Would You Support a Photog Strike ?

jajack71

jajack71

Well-known member
Just wondering would you strike if you had the chance to strike for a day or two. The purpose would be to get the attention of the GM all over the U.S. AND TO LET THEM KNOW JUST HOW IMPORTANT WE ARE TO THE DAILY NEWS OPERATIONS. We often complain about working condition,pay, etc.. so if you had a chance to do something would you ?
 
Forget Rosenblum! I'm not sure but I thought that the photog's had a strike in LA last year? I don't even know what they where on strike for but I bet the GM got the hint in LA. You don't think that the GM will get the hint about paying us like crap if we where to hit them in their pockets and give them a taste of their own medicine ?? I bet they would take s more seriously.
 
jajack71 said:
Just wondering would you strike if you had the chance to strike for a day or two. The purpose would be to get the attention of the GM all over the U.S. AND TO LET THEM KNOW JUST HOW IMPORTANT WE ARE TO THE DAILY NEWS OPERATIONS.
Click to expand...

Strikes are the absolute last resort. I don't know if you really are "just wondering" or if you're planning to take that route, you should remember: strikes can carry serious consequences.

jajack71 said:
We often complain about working condition,pay, etc.. so if you had a chance to do something would you ?
Click to expand...

Being a member of a union, I'd act in the best interest of my fellow shooters.

I don't know anything about your situation, but everyone bitches about the very general reasons you've given. Going on strike just to hold an outlet for "ransom," for lack of a better word, can go horribly wrong for everyone involved.
 
Last edited:
If you're part of a union and the members vote for a strike and the union authorizes a strike then you can strike. What protects your job is being part of a collective bargining group. Your employer agrees that the union represents a particular group at the station and serves as the voice for that group.
As said earlier a strike is a last resort if talks fail. While it may seem noble to band together in a "we'll show them!" fashion, it's a hardship for both sides. Especially when it's time to pay the bills, put food on the table and so on. A strike is the nucular weapon of employer/employee relations, something used as a last resort.
If you're not part of a union (and it sounds like you're not) then there's no sense even talking about striking. All a non-union person is doing by not showing up to work is refusing to work which most employers would simply consider quitting. You could try to disguise it as a sick out but your motives would become rather obvious and without protection you'd just be shooting yourself in the foot.
My advice would be to find a job at a staton in a market that can support the lifestyle you want or find another line of work to get into. There are a lot of places especially in smaller markets that don't appreciate their workers. They don't care much about the quality and just want the bottom line as low as possible to get their yearly bonus. Nothing will change until people stop accepting peanuts for their hard work. That will not happen because somewhere there's some kid just dying to get a job, any job. We've all been there. Sabre rattling to an uncaring cheapskate will get you no notice.
 
Already seen the outcome of that, at least in theory.
WKRN got rid of some people.
There was always a wall of twentysomethings willing to come to your city and shoot for a whopping 22 a year.
Don't think for a second that you're not expendable, or someone will do to you like Reagan did to the air traffic controllers in the 80's.

I love my fellow photogs. I empathize to our vow of poverty we've all taken.

I'd like to quote one of my friends:
'If you don't like it, you can start your own multi-billion dollar network. After all, this is America.'
 
Strike thoughts

I'm not suggesting a strike. This is a place where we can talk and exchange ideals. I worked for 10 years in the auto industry and I really had a chance to see a union at work both positively and negatively. I understand about bill paying and not having any backing. I'm just wondering when do people stand up and not give the old company man response of " Someone else will do you job". That's a given no one is irreplacable even GM's and overpaid personel in general.

I really don't think that they will take a 22 yr old unless they has a really good tape and put him or her in markets 1-5 dayside with seasoned reporters then again maybe I'm wrong. Before I got to my shop I heard that my Managing editor hired a person fron Sea World . I know at my station no one would strike and that's fine to each his own.

I was thinking about when people fought for things in the work place. It seems like now we all just take what we are given and then act like it's the best thing since sliced bread. It would be nice if every photog was represented by a union but hey that's just my thoughts.
 
While low pay and lack of appreciation are rampant in this field it isn't just the TV field that is treated poorly. My Brother-in-Law is an example. While he had a good paying job at the local paper mill out here, the company decided to close shop and switch more of it's industry to Peru. It was just in the paper today how they're investing $60 million in their plant down there. Years of hard work and now it's "see ya" all so the higher ups could stuff their pockets a little more.
TV is no different these days. Everyone wants more with less. Smaller markets have always been a starting point, a test of character for beginners but more and more of that small market mentality is entering into medium and even the lower end of the top markets. A lot of places want cheap. Quality isn't the priority it used to be.
Why don't people stand up? Because they have nothing to stand up to. If companies cared about quality they would want to keep you on staff but they don't. So in comes some kid who doesn't know a sound bite from a mosquito bite and nobody cares. When will that trend change? When word trickles to the kids still in college to avoid this industry or when the internet becomes enough of a threat to compete with the status quo then competition will force a change.
I'm lucky enough to work at a place that still treats me well. I traveled through a gauntlet of cheapskates and incompetents to get here. The frightening part is all it will take is for the station to be sold or some snake oil salesman to come in and ruin the place like so many others out there. I suppose if or when that day comes, I'll sell the house and move on to greener pastures maybe in television, maybe something related. I know what I'm worth but the problem is a lot of others don't know or in a lot of cases care. They are still attracted by the coolness factor and thrilled to be starting their career in market 50, 60 or even higher instead of 130 something. Get the kids in college to say "no" and the industry will change. Until then this is the way it is.
 
jajack71 said:
Just wondering would you strike if you had the chance to strike for a day or two. The purpose would be to get the attention of the GM all over the U.S. AND TO LET THEM KNOW JUST HOW IMPORTANT WE ARE TO THE DAILY NEWS OPERATIONS. We often complain about working condition,pay, etc.. so if you had a chance to do something would you ?
Click to expand...

