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Tuesday 1 augusT 2023

Customers want instant gratification; Workers say it’s pushing them to the brink

Continued from Front series that may take a year
to be greenlit, or never get
Now, from the picket lines, picked up at all.
workers are trying to give Sanchez-Witzel, co-creator
consumers a behind-the- of the recently released
scenes look at what it takes Netflix series “Survival of
to produce a show that the Thickest,” said televi-
can be binged any time or sion shows traditionally hire
get dog food delivered to robust writing teams for the
their doorstep with a phone duration of production. But
swipe. Netflix refused to allow her
That workers are over- to keep her team of five
worked and underpaid writers past pre-production,
is an enduring complaint forcing round-the-clock re-
across industries — from writes with just one other
delivery drivers to Starbucks writer.
baristas and airline pilots — “It’s not sustainable and I’ll
where surges in consumer never do that again,” she
demand have collided said.
with persistent labor short- Sanchez-Witzel said she
ages. Workers are pushing was struck by the similarities
back against forced over- Actor Jane Fonda speaks at a picket line outside Netflix studios on Friday, July 28, 2023, in Los between her experience
time, punishing schedules Angeles. and those of UPS drivers,
or company reliance on Associated Press some of whom joined the
lower-paid, part-time or members have been on amount to a pittance, and rything is streaming,’” Sha- WGA for protests as they
contract forces. strike since May. Earlier this screenwriters have been piro said during a recent threatened their own po-
At issue for Hollywood month, the Screen Actors sharing tales of receiving union event. tentially crippling strike.
screenwriters and actors Guild–American Federa- single digit checks. Shapiro, who has been UPS and the Teamsters last
staging their first simultane- tion of Television and Radio Adam Shapiro, an actor acting for 25 years, said week reached a tentative
ous strikes in 40 years is the Artists joined the writers’ un- known for the Netflix hit he agreed to a contract contract staving off the
way streaming has upend- ion on the picket line. “Never Have I Ever,” said offering 20% of his normal strike.
ed the economics of enter- Actors and writers have many actors were initially rate for “Never Have I Ever” Jeffrey Palmerino, a full-
tainment, slashing pay and long relied on residuals, or content to accept lower because it seemed like “a time UPS driver near Alba-
forcing showrunners to pro- long-term payments, for pay for the plethora of roles great opportunity, and it’s ny, New York, said forced
duce content faster with reruns and other airings of that streaming suddenly going to be all over the overtime emerged as a top
smaller teams. films and televisions shows. offered. But the need for world. And it was. It really issue during the pandemic
“This seems to happen to But reruns aren’t a thing on a more sustainable com- was. Unfortunately, we’re as drivers coped with a
many places when the streaming services, where pensation model gained all starting to realize that if crush of orders on par with
tech companies come series and films simply land urgency when it became we keep doing this we’re the holiday season. Drivers
in. Who are we crushing? and stay with no easy way, clear streaming is not a not going to be able to pay never knew what time they
It doesn’t matter,” said such as box office returns or sideshow, but rather the our bills.” would get home or if they
Danielle Sanchez-Witzel, ratings, to determine their future of the business, he Then there’s the rising use could count on two days
a screenwriter and show- popularity. said. of “mini rooms,” in which a off each week, while 14-
runner on the negotiat- Consequently, what- “Over the past 10 years, we handful of writers are hired hour days in trucks without
ing team for the Writers ever residuals streaming realized: ‘Oh, that’s now to work only during pre-pro- air conditioning became
Guild of America, whose companies do pay often how Hollywood works. Eve- duction, sometimes for a the norm.q

Two tribal nations to open Minnesota’s first legal recreational

marijuana dispensaries

state on Tuesday. Red Lake Nation once the controlled Legislature ap-
Following a council vote on new law takes effect, the proved a massive marijua-
Friday, the White Earth Na- Star Tribune reported. The na legalization bill this year,
tion in northwestern Minne- nation is also in northwest- which Democratic Gov.
sota legalized recreational ern Minnesota. Tim Walz signed in May.
cannabis and will begin The band could've started White Earth Nation and Red
selling it sometime in the selling recreational mari- Lake Nation plan to take
first half of August, Minne- juana at that time but de- advantage of their sover-
sota Public Radio reported. cided to wait until Minne- eignty and allow sales right
Both tribal members and sota's new marijuana law away. But the state proj-
non-tribal adults 21 years legalizes possession state- ects most legal retail sales
and older would be able to wide. won't begin until early 2025,
purchase from the nation's "Our intention is to be a while it creates a licensing
Marijuana plants grow at LifeLine Labs in Cottage Grove, Minn., dispensary. good partner and ultimate- and regulatory system for
June 17, 2015. Weeks earlier, NativeC- ly fill the void for people the new industry.
Associated Press are — a tribal-run medical who intend to use canna- Minnesota is the 23rd state
WHITE EARTH, Minn. (AP) — marijuana dispensaries marijuana provider — an- bis," Red Lake tribal sec- to legalize recreational
At least two tribal nations in August as recreational nounced a recreational retary Sam Strong told the marijuana, more than a de-
are expected to open Min- marijuana becomes legal marijuana dispensary ex- Star Tribune. cade after Colorado and
nesota's first recreational to possess and grow in the pected to open shortly on The state's Democratic- Washington did so.q