Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: Anatomy of a Shambles

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  • Blake Monkley,

    @ Blake - can someone move the NