The Strike May Get Worse- Page 4

[Lynnespock2]

Posted: 11/21/07 at 10:18pm

Thanks, bugmenot. If I had a button to wear that supports local 1, I would wear it.

localonecrew: As my mother used to say, from your lips, to God's ears.

Updated On: 11/21/07 at 10:18 PM

[localonecrew]

Posted: 11/21/07 at 10:27pm

i never understood the thinking,"hey! they make more money and have better benefits than me therefore they make too much money!".
it should be, "hey! they make more money and have better benefits than me therefore i should do something to raise my salary and benefits."

[leko2]

Posted: 11/21/07 at 10:52pm

Lynne: WordArt is your friend.

[Lynnespock2]

Posted: 11/22/07 at 12:06am

localonecrew: The idea is to raise up all boats. You don't have to sink in order for me to rise.

Leko2: Huh? I don't make buttons, but there is a button supporting local 1.

[Tkt2Ride]

Posted: 11/22/07 at 1:55am

As long as they remember you Lynne when those Local ballots come around looking for more money for the School Districts. I only wish more Business' would invest better into our Public Schools rather then take the cheap labor route and complaining that they can't find Americans who can do the same work for the same amount of pay.

Than they vote for Politicians who will lower the standards of Education to dumb down our students to create a cheaper labor source. It is terrible the way our Education System isn't protected from whatever Joe buys themselves into Office these days.

Money is only scary in the wrong hands because of all the damage they can do with it. That is why I want to see it spread around better.

I would much rather hear that they can brag that their Ushers are the best paid in America and can afford to rent a subsidized place in New York. Can't expect anyone to be able to rent at a normal price but they can afford to pay much better than they do.

New York is the most expensive place to live in America. I wish more people would understand that to be true.

I just know that the Unions that did get broken, the Auto and Air Traffic Controllers Union are in bad shape right now. It didn't improve our situation at all. We still don't have the Cars we want. Air travel with so many Planes being under serviced and getting old are more behind schedule with more problems than ever. There are even more Planes in the air right now and fewer Controllers to keep track of them. Very few want the job. The field is in very poor condition right now considering how many people travel today. I never see a happy Steward or Stewardess these days.

Considering now we have to get to the Airport an hour earlier just so we can leave an hour or two later because our Plane has some sort of malfunction makes me wonder why we don't have more terrorists in the sky than we already do. Our Government is now creating them for us. Nothing like spending three hours in some forsaken Airport with a bunch of really unhappy people. That is progress to so many Posters here so it seems?

I get tired of Executives blaming their worries on those under them when they are not doing their job in making sure that they are getting the best product out on the Market. To be fair though people are really fickle. It takes a lot more to get people out of their Homes and into a Theatre. Especially when the price of gas is so high it effects everything you have to buy.

Even lowering the price of a ticket won't get people in to see a show they just don't like. Some people, like me, will only pay so much for a show, depending on how much I want to see it. I have a budget so I am limited on how much I can pay or see, usually because ticket prices are high. In America at least, I don't think there are enough people who can afford to pay for $100 tickets for everything. That too is why some shows fail. You will only pay that much for a show you really like.


Though using that $450 example always bothers me some. Mel had to re-price a lot of those tickets. Very few of them really sell. I bet at least half of those are sold on show day for the regular overpriced tag of $110.00. If you have a coupon, maybe even less than that. Bad example.

[Bwayfan4]

Posted: 11/22/07 at 7:33am

"I am a teacher in an NYC school and a member of a union. I
support the strike because it is NOT about how much so and so is getting paid. It's about the rights of the working person to have a fair contract negotiated."

"THANK YOU! Finally somebody gets it! "


I too am a member in a union and completely agree that the stagehands deserve to have a fair contract negotiated.

However, when the demands of stagehands are somewhat outlandish (as I understand them to be)...THAT'S when I no longer support the ideals behind the union.

[Lynnespock2]

Posted: 11/22/07 at 8:16am

"However, when the demands of stagehands are somewhat outlandish (as I understand them to be)...THAT'S when I no longer support the ideals behind the union."

Bdwyfan4: Since we are both not stagehands, without the knowledge of exactly what a stagehand does, not privy to what is really being said at the negotiating table, we are not truly informed as the the truth of what and who is demanding the outlandish.

