Jump to content

Union Actors in Target's Anti-Union Video


Recommended Posts

http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2011/06/picture-of-the-day-union-actors-in-targets-anti-union-video/240593/

 

Target has been using this video to dissuade workers from joining the United Food and Commercial Workers, which wants to unionize Target employees. Gawker posted the 13-minute film on Monday.

 

But as Salon's Justin Elliott points out, the actors in it are actually union members, and the film was produced under the aegis of the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists. On stage right is Ric Reitz, who plays the president of the United States in the upcoming "Green Lantern" release.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...

That really is shameful.

 

Just like I don't get the whackjob DPs that shoot 35mm commercials of digital cameras, using Kodak's own film against them, playing it off as coming from the point and shoots!

 

 

I don't understand union folks who have anything to do with A-holes like that, or patronize non-union minimum wage theatres (cINEMARK, ahem ahem).

 

 

cinemark has a blurb in their book that is borderline illegal saying IATSE doesn't represent your interests, only cinemark does.

 

 

 

IDK about Target, but I don't go to cinemark and I don't go to wal-Mart. Any organization that is blatantly out to exploit its workers (we aren't talking about fast food where minimum wage is the only way to get the burger out the door and make some money on it) can make its money off some other suckers.

 

Especially if you're in the International Association of Theatrical and Stage Employes, you really have a duty to look out for your Union Brothers and Sisters. Guys up in the booth aren't making $60/hr., they're lucky to gros $30K a year working holidays evenings and weekends, often 4 hours at a time.

 

Those poor Target Bast*rds are probably fighting for 50¢ an hour above minimum wage and (shock!) a 40 hour workweek that entitles them to over=priced low value benefits and (horror_ TWO WEEKS of paid vacation for every 250 days of hard, monotonous, repetitive work.

Edited by K Borowski
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Premium Member

Haha, I worked at Walmart back in the day when I was a student and they are so anti-union, I thought it would be illegal. They mentioned "Wal-Mart employees dont need to unionize because they get access to all kinds of fringe benefits." I laughed so hard in orientation, I thought I was going to lose my job. Having a 24-hour nurse to talk to on the phone telling you to go to work regardless of your problem is hardly medical insurance or a "fringe" benefit.

 

I half expected them to give me an anti-union shirt, and free passes to Cinemark to go see "Hoffa." :lol:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'd love to get a job at wal-Mart, so I could go out there in the uniform with a big sign. I'd fail at disuading any of the soccer moms in the minivans from cashing every welfare check and driving in there the first of the month, but I hear they shut them down if there is a CHANCE of them unionizing. So if I could kill one store, I'd consider it a worthy cause.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Premium Member

Oh, from working there I can tell you its way more than just "welfare moms" that go there. The same wealthy conservatives who spout against the welfare types are also there trying to save a few bucks on a backyard grill or something and making the cashiers lives hell (I was a cashier.) And they would be the first to bitch and complain about the long lines but didnt realize that they can save some time by spending $3 more at Sears or something.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Rich, glad you' aren't in "what the market will bear" camp on this one.

 

I walk the line between employer, employee, white collar/blue collar worker myself. But WalMart is everything wrong with the "market" all rolled into one; so is cinemark.

 

 

Does WalMart have its own bank yet to charge its employees interest on thier own paychecks? cinemark does. . .

Link to comment
Share on other sites

As a member of both SAG and AFTRA living and fighting to get a living wage in an "off market town", I find the comments of Reitz to be insulting and ignorant. It is an uphill battle that we are losing more than winning and when members do work that is akin to scab work, you have to wonder if we have already lost but just don't know it. He probably voted against merger. Here in MA, the state lottery was hiring out of state actors for their commercials, until SAG said something. Just say no way Target.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...