[HPFGU-OTChatter] Re: HP & DH Mov

[P. Alexis Nguyen]

bboyminn:
>
> I think they are striking now because now is when their
> existing Union contract is about to expire. That is typically
> when Unions negotiate and when they are likely to strike.
>
> I think once they have a contract in place, except in the most
> extreme circumstances it is more or less illegal for them to
> strike. The only time they are allowed to strike is during
> contract negotiations.


I know that the WGA went on strike because their contract were up,
just like how the director & actor guilds' contracts are both up
within this year and there are whispers of the WGA hoping that the
support that these guilds have been giving the WGA might be enough
manpower to push the big six to negotiation fair compensation.  That
doesn't answer the question of why now.  The Internet & DVD has been
around a while.  Surely the contracts didn't predate either of these?
I do know some about the WGA strike, but I don't know enough to
understand the intricacies of why this is such a big problem right now
(and not 2 years ago or whatever).

And I don't think it's illegal to strike whilst the contracts exists,
just like it isn't illegal to fire union workers, though doing either
would be very unwise without great reasons.  The power in unions isn't
something granted because of law so much as because of there being
power in numbers.  That is not to say, of course, that unions are not
protect by the law the some degree; I just don't recall the law
operating in the way that you claim.

~Ali, who is really enjoying the discourse of the OT list these days