Sounds like a good way to get fired, if it's not an officially sanctioned union action or you're not a member of a union.
 
I think jajack is thinking more on a national level. All photogs in every market strike for 2 days. You don't have to have a union to ban together. Can you get fired? Absolutely, and that's a chance you'd take. A better way a hurting the stations and GM's is for all photogs to come together and everyone vow never to accept or work as a photog for less than 30k. If everyone agreed to that, union and non-union alike, it would leave the stations no other option than to increase salaries. Keep in mind that some photogs would be left with no options but to work at 7-Eleven for a year or two until the salaries go up but, hey, most photogs would make more money at 7-Eleven anyway! I've said it on here before and I'll say it again, no photog with a college degree should make less than 30k in ANY market, big or small.
 
"I really don't think that they will take a 22 yr old unless they has a really good tape and put him or her in markets 1-5 dayside with seasoned reporters then again maybe I'm wrong."

You are wrong.
 
svp said:
A better way a hurting the stations and GM's is for all photogs to come together and everyone vow never to accept or work as a photog for less than 30k. If everyone agreed to that, union and non-union alike, it would leave the stations no other option than to increase salaries.
Click to expand...

I don't think so! DO you honestly think all the GMs and Owners will say "Holy S**t! All the Photogs are on strike...we better give them what they want!?!?" NOPE!!!! We would all be shown the door in record time! Then a bunch of "SCABS" would GLADLY replace us in a heartbeat. For far less than 30K! Other than that I think a strike would be a fantastic idea!

TV will never be what it used to be. We all can thank Management and the bean counters for that.
 
I worked in a 70's market in Missouri where the News Director would have every employee in annually for an employee review.You would review your work and progress and a raise would be discussed and/or approved.In preparation for these meetings,he would build a wall of resume tapes,stacked on his desk,between he and you.You would have to sit up on the edge of your chair to make eye contact with the news director over the course of the meeting,looking over all the tapes from people who wanted your job.
Very effective.
 
backfocus5 said:
I don't think so! DO you honestly think all the GMs and Owners will say "Holy S**t! All the Photogs are on strike...we better give them what they want!?!?" NOPE!!!! We would all be shown the door in record time! Then a bunch of "SCABS" would GLADLY replace us in a heartbeat. For far less than 30K! Other than that I think a strike would be a fantastic idea!

TV will never be what it used to be. We all can thank Management and the bean counters for that.
Click to expand...


Wow, its amazing how you completely misunderstood what I was saying. I was not talking about a strike. I was talking about photogs not applying or accepting new jobs that pay less than 30k. I was not suggesting going on strike and demanding that amount.
 
f11vid said:
I worked in a 70's market in Missouri where the News Director would have every employee in annually for an employee review.You would review your work and progress and a raise would be discussed and/or approved.In preparation for these meetings,he would build a wall of resume tapes,stacked on his desk,between he and you.You would have to sit up on the edge of your chair to make eye contact with the news director over the course of the meeting,looking over all the tapes from people who wanted your job.
Very effective.
Click to expand...

Except I doubt they were resume tapes. If they were, they were probably reporter resume tapes or blank vhs and beta tapes. I think there are alot of threads on here attesting to the lack of tapes stations are getting when they post jobs. I wouldn't buy that for a moment. If you're good at your job, and you know it, you won't have a problem getting a good, decent paying, photog job somewhere. Don't be bullied into you're worth less than you are. Although they won't admit it, ND's know when they're losing a good photographer and standing your ground will get you further ahead than giving in to his itimidation tactics.
 
svp said:
Wow, its amazing how you completely misunderstood what I was saying. I was not talking about a strike. I was talking about photogs not applying or accepting new jobs that pay less than 30k. I was not suggesting going on strike and demanding that amount.
Click to expand...


OK. Point taken. But I highly doubt GMs or Management would quake in their shoes if suddenly experienced photogs stopped applying for or accepting jobs that paid less than 30K. They (Management) would merely go the VJ/Backpack Journalist route - with DUBIOUS results.

(Again...my apologies for misunderstanding you!)
 
backfocus5 said:
OK. Point taken. But I highly doubt GMs or Management would quake in their shoes if suddenly experienced photogs stopped applying for or accepting jobs that paid less than 30K. They (Management) would merely go the VJ/Backpack Journalist route - with DUBIOUS results.

(Again...my apologies for misunderstanding you!)
Click to expand...

First, no need to apologize. I went back and read my post and can see how that might have sounded like calling for a strike. Simple misunderstanding. No harm no foul. Second, you are right. If all photogs, even those right out of college with no experience, stop applying and accepting jobs that pay less than 30k, most GM's and ND's will just turn the cameras over to the reporters and make them all VJ's. But not all of them would. Not every station, especially those that are number 1 or 2 in their markets, will stoop as low as to use VJ's instead of shelling out an extra 80k or so to keep quality photographers. 80k to most TV stations is really just chump change.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top