G.I. Joe: The Movie was going to be completed. With the writer's strike finally resolved after many, many bad late-night monologues, we are now left wondering: will we have to relive the nightmare this summer with an actor's strike?
Part of the problem was solved on Wednesday, when AFTRA -- the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists -- signed a tentative contract, good through 2011, that guarantees that their membership will avoid a work stoppage. As with the writer's strike, the major issue at odds was compensation for 'new media' appearances, mostly internet and other forms of digital media; both permissions and compensation were ironed out in advance of a strike. This has put significant pressure on the Screen Actor's Guild, the largest actor's union in America, to adopt the same contract.
Read More...