Cameraman goes on strike during a live X

[aussie]

http://tinyurl.com/y6btyg

[photogguy]

What the he11?

What's the background behind that? What led the guy to do that?

Widescreen?

[aussie]

Sorry I should of provided a briefing note.

The Australian Broadcasting Corporation like the BBC is government funded. They are in a pay dispute at the moment and have been taking industrial action. Nothing quite that drastic but there have been evenings when the main news bulletin was produced by management.

[JumpCut]

I saw that happen live at the time. I dont care what the circumstances are, that was completely unprofessional. If I was his chief I would tear him a new one.

[Widescreen]

Think I can shed some light on this one…………

The ABC (Australia) has been negotiating a wage increase for its staff, leading to a jam between management and unions. There are a number of issues on the table but the stalemate has lead to industrial action by union members.

So as not to give management a heads up on its action, staff are notified at the last minute to take action. This has meant editors walk in the afternoon, reporters leave at lunchtime and so on.

Camera Crews until recently have not actively taken action unless instructed by the union. In this case, a live x into the evening news, anyone involved technically in the cross was pulled as soon as it was on. He would have known it was coming but not necessarily during the cross.

My understanding was that he was instructed via master control to pull the plug. If that meant walk away or take the camera, who knows………

Still it made a point, management not happy but who cares.

Jumpcut, you’re not his Chief and if you were I would expect you to support his sentiment at the least. When you work in an organization that wants more but gives less, erodes your working conditions and pay, takes away your rights and treats you like a second class citizen, all the time fattening their own bellies, I can understand his very public statement.

Management continues to bring in scab labour and encourage strike breakers with rewards. Sometimes getting issues into the public domain and management to come to the negotiating table requires some disruptive measures, all be it dramatic ones at that.

I will concede he may lose some favour with some, and as an individual there may be some negative response from management. He cannot be sacked and his actions may become water cooler talk for sometime. I dare say he did not have much time to consider his actions but if the result in the long term is a pay increase and better working conditions, then bravo!

Stand Strong, Stand United.

[Turdpolisher]

Can't say I agree with you on that one Widescreen. The way I see it our duty is to the story and to the viewers. What your mate did was a disservice to his viewers and his craft.

I fully understand the money and conditions issues. If it's that bad, don't show up, walk off before the shot, but not in the middle.

[SimonW]

Well, actually it might bring them more viewers!

[Sean-1966]

Can't say I agree with you on that one Widescreen. The way I see it our duty is to the story and to the viewers. What your mate did was a disservice to his viewers and his craft.

I fully understand the money and conditions issues. If it's that bad, don't show up, walk off before the shot, but not in the middle.

This is the reason that television pays so little in the U.S.A. Well I wouldn't want to be the cameraman that had to pull the plug I respect him for doing it. This is a business. Management knows it. That's why I don't get comments like "...you'll be paid in sunshine." Sunshine doesn't put food on the table. The station doesn't accept sunshine as payment for commercial time. Money talks!!

[Freddie Mercury]

This is the reason that television pays so little in the U.S.A.

I don't want to assume incorrectly. What was the reason?^^^


Not being up on all the ins and outs of Australian unions, I can't really judge what the individual did. As an overall tactic, it seems more like sabotage than making your worth known. They chose the moment to assure the show would suffer.

Wouldn't the point be more valid if the workers simply went on strike and the result would be less qualified replacements performing the duties and, presumably, a difference would present itself? What have you proven if you create artificial anarchy?

[pre-set]

Good for them. THAT'S how you make a stand.... I wish our own spineless jellyfish unions here would take a few notes from our Aussie bro's.

[Widescreen]

T-boy,

Let’s be frank here, most shooters don’t give a fat rat’s arse what the viewer thinks and the viewers don’t spare a thought for those getting the pictures. They come into work, do the job and go home.

A small minority across the country do, as well as other production staff in other areas of broadcasting at the ABC. Taking the camera off during a Live X is not only about a pay increase and conditions, but also about the viewers and the craft.

You cannot continue to supply the viewer with quality product when your conditions are eroded. You fail to maintain standards, work practices, safety and ethics if management continues to take away your basic rights and funding to do it.

