Criminal Minds: The support we showed for the WGA was unwaivering and strong. I was the Criminal Minds liason and a moderator for the LJ WGA Supporters Board and now the question has been asked as to whether we are willing to support SAG in the same way as they head into their negotiations. So my Criminal Minds question for the day is: Will CM fans support a SAG strike if they have one?
http://community.livejournal.com/wga_supporters
32 comments:
I would support it if Ed asked us to but I stand by my comment on Ed's thread when the strike ended.
There won't be a SAG strike. The DGA and WGA took care of resolving the issues with their contracts. If there was a strike then I would show my support but not to the extent that I supported the writers.
First, I am hoping that there will be no SAG strike *fingers crossed*. I think the WGA and DGA contracts paved the way for the SAG contract.
I am glad so many actors supported the WGA during their strike. I remember reading Justine Bateman's comments on this blog about actor's supporting the WGA because they were striking for the same issues that SAG will be negotiating for in June. I am glad that Kirsten, Shemar, Paget, and Thomas showed their support of the WGA, maybe not as much as some of the CM fans wished they did, but they did show support.
Obviously, SAG members make much more money than do our wonderful writers, but if the SAG members strike, then the writers will have no one to write for and our fabulous crew will be out of work again. So, if SAG does go on strike, I will support them, because everyone deserves a fair deal, and I personally don't want to see our wonderful writers and crew out of work again.
As much as I love our cast, I believe they have the means (money in the bank) to sustain a lengthy strike, but our crew will be in dire straits--and for those of us who remember living paycheck to paycheck, or for those of us who still do, we know how devastating that can be. Our writers will be twiddling their creative thumbs without a cast to write for--although they will probably be working on other projects for the future.
Every worker is entitled to withdraw their labour in order to get a fair deal. SAG members are no different from any other workers in that aspect.
However, I think ordinary people would find it much harder to be as supportive of highly paid actors striking for higher pay. If the SAG does strike, then it is the crews and other workers who will be hit hardest. I hope they don't have to strike.
It is important to remember that not every SAG member is a star. Many actors spend a lot of their time out of work.
I don't think there will be a strike but if there is one I will support it. After all I did support the WGA and SAG did support the WGA so why not support SAG?
Brigitte
I would support SAG as fully as I supported the WGA. Why? Because actors are as important as writers when it comes to having a successful show. (As are the crew--and everyone involved.) SAG is more than just the actors from our show--it's all the actors who are members from the "stars" to the bit players.
Also, if SAG strikes and it is prolonged as the writers' strike was, then the crew (including the writers) are going to end up being unemployed again. For me, that's a good enough reason to put as much energy behind supporting SAG as I did behind supporting the WGA.
However, I think there is less chance of a SAG strike with the DGA and WGA deals being in place. And I know that George Clooney and some other name actors have called for negotiations to start earlier rather than later, and I agree with that.
That was one of the big WTF moments I had with the WGA situation: why weren't negotiations started before the contract was up? (If they did, I didn't read anything about it, whereas it was reported that the DGA had started months earlier.) I know that my union goes into negotiations well before our contract is up--sometimes a deal is reached before the contract ends, sometimes it isn't, but they're working on it. So, hopefully, negotiations will start soon.
And let's keep our fingers crossed that this discussion will end up being entirely moot.
Knowing how greedy the studios are when it comes to being equitable in profit-sharing, yes.
Hopefully it won't come to a strike since like what others has said, it hurts the behind the scene people the most.
no, not at all, as I feel tht the time is now to get back too work while they still a deal and jobs to go to
Of course I will. I hope there's not a SAG strike -- I don't really think there will be -- but if there is one I'll support it the same way I did the WGA one.
Yes, I would also support a strike, if there was one. Several of you made good points about the fact that not everyone is a big, high dollar star and that when one group is striking, it impacts everyone.
Hopefully, this is a moot point. But SAG supported the writers, so I can't see why we wouldn't support them. If SAG does have to strike, it is in everyone's best interest for it to be as short as possible.
It's in CBS and the CM's best interest to get the shows back on the air.
It's in the Writer's best interest because they need to be back writing again.
It's in the crew's best interest because they will be out of work again and most of them will not have recovered from the last strike.
It's in the fans best interest because we want the show to be back in production.
If there is one thing that should have been learned in all this is that it takes a team to produce a show: that's writers, actors, crew, production staff, caterers, and electricians.
It also takes a team to get a contract.
I would support it only to the extent that it protects the non-stars; but I couldn't in any good conscience support a SAG strike to the same degree I supported the WGA strike. Even at their daily minimums, actors make a considerage wage, far more than most of us "regular" folk. I don't know the exact amount of their scale wage, but it was $700ish a day last I heard and that was years ago. That's a good day's work by anyone's definition.
What I would not, and could not support is another strike by ANY group that puts the crews, the craft services folks, etc. back out of work. They just came off a 3 month strike and I'm sure it financially devastated many of the non-acting, non-writing folks that work on all of our favorite shows. I think it would be patently unfair to subject these folks to another work stoppage period, but especially so soon after the WGA strike.
