The Strike: Fire them! — Page 3

All I can say is if you don't know all of the details and are not educated on the situation, don't bitch! I live in Denver, and am going to NYC early in Dec. I have read everything I can and I even stream NY1 at home to keep up. I have a ticket to a show that is closed due to the strike and a non-refundable plane ticket. It is life. No matter who is right or wrong, it happens. Get over it. The world is not going to end because of this strike. There will be shows in the future. Sorry people can't see them now but that's just the way it is. I want to see shows that may be closed. But if I can't, I just can't. And I am not going to bitch and moan about it. Why do that when I have no control over what is going on? I wanted to see a certain performer, but I might not be able to. My world will not end, and I will go back to NYC in the Spring and see shows when this is all over. It just sounds so selfish when people are pissed over this because they can't see a show AND they have no idea what is going on between the union and the league. All they want is what they want. America....AMERICA!

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"the average stagehand makes $143,000 per year"?????? Obviously, someone is buying into the producers hype. Unless you KNOW this for a fact, please don't repeat propaganda.

And remember that in this day and age of theater, stagehands are required to handle and secure many technical issues. Cutting back on the number of stagehands required can expose everyone to safety issues. Furthermore, unless you can specifically compare stagehand salaries to other jobs in NY, you will not see what is fair. Santitation engineers certainly make more "on average" than you might think. But do you fully understand the union, its members or its issues? Do you know what comparable pay is for an equally stressful or physical job? If not, then you can't comment on what is fair and equitable.

Then of course there is the question of what the producers make on the shows. Do THEY put butts in the seats or just provide the opportunity for audiences to see a quality show? The stagehands are just one group of many that make the productions possible. I'd like to see you do a show without them.

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I didn't ask any of your opinion's so as far as I'm concerned you guys can go F*CK YOURSELVES!!!

Gosh Lynne but isn't that one of the hidden agenda's behind the Producers cry? The fact that they got their tax cuts, that they didn't really need but know in the future they have to give it all back? At least they got to spend the interest. It's their money. Of course made by the hard work of those working in the Theatre.

If only they were there for us when we said this War was too expensive. If anyone wants to know what a crummy creek we are paddling in they should go see The Oxford Roof Climbers Rebellion. Had that made a bigger Theatre and got more attention six years ago maybe we wouldn't be in the hole to China. It goes on about how England got itself in a mess fighting endlessly over what is now Iraq. Nothing like putting your Country in a blender and pushing crush on it. That is exactly what we did getting into this mess over there.

I don't have a problem with people making money. I just feel you have to pay for the services rendered and that you have to employ good Managers. You also though need good Producers. Not everything will make a profit but it has been stated many times, they are purposely under hiring staff to save money. Then when the work can't be performed by the original crew, they pay almost double to make up for their mistakes. The solution lies in hiring experienced Producers and Managers who understand the business and quit wasting so much money on over time.

They are using this Contract as a blown-up excuse for their own mismanagement. This is what is frustrating and I see it so often. Sure the money is good. Most of these stagehands can still make it on other jobs. They don't have to work all of this overtime if their Production Co. hires enough people to do the job first.

I feel sorry for them. Really I do. Like I said, if they are really, really scared, they should offer a year or two year contract. While they have the money, they should pay what the work is worth. If we end up or when we end up in a recession, everyone will have to give but at least give them enough time, while you have some cash, to save up for it.

I just don't believe you get anything for free. The market is good and you pay for what you want to have. You want the best and you don't want to give it all away to the insurance companies then hire good workers.

If the League wins, you can bet their Insurance rates will go through the roof. Plus, they risk being sued by the City for not having enough professionals available to ensure the safety of the Theatre. One mishap and we will see what happened to White Snake when the pyro stuff went haywire. A lot of unnecessary deaths. Same thing for all the screw-ups that killed so many Firefighters after the planes hit on 9-11. Their equipment didn't work and people died needlessly and it cost a bundle in retribution. Retribution though doesn't bring a loved one back to life.

So I am just wondering why these details are so hard for people to understand? Do we really need another disaster before people understand why we have to have people on the job who know what they are doing and can respond quickly in an emergency?

Maybe we should have techs get their own ambulances, so that they can race around the City whenever a disaster breaks? Like we don't have enough of those things fighting through traffic. Of course, by the time they get there what really will be left?

This isn't even about money, even though the work is hard and getting harder all of the time. I wonder what the retirement age is for most of these workers are? How many get injured permanently from loading and unloading such heavy sets and equipment? Ah well who cares? Just as long as the monkey is dancing, they will throw him a few coins for the effort.

Great Country we have here don't we?

It's unfortunately the nature of things that change comes about by any or all or a combo of force, sacrifice, learning the hard way and monetary incentive.

The entertainment business certainly has had a lot of the light of reality shed publicly upon it in recent times. People don't like to hear that it can get ugly behind the scenes, or that workers are being screwed out of benefits, etc.

I've seen so much of a lack of understanding and sympathy for the strikes on both coasts--I wonder if people want to be in denial about their own job situations, or think that all jobs in the entertainment industry are high-paying glamour fests so people should stop their whinin'.

Technically intricate! Most shows these days operate with computer finger pushing.
A stage hand getting $500.00 a night to mop a stage floor is overpaid.
One reason ticket prices are so high - and for once not just the producer's greed.
(I saw the OBC of Company for example in the front row of the balconey for $8.50)

"Technically intricate! Most shows these days operate with computer finger pushing. "


as someone who installs, runs, and maintains bway shows, this is blatantly ridiculous.

"So, can we please put this $500 dollar a day mopping myth to rest."

AMEN

and sparkle, has your computer ever failed on you?? Did you fix it yourself?? The show i work on has 4 computers running scenery, if one fails, what happens?? We dont' call in a PC repair guy to fix the problem, we do it ourselves.. Guess you could call us IT specialists then huh?? How much does it cost for a computer consultant to come and fix your computer?? 80-90 bucks an hour?? GO look at best buy or places like that and ask them what they charge per hour for labor to fix a computer..