Walking off before serves no purpose. Someone will fill the gap and plug the holes. The viewer at home will see no difference in quality. Disruption to transmission serves no point as they simply cross to another source to fill the gap. The viewer simply thinks there has been a technical glitch.

Down here, crews now work as one, are responsible for audio, are being asked to edit, field produce, and ask questions sometimes. These may be everyday things for our Northern friends but here it is still relatively new and we get nothing more for it. Our area is not alone. Directors are also vision switchers, floor managers do camera as well and presenters do their own makeup. These are just some examples of how we are slowly going backwards in an industry where now some shows are seeking VJ’s.

Perhaps what he did could be deemed unprofessional, but getting screwed by management that intends to change our industry in such a destructive way is a greater disservice to the industry and the viewer than what he did.

Freddie Mercury, The CPSU and MEAA unions here have fought for many years to preserve the rights of industry workers and reporters. Mostly with success. John Howard our Prime Minister has reversed many of our Industrial Relations laws affecting many workers right such as unfair dismissal. With an election looming here, workers rights are at the forefront of union action across the country. With a country built on the back of Irish settlers and other working class migrants, he has a battle ahead of him.

ABC network woes are just a small microcosm of a bigger picture but when management will not negotiate and normal industrial action has taken place already then more radical measures are put in place. The loss of a few viewers is a small cost to the action and long term result. What’s that saying, sacrifice the few to save the many…………

[jlsmedia]

OK, so point made. Walking off the job like that, I assume, will make it tougher to find another. Publically exiting your career in that fashion is a sure way to kiss the career good by....

[cameragod]

Ok I’m pro union and it was a big statement but what a sh!ty thing to do to your journalist. You can hear the pleading note in his voice just before he is cut off. We are a team out there and I can’t help thinking if the crews are on strike then the journalists should support them. That obviously didn’t happen here but was it an option? This guy looks like he wasn’t given a chance, he was just blindsided.
How can he ever work with that cameraman again and trust him?
After doing that if you were that cameraman could you ever trust a journalist from the ABC to watch your back?

[pre-set]

I would understand if an AFTRA reporter walked out mid-liveshot as part of a strike..... I certainly wouldn't take it personally or let my feelings get hurt.... I'd prolly get a chuckle out of it.

This is business, folks... Sometimes things get ugly. Widescreen was right - most viewers don't give a single thought to the people who actually MAKE the pictures they see. They just assume it gets created out of the ether and just happens.

The reality we know is that it takes PEOPLE to make video. People with skill. And another reality in our business today is the folks we work for are less and less inclined to pay us a decent wage. So things like that happen....


It's fine for you guys to still have that high-minded sense of responsibility and dedication to "the craft" and all that stuff... Just don't cast asparagus on those of us who have been on the wrong end of greedy management and have had our fill of their bullsh!t.

[Widescreen]

Jlsmedia,

You don’t quite understand how the Australian ABC works. He has done nothing to harm his career. Only those in his own office will know who it was, added to that some idle gossip.

The ABC here is Government funded and controlled, to a point. It is Australia's public broadcaster which includes national and local television and radio schedules. As such staff work under government work schemes and receive funding from government budgets.

To a point the ABC must continue


to fulfill to a high standard its role as an independent and comprehensive national public broadcaster
to be adequately funded by government to fulfill its role;
to remain independent of government influence, commercial sponsorship and advertising; and
to promote Australian culture in all its diversity.
I cannot argue any more the need to maintain better working conditions and pay. I think less time should be spent debating what he did and be more concerned about the erosion of workplace agreements and conditions across the industry for all.

I don’t think he is as concerned about his position as you may think and can tell you he would have given it some clear thought before taking any action. No staff member takes industrial action lightly and whilst some may condone his action, they certainly stand by his sentiment.

Cameragod,

For the past few weeks the union has been taking action by rallies, stop work meetings and so forth. When there have been whole walkouts, management, which is largely filled with former operators, manage to still put stuff to air, all be it roughly. Also when a union walkout is planned, management circumvents that action with scabs and strike breakers.