If the producers were really serious about negotiating the contract to begin with, they would not have tried to enforce work rules that were not negotiated. In my parlance, it would be like the DOE said I have to work with double the number of students in my class and I had no choice but to do it.

We only hear what is public and like divorce, there is two stories and somewhere in the middle is truth.

Solidarity forever!

[Bwayfan4]

Posted: 11/22/07 at 11:10am

Lynne, you are correct. We don't know ALL of the info as we aren't stagehands. So yes, it's important to take everything you hear via the media with a grain of salt.

But I do not support this union just because I'm in a union myself...I actually try to take a look at the issues before deciding which side to support. Based on what I've read (which may or may not be 100% correct), I do not support the stagehands union.

This is just my opinion.

[Lynnespock2]

Posted: 11/22/07 at 11:38am

Bwayfan4: I respect your point of view. My point of view does not come just from being a union member, although I will admit it colors it, it comes from having a very close relative currently in a Broadway show and hurting from it's effects, yet feeling strongly that he needs to support the stagehands.

Can I use that grain of salt to season my turkey? I hope everyone has something and someone to be grateful for this year and every year to come. Happy Thanksgiving!

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 11/22/07 at 12:05pm

bwayfan4--how do you understand the union's demands?

Because the impression I have is that the union isn't asking for anything new.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 11/22/07 at 1:02pm

Even if it was settled in a few days, it would take a few days to get the shows up & running. It looks like this week will be a washout. By the time they get around to settling it, it will be too late. Many people may have already changed their plans

Maybe the audience needs to strike when they return & let them know we have had it with all this foolishness. If anyone thinks that the union has no fault in this, I have a bridge I would like to sell them.

When they return, many may say "who cares".

[Josh Freilich]

Posted: 11/22/07 at 1:05pm

You're just about as negative as I was in the beginning.

[JimmyP2]

Posted: 11/22/07 at 1:23pm

If they come to some kind of agreement Sunday night I would hope they can do shows on Tuesday.

[Josh Freilich]

Posted: 11/22/07 at 1:34pm

Well, we can all expect that they get back to work on Wednesday at the latest, as localonecrew thinks should happen. Mr. Roxy says it would take time for them to get back up and running if it settles. For example, if they resolved on Sunday, let's say they'd have to have a couple of run-thrus on Monday and Tuesday so they could officially open on Wednesday matinees. That sounds agreeable.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 11/22/07 at 1:46pm

This will not be settled any time soon IMO. I hope I am wrong but the situation looks bad. We are watching a game of chicken where many innocent people are being hurt.

[Josh Freilich]

Posted: 11/22/07 at 1:52pm

Oh, so you're crying about this being the end of Broadway. I was too until I was told to get a grip on myself by you guys. Now I'm a changed man.

If it doesn't settle any time soon, then it will truly be the end of Broadway. I do NOT want it to happen, and neither does anyone else. Not even the League OR the Local. They're trying their best to straighten things out, but they're not trying hard enough. I wish they would just wake up and smell the paving machines and really see what a huge mess they've gotten themselves into.

Updated On: 11/22/07 at 01:52 PM

[Tkt2Ride]

Posted: 11/22/07 at 2:04pm

I'm sorry to say that it won't be up by Tuesday. We will be lucky we should get the Grinch up and running. I'm not sure how an appeal will hold up the show. Can they work will the Jujamcyn is appealing? Do they have the right to? I don't know enough about the Law to say. The rest? I don't see the Union any closer to settling. Nothing serious yet on the Table. Maybe some of the League will show up on Monday but they like long vacations. Most people who travel take off Monday after Thanksgiving.

Mr. Roxy, the other Union Members, well most of them, understand this strike isn't just about the Stagehands but the League growing too powerful and wanting to cut back on everyone's benefits and wages.

Theatre fans? It isn't the only form of Entertainment. Producers? That hurts but they do have insurance. Anyone who risked putting up a show with a pending strike and didn't buy into some form of protection were gambling with other people's money. Disney will get back some of their losses. There is no way they are going home empty handed from a Courtroom.

Trouble with gambling is sometimes you lose. The odds are always against you. Mel knew this and he avoided it. How could the others not?

_____________________________________

Luckily this Union doesn't need Brwyfan to settle it's contract. Brwyfan though does need the Stagehands to vote and support their pay raises.