Let's just hope that cooler heads prevail and that negotiations will start sooner rather than later, and that the WGA and DGA contracts will definitely pave the way for the SAG negotiations and move them along swiftly, amicably, and without another strike that affects far too many people.
I'd support it -- but oh, man, I hope it doesn't come to that!
I would lend my support to any union at this point to prevent the crew from being out of work again.
This is a no brainer for me, obviously. I'd support a SAG strike. But I want to say one thing. Many of you are saying that you would support a SAG strike, not for the actors, but for the crew, etc. because actors "get paid too much". I understand what you mean to an extent, but please remember that acting is not a stable profession. Many famous actors spent YEARS (being broke) pursuing a dream. The average is 8 years or so before a big break comes.
Yes, the writers get paid less, but their profession is much more stable. Acting is something that is really hard to pursue, the biz will chew you up and spit you out......there are no guarantees. Most industry insiders don't have a problem with actor's salaries because they know how this business is for them. Also, there are almost 150,000 people registered with SAG. Less than 1% of them are able to support themselves strictly from acting!
I'm just saying........
I would in a heart beat. I have friends who are WGA, I have friends who are SAG, and I would support them regardless. That's what friends do. I also think that SAG deserves a fair contract as well, and they are the most important union in Hollywood, so I'm convinced they'll get it.
Je soutiens vraiment les scénaristes et d'ailleurs tout les français !!!
Pour les créateurs de ce site : merci, il est génial, j'adore et je viens tout les jours pour avoir des nouvelles fraiches de Criminal minds !!
Et je tenais à dire que la série est vraiment apréciez en france et qu'on est fans mais la saison 3 n'est pas encore diffuser actuellement, malheureusement !!
Bisous à tous et à toutes !!
MARION
Definitely. The actors supported the writers; solidarity is very important. Not all actors make the big bucks; and if the actors walk out, the rest of the crew will be out of jobs again.
My sentiments are pretty much the same as the rest of the posts. I would support SAG if they went on strike but I highly doubt it will come to that. The characters/actors or what most fans become attached too. Losing even one can effect the ratings of a show. After everything that has happened with the writers I don't think the studios are going to be dumb enough to try anything now.
I would definitely support SAG the same way.
They are all part of the same family that brings us the show we all love, so I don't see why it's even a question.
(I would go on, but I think others who have commented before me have covered it pretty well.)
But really, I hope there is no need for a strike in the first place.
Of course I would support SAG. However I'm a bit "striked out" right now so I really am hoping it doesn't happen.
Lee
I WILL SUPORT THEN IF THEY END UP GOING ON STRIKE. JUST LIKE I DID FOR THE WRITERS.
As I said before without our wonderful writers there wouldn't be the wonderful shows. The same applies for the actors so, yes, I would support a SAG strike as much as I supported the WGA. Everyone making a show successful deserves a fair deal and the actors are no exception to me.
But still I hope that such a strike won't be necessary. The companies should have learned their lessons from the WGA strike! Fans stand behind their shows and the people who deliver it, no matter what!
Absolutely, I would support the SAG if they go on strike.
I hope it doesn't come down to a SAG strike; but if it does, I will support them, the same way I supported the WGA.
They all deserve a fair contract.
*Sending out positive vibes*
~
I would most certainly support the SAG strike if I felt that what they were asking for was fair. For me that's what it comes down to. Not necessarily how much money they already make, but whether or not what they seek is fair.
I supported the WGA because I felt what they were asking for was more than fair, and I would do the same thing for the SAG if that was the case.
I don't really care how much the actors make, to be honest. And we all know that not all actors make the same wage, nor do all actors make the money that we have in the back of our minds as "what famous people earn". Some do, sure. But I'm sure they've worked for it, and so many of them give back in so many ways, so who am I to criticize about the fact that some of them happen to make a lot of money?
I think the actions of George Clooney, Meryl Streep et al. demonstrate that SAG wants to avoid a strike - the industry can't withstand another shutdown.
I grew up in a union house. Of course I would.
I much prefer it be avoided, because the staffs of these shows, and us fans are the ones hardest hit by a strike.
If the studio heads take the same stance they did with the WGA, though, I will support the strike to the extent that I will voice my opinion and encourage others to do so. I don't know that the actors will need the same type of support we had to give to the writers.
A big difference in SAG and WGA is the actors have a guaranteed platform to be heard and are less dependent on us. The various media outlets will cover what a famous actor might say, because it attracts viewers. The writers were unable to get the message out to the public early on, because they don't have the same draw as the actors. The WGA needed us.
I really hope it doesn't come to another strike, especially for the sake of the crew.
But with that said, my concern is the issues. If the issues for the SAG are more or less the same as the issues for the WGA, or if they're different but just as reasonable, then I'd support a strike.
Everyone deserves a fair deal. Everyone deserves to get their fair share of the profits for the work that they do. Whether they already make good money or are considered 'rich' really doesn't change anything.
I would support them through anything, just as I supported the writers. Without the writers, and without the stars, we have no television.
And if they're forced to go on strike; then the Powers That Be, must be out of their minds if they haven't realized that by now.
I am for all fights if they are right!
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