By using more tactical methods, management are caught by surprise. That reporter would have been caught by surprise but so would the cameraman if the reporter had walked. Both operators and reporters are involved in the same strike action; they are just targeting at different times and trying to keep management in the dark. It looked bad visually but that was the intention.

No action is intended over the weekend with unions and management to meet again this coming week. Failure to negotiate will result in further action.

United we stand…………

[cameragod]

I just feel that the union could have handled it better by pulling the reporter at the same time instead of leaving him in there to feel like a dork. I know it’s nothing personal but some reporters don’t handle being made to look stupid very well. The union may have just made an enemy of a guy who could well have supported them.

We are currently having strikes over here in NZ and as a freelancer the local union rep has asked me not to scab.
My problem is if I have a long standing booking for a day then I feel that I should work it. If the union can give me notice of an impending strike then I won’t take a booking for that day. They say they are cool with that.

[Widescreen]

Cameragod,

I am not freelance (read my blog). But I have many friends who are and they work where I do. Some will stand by long term bookings and others have asked to decline out of respect and friendships with those staff striking.

Yes the reporter may have felt like a dork as did the presenter and perhaps there should have been better support of the cameraman so he was not alone in his stand. Perhaps turning out a light might have had better effect, who knows.

What are we concerned about more, people looking like dorks or fair pay and conditions?

I know where my vote goes.

[cameragod]

Presenters usually have a “no strike” clause in their contract (maybe part of the reason they make the big bucks) so I don’t have much sympathy for their position but journalists and crew should be a team against management not scoring points off each other.
Yes the cameraman should have walked its just the union should have pulled the journalist as well.
I guess for someone who spends their life making the reporter look good hanging them out to dry feels wrong.
I hope the cameraman bought him a beer after.
Speaking of beer. Are you in at the ABC Sydney? I’ve got to drop a disc in on the 3rd

[Widescreen]

Most of our presenters are staff or union or both and walk as well and have.

In this case just the operator would have been told to walk. We will have to agree to disagree on some points.

No I am not in Sydney, more south of the border..........

[bassetf5]

Australia, of course, being the country where union longshoremen got all worked up over their pay scale and refused to unload American military supply ships during WWII... even though the US soldiers and marines were there to save their asses from the Japanese, most of the Australian forces being off in Europe and Africa defending England.

[Widescreen]

Bassetf5,

You dickhead. Read on if you care, but I doubt you will

What the @*%# has WW2 got to do with this? If you’re going to sprout Australian history you should at least have the courtesy to know what you’re talking about.

Australians have never shied away from the help that we got from the US soldiers. Australians and Americans have fought side by side proudly and bravely and that commitment and loss is not forgotten by the Australian people.

We were also there in Malaya, Korea and Vietnam not to mention Afghanistan and Iraq. Don’t throw it in our faces like we ‘owe’ you. That debt was paid with Australian blood.


Australian defenses were abandoned by the British long after Australians had fought for and alongside them during the Battle of Britain and in the Middle East It was the British who allowed Singapore to fall to the Japanese abandoning the Australians left there to defend it.

As early as April 1942, Australian command had registered complaints with the Allied Forces, upset with their focus on Europe. The Australian fighting force had been seriously depleted, and greatly depended upon American troops for reinforcements

Douglas MacArthur had fled the Phillipines leaving his men to face imminent destruction. He fled to Australia to rebuild and lead an allied command made up of US and Australian Volunteers who alone stood and faced the Japanese at New Guinea pushing them back.

Militia units distinguished themselves and suffered extremely high casualties during the Pacific War (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacific_War), especially in 1942, when they fought Japanese forces in New Guinea (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Guinea), which was then an Australian territory.

The members of the 39th (Militia) Battalion (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/39th_%28Militia%29_Battalion), many of them very young, untrained and poorly equipped, distinguished themselves and suffered extremely heavy casualties, in the stubborn rearguard action on the Kokoda Track (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kokoda_Track_Campaign).

Simultaneously, the 7th Militia Brigade (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brigade) played a key role in the Australian-US victory at the Battle of Milne Bay (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Milne_Bay), the first outright defeat suffered by Japanese land forces in the war.

