Hollywood Underdogs Rally for Labor Justice at City Hall
A dual effort led by a make-up artist and a production manager has set the stage for a rally to be held in Los Angeles on September 27. The intent behind this action is to gain greater involvement from City Hall in a persisting labor dispute. The individuals rallying, described as below-the-line workers in the entertainment industry, have been looking at more than five months with no work, threatening loss of pensions, homes, and healthcare benefits.
Farah Bunch and Katie Baccaro, the organizers of the rally, stated in a social media post, “We are gathering to demand change now! It’s time to say ENOUGH! Get involved, mediate a fair deal, raise and extend EDD." They are hoping for potentially favourable discussions to occur later in the week, making their rally unnecessary - however, if the talks collapse again, they promise to proceed with the rally.
Set to be staged on the south lawn of City Hall between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., the rally is a continuation of their efforts to bring attention to the plight of below-the-line workers affected by the ongoing strikes. Farah Bunch, in May, had penned a column for Deadline to address her fellow writers, highlighting the adverse effects the strike had on BTL workers.
Encouragingly, tomorrow's discussions between the WGA and AMPTP have revived hope for a resolution. A recent official statement from the WGA asked its members to brace for a negotiation-free period, while also reminding them of their paramount focus, "getting a fair deal for writers as soon as possible." They urged members and everyone impacted by the strikes to show solidarity on the picket lines during these negotiations.
---
---
Now let's step back from our diplomatic news stance and go Hollywood, shall we? Where we speak our mind, and every labor dispute feels like an Oscar-worthy drama.
Let's start by applauding Farah and Katie. The duo may not have directed a summer blockbuster, but they're directing a scene straight out of a climactic finale where the underdogs stand up and say, "Enough." Now that's an award-winning act right there. And if anyone's been compelling us to feel the triumphant swell of an orchestral score in the background this year, it's them.
This rally seems to be what we call a "swing scene," a pivotal moment that may change the direction of this plotline playing out in real-time. I mean, who doesn't love a bit of the old hope-and-change dynamic in their third act?
Then, there's the highly anticipated top-table meeting. It feels like a dramatic scene where everyone sits around a dimly lit room, probably with mahogany furniture, and battles it out with eloquent speeches and cutting rebuttals. I can almost hear the sudden silence before a big statement and the collective gasp afterward.
So, as our real-life drama unfolds, wouldn't it be fitting for all of us, industry insiders and outsiders alike, to do as the WGA says and demonstrate unity? After all, aren't we all in this giant, complex screenplay together? If nothing else, it offers a grand "Hollywood ending" - a fitting resolution to the drama where the underdogs win and we all walk away a little wiser, a little inspired, and maybe with a dash of eyeroll because, after all, this is Hollywood.
