Mike Ballard writes:
> You know what's REALLY interesting about this strike? It's that
> the writers are asking for a share of the product of their labour.
Well, not just a share, but an increase in the residual share of the *re*-production of their labor.
> Imagine a industry-wide strike in say mining, in which the
> workers demanded a share of the profits from the ore that
> they collectively got mined and marketed.
I think that's already how coal miners get paid. The difference is that once the coal company sells the coal, it's gone. We can quibble about what is a 'fair' share of the proceeds of the sale of coal (and Dog Knows, it's never been a great share), but I think we can agree that it is a model that's based on a 'share' ...
In this case however, the writers have been paid their 'share' for the episode, or whatever ... plus they earn a share of the 'residual' revenue, like many in the entertainment industry on the 'creative' side. It's just not how much of a share that they'd like.
In fact, reading the WGA's current position, I don't see anything 'new' here: it's really just a change in percentages that they are asking for.
http://www.wga.org/subpage_member.aspx?id=2485
********************
Ah, but the *quibble* over the share is what makes this manifestation of the class struggle so interesting. That labour should dare to take anything more from the employing class than the price of their labour power on the market--to actually demand a share of the social product of their labour--that's what's fascinating AND an encouraging example to be setting for the workers of the world.
Mike B)
"Would you have freedom from wage-slavery.." Joe Hill http://iamawobbly.multiply.com/
Make the switch to the world's best email. Get the new Yahoo!7 Mail now. www.yahoo7.com.au/worldsbestemail