Universal Pictures radically trimmed a bunch of trees outside of their Los Angeles studios that happened to shade the sidewalk where #WGA and #SAGAFTRA were picketing. They were perhaps not legally allowed to touch said trees. #TreeLaw
Over at NBC, also part of Universal, sidewalks have been dug out all around the property, allegedly for repairs but no one digs out three blocks of sidewalks all at once for repairs. This has hampered but not stopped the picketing. /1
Both of the striking unions have been clear to consumers that there are no boycotts. They want us to continue going to movies and they do not want us to cancel our subscription to streaming services.
Yesterday subscribers to #Peacock, NBCUniversal’s streamer, received a notice of an immediate 20% premium hike across all tiers. This will inevitably lead to subscription cancellations which NBCUniversal can point to as proof that streaming revenues are both unpredictable and declining. /2
The efforts that NBCUniversal has made to undermine these strikes and punish strikers are the most underhanded and sleazy across the whole AMPTP.
Barring a call to boycott, however, there doesn’t appear to be any way for the public who are supporting the unions to send a message to NBCUniversal that we see what they’re doing and we don’t like it, except to keep exposing them. So consider this exposure, share if you’re inclined. #UnionStrong /end
@amaditalks I have never heard of striking workers saying "Please continue to patronize the company we're striking against."
Sorry, not gonna do it. I've already canceled all my streaming subscriptions. I'll happily contribute the price to a fund to support the strikers, but I'm not going to support a return to the status quo. Companies that say "we'll just wait out the strike" and engage in shenanigans like that need to stop existing.
@freakazoid well, it’s what the unions are asking for here, specifically because their argument is that the streaming services are not as volatile and financially underperforming as the studios are claiming, and they don’t want a bunch of cancellations to bolster the studio argument that consistent revenue from streaming services cannot be relied upon so they can’t raise wages or residuals.
@amaditalks Yeah, I understand that. They want their wages and residuals to go up while everything else stays the same. But the streaming system is both still in flux and fundamentally broken in its current state, so it's a pipe dream.
You may be right, but I see this as the unions' fight to wage. If they ask for my support, they'll get it. That means I'll boycott when they ask me to.
@stevensrmiller@freakazoid@amaditalks Exactly, a coordinated strategy is the most likely to be effective, and it's the unions' prerogative to coordinate that strategy.
Agreed. And, calling for boycotts is provocative and has a negative PR side they may want to avoid coping with at this time. If and when they do call for boycotts, I expect they'll want the effect of that call to be acute. It will prove they have a lot of public support and can wield a lot of power. Canceling now will weaken the impact of any later calls for a boycott.
Damn, this is all so sad. There is SO much money in Hollywood. Just too few people get it.
Personal "boycotts" are not boycotts. It sends no message to the company at all if it's not coordinated. It's just random noise. It's you taking something that's not about you and making it about you.
@amaditalks
In California, you need a permit to cut down trees or trim them when they're on public land such as sidewalks. I hope an enterprising citizen does a freedom of information request to see when those permits were issued, the reason for them, or if they were issued at all. #treelaw
@jcutting there’s already been an announcement of an investigation regarding permits and who issued them (if anyone did) and all the other legal issues. They did such a butcher job on the trees I have major doubts that a real tree service did it as opposed to someone’s slightly tipsy uncle who loves his chainsaw. They destroyed every canopy on every tree.
@amaditalks Smart move. /s Make your studios less accessible so picketers don't make your studios less accessible.... smh.
They can talk about the "bottom line" all they want. They really just want to stick it to the other guy (the one who's already marginalized and struggling). It's malicious.
I am just going to continue to watch movies for free until the strike is sorted out. There are literally hundreds of sites that make this possible.
The internet is amazing...
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