Luckily also, many of us support schools even though we aren't happy with the way the system is being run right now. If I took their attitude, I'd not vote for higher taxes for School Board expenses.

I would however love to see some intelligent examples from Brwyfan to prove why they feel the issues the Stagehands are fighting over are unjust. Since you are a Teacher and we hope are capable of making intelligent decisions this should be very easy for you to provide.

Thank you for indulging me since obviously you seem to have some information the rest of us are not privvy to?

[Josh Freilich]

Posted: 11/22/07 at 2:07pm

WHY IS EVERYONE BEING SO NEGATIVE????????????????!!!!!!!
You're so not helping me through this! I'm out of here forever, and I'm NEVER MAKING ANOTHER POST ON THESE BOARDS!!!!!

Updated On: 11/22/07 at 02:07 PM

[Tkt2Ride]

Posted: 11/22/07 at 2:28pm

Josh it isn't being negative. It is about business. I understand this isn't your thing but you will have to understand all of this better eventually. Very hard lessons to be learned here. You can make a note of it and learn or just put all of your posts in Capitol letters and be annoying.

If it bothers you so much why do you read these threads? Stay on the ones that just talk about the shows contents.

You could use this time to write some of your own music. This is a difficult business and considering how many shows close and don't make much money, why is it a surprise that something like is happening?

[CJR]

Posted: 11/22/07 at 3:21pm

Oh dear.... EponineAmneris is 33 and is crying them self to sleep every night over the strike.... and ISNT DIRECTLY AFFECTED BY IT. I really have read it all.

Happy Turkey Day everyone!!!!! :)

[Josh Freilich]

Posted: 11/22/07 at 3:22pm

Tkt2ride, I have no comment at this time.

[Bwayfan4]

Posted: 11/22/07 at 3:53pm

"Brwyfan though does need the Stagehands to vote and support their pay raises. "

(Umm...yeah not sure what this means exactly? Are you asking for me to support pay raises for the stagehands? Sure. Everyone deserves fair wages. However, I don't support hiring a bunch of stagehands when only some of them are needed.)

"Luckily also, many of us support schools even though we aren't happy with the way the system is being run right now. If I took their attitude, I'd not vote for higher taxes for School Board expenses."

(Not really sure why you felt the need to post this as it has little to do with THIS strike.)

"I would however love to see some intelligent examples from Brwyfan to prove why they feel the issues the Stagehands are fighting over are unjust. "

(See my previous posts)

Thank you for indulging me since obviously you seem to have some information the rest of us are not privvy to?

(Nope. Any information I have read via articles on the internet)



Tkt2Ride...do YOU have any insider info to share with us? I mean, from all of your posts you'd think that YOU were the grand pooba of this whole strike.

It seems as though anytime anyone wants to state their opinion, you seem to pounce on them (assuming their opinion isn't like yours.) And why on Earth should someone have to justify their OPINION to you, let alone anyone else?!?! It's MY opinion, based on the information I have read. If you don't like it...tough.

[Josh Freilich]

Posted: 11/22/07 at 4:18pm

You could use this time to write some of your own music. This is a difficult business and considering how many shows close and don't make much money, why is it a surprise that something like is happening?

What's the point in writing my own music when I have NO CHANCE of having it displayed on Broadway now?!!!

It is a surprise that something like this is happening because this is the first time in 121 years that there was a stagehand's strike, and because it is, this may last an unbelievably long time.

[wonderfulwizard11]

Posted: 11/22/07 at 4:38pm

Yes Mr Roxy, everyone will simply turn away from Broadway because of this strike. Just like they did when the musicians struck for twenty-five days (not the last strike). Oh wait, they didn't.

Honestly people. Broadway will be alright during the strike. We aren't going to see a mass amount of shows close because of it.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 11/22/07 at 4:52pm

Use your Broadway is alright line to those who work in bars & hotels, live from paycheck to paycheck, & will lose a large amount of money this holiday season because of the strike.

What do you say to them? Tough ****, who cares, not my problem. For once, put yourself in their position & say how you would not be angry at all the parties involved.

If you cannot acknowledge that Broadway has lost audiences due to high prices & that continuing escalating prices will hurt, there is no point of further discussion. I guess you feel average people will gladly fork over $ 150 to $ 200 for a regular seat.

Time will tell I guess. By the way, when a strike took away a World series years ago, the fans stayed away for awhile for whatever it is worth.