So the Writers Guild of America (WGA) is on strike, which means quite a few TV shows have (or are about to) go dark. All of the writers, actors, and crew involved in these shows are embarking on a forced hiatus; with shows like 24 and LOST possibly being pushed to next year. I kind of expected the negotiations to be settled before an actual strike was called, but I was wrong.

As a child of parents who have both been part of a union for over 30+ years I am no stranger to contract negotiations and strikes. Thankfully, it has been over a decade since my parents were forced to strike. Being on strike sucks. It sucks for the people actually on strike and it sucks for the people caught in the middle who are not actually part of the union but work with, or are involved in some way, with the employees who are on strike.

I have heard people say that these writers must get paid hansomely and have no business being on strike. I am not sure these people understand that whether you are happy with your contract or not, when the union calls a strike, you strike. So whether you get paid $30 a script or $3 million, you strike. I am sure there are some well paid and content writers holding picket signs who are praying this thing ends today, but there are many more who feel (and are) underpaid and who are fighting for the rights they feel are owed to them. To them I say good luck. To the actors and crew caught in the middle I also say good luck. To everyone else I say, I hope you have a Netflix account or a Borders Rewards card because I think you are going to need it to have something new to watch!

I would love to hear some opinions on this….

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