The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) participated in operations against Italy after its entry into the war in June 1940. A few Australians flew in the Battle of Britain in August and September of the same year, but the Australian Army was not engaged in combat until 1941, when the 6th, 7th and 9th Divisions joined Allied operations in the Mediterranean and North Africa.

Following early successes against Italian forces, the Australians suffered defeat with the Allies at the hands of the Germans in Greece, Crete and North Africa. In June and July 1941 Australians participated in the successful Allied invasion of Syria, a mandate of France and ally of the Vichy government. Up to 14,000 Australians held out against repeated German attacks in the Libyan port of Tobruk, where they were besieged between April and August 1941.

After being relieved at Tobruk, the 6th and 7th Divisions departed from the Mediterranean theatre for the war against Japan. The 9th Division remained to play an important role in the Allied victory at El Alamein in October 1942 before it, too, left for the Pacific. By the end of 1942 the only Australians remaining in the Mediterranean theatre were airmen serving either with the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) No. 3 Squadron or in the Royal Air Force.

In March 1943 opposition to a new gang rotary system led to a 16 day strike by members of the Waterside Workers' Federation (WWF) in Sydney. The Curtin Government ordered troops to 'keep the ships moving'. Following heated argument the workers agreed to the new system and returned to work on 13 April.

Due to manpower shortages on the wharves, Australian military personnel were occasionally used to load military cargo. These troops were called Docks Operating Companies and handled excess cargo. They were paid according to the industrial award.

By 1944 labour shortages on the waterfront were critical. Responding to these shortages the Government 'released' 700 men from the Army to undertake waterfront work. However, numbers still proved insufficient, and the need to use military personnel on military cargo continued.

Next time check your facts.

[Widescreen]

I was going to add more on the topic but probably said more than enough.

For those interested in whats going on, here is a link

http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/abc-news-floored-by-live-cross-wires/2006/10/27/1161749297819.html

There is a sub link there for the video.

[JumpCut]

Jumpcut, you’re not his Chief and if you were I would expect you to support his sentiment at the least. When you work in an organization that wants more but gives less, erodes your working conditions and pay, takes away your rights and treats you like a second class citizen, all the time fattening their own bellies, I can understand his very public statement.


Widescreen, I certainly support the sentiment but you are preaching to the wrong person. I work for a regional broadcaster, and I am already in working conditions where I do audio myself, where I edit myself, where sometimes I even have to ask the questions myself, and all for a lot less than standard ABC wages (and frankly for the past 12 years the CPSU has done nothing for me). Sure I would like more, I could apply elsewhere (almost applied for ABC Hobart a few weeks ago), but the fact remains that I am a professional.

I do the job that is expected of me by my employer, my viewer and perhaps most importantly, myself. As has been expressed on this board many times in the past, we dont do this job to get rich (although more money would be great), we do it for something more, and it basically comes back to informing the public and doing the best job that we can. I for one couldnt live with myself after purposefully doing something like that. Just because someone at MCR said pull the shot in that circumstance doesnt mean you have to.

Whilst I dont know Doug Sleeman personally, I know of him, you know as well as I do that your reputation in this industry is all you have. I think his reputation may have just taken a battering.

Something like this only serves to prove to management that their staff dont deserve better conditions or pay when their staff act in that sort of manner. Sure, have stop works, rolling strikes or whatever, but dont let it directly affect the very product you are trying to save.

[bassetf5]

well put, and I don't disagree that the dockworkers' strike was an isolated incident and most atypical.

my point, though, was that labor actions can sometimes go too far... and damage the union's cause. as a former member of a totally worthless US broadcast union local, I've seen it happen. if I was in that photog's place, I would have gone on strike before or after the shot, not in the middle.

[Sportsguy]

http://tinyurl.com/y6btyg


Can't see that on my Mac. Is it anywhere else?

[WestCoast]

Sure it sucks that it had to come down to walking off the live shot and we can talk about respect for the craft all we want but when management wants to force us to do more without any kind of compensation where is their respect for the craft.

And I'd like to think that if the situation were reversed I would be sympathetic and supportive of my co-worker. If I read correctly the reporters are part of the same strike action. And according to WS the walk-off had been going on for the past few weeks so it wasn't completely out of the blue.

[aussie]

Can't see that on my Mac. Is it anywhere else?

