Strike!

​Damn, it. This week I am going to be on time. This week, I will dazzle you with my wit and wisdom. This time, I am going to write more than 150 words.  Okay, here we go.
 
Been another very busy week. There is a strike looming, and in my bones, I feel like it will be a big one. 
 
“These things gotta happen every five years or so, ten years. Helps to get rid of the bad blood. Been ten years since the last one. You know, you gotta stop them at the beginning.”  
--Peter Clemenza
 
As you may or may not know, Peter was the head writer on the television game show Wordplay in 1986.  The strike was in 1988 and ran for 5 months, and, as I understand it, a lot of mattresses were sold.
 
I am not a union guy. Wanna be. Would love to be in the WGA East or West. But have never made enough points. Was hoping to remedy that this year. Now, I am not so sure that is going to happen. There are a lot of issues on the table this year. Writer’s rooms, AI content, streaming residuals and, of course, taking the total number of Law and Order episodes from a total of six episodes per year down to two. 
 
As I see it, this will play one of two ways. Writers win, getting almost everything they want. Or…The Studios eventually weaken the Guild until all that remains is reality television and Marvel Films. Which world do you want to live in? 
 
As a nation, we are stronger with Unions. I worry that we are beginning to see them as unnecessary. Interesting times we are living in.