The video is hosted on a microsoft web site so you need Windoze, Internet Explorer and media player.
I will keep an eye out for another copy.

[texshooter]

Don't know anything about your labor problems, but the anchor and sports chick in the next piece are pretty hot.

[cameragod]

Just heard on the rumor mill that the union has put out a statement claiming they didn’t arrange this action. Can you OZ guys confirm if that’s true?
If it is and it was some spur of the moment decision taken solely by the cameraman or some random in master control that makes it a bit different..

[Widescreen]

From what I understand, it is an unwritten rule that industrial action will not effect program already on air. Moments before is okay but that's the limit.

This would mean that what he did was outside the bounds of fair play. Depends what side of the fence your on. Industrial action is never fair on both sides.

[newshooter]

This is why no one respects unions anymore. When you act like a 3-year and take your ball and go home, you get treated like a 3-year-old

[pre-set]

Or you could act like an "adult" I suppose and sit down with mgt. and talk and talk and talk and lose and lose and lose more and more $$ and benefits.

Like we've done here. Works great if you're the company. Lousy if you're Union.

I'm with the Aussies.....


Look - it definetly got peoples' attention, which was the goal.

Good for them.

[Grip]

At the end of the day, the only thing that puts food on the table is money.

Telling someone how they should act when they are trying to protect their money.....easy to do when it is not your money.

I would support any actions.

and the Aussies owe the US nothing.(one of the few)

[Widescreen]

Two days off the road and told to clean tripods. Hardly atomic fallout.

I think Doug will be just fine.

[aussie]

Can't see that on my Mac. Is it anywhere else?

Its on you tube.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mc9sLy1o3yY

Edit:
That version has "Doug" edited in two more times.

[NYC Street]

I would understand if an AFTRA reporter walked out mid-liveshot as part of a strike..... I certainly wouldn't take it personally or let my feelings get hurt.... I'd prolly get a chuckle out of it.


As an AFTRA reporter (and strong supporter of the union), let me tell you - that would be highly unlikely to occur on our end. We're way too visible, and that would be career suicide in an industry in which we have very limited job protection.

From the perspective of the talent - if you're staff, you probably don't worry about this type of incident, and probably quietly agree with the shooter's action. But once, when doing a generic live shot a few years back for a NBC's affiliate service, Newschannel, I got caught in the middle of a NABET/NBC flap. The tech in the sat truck intentionally killed my IFB just moments before air.

Fortunately, I had my cell phone and had time to get through to the producer and have her count me down both at the top and coming out of the insert.

I quietly went to the tech afterwards and said, not much less politely than I recount it, that if he wanted to take a job action during a shot of mine, he'd best do it in a way that didn't make me look like I wasn't doing my job. My recollection is that I didn't say anything intemperate about burning his house or breaking his knees...but his recollection may be different.

The key difference was that in the Aussie shot, it was obvious what happened...and it didn't make the talent look incompetent.

[Sportsguy]

Its on you tube.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mc9sLy1o3yY

Edit:
That version has "Doug" edited in two more times.

Yeah... In the states, that's called "Career Suicide."

[Deaf and Blind]

Well I personally know Doug have worked with him on numerous occasions and he's a quiet decent guy who would normally never say boo to a ghost.
For him to take such action is a good indicator of how deep the level of discontent at Sydney is currently.
When you have equipment lying around waiting for spare parts as funding has been slashed to the bone, a building which leaks every time it rains mixed in with staff moral which is so low in the water you may as well use it as a plimsol line then yes I can understand Dougs actions and I personally think it was a damn ballsy thing for him to do.
The management are pi$$ weak hardly stand up for the staff so thay have little left but to take extreme action.
Some days you have to grow some balls to get what you want. In this industry I see a lot of people with none who think they have them in abundance.
My hat goes off to Doug as I really would never have thought he would do such a thing, at least he has the guts to stand up for himself which many replies on here suggest a fair few gutless wankers who talk the talk but could never walk the walk due to lack of spine.
If you don't like it well kiss my a$$.

[pre-set]

That's odd. For a second I thought you were talking about MY station!!!!

I was like "Damn - do I work with this guy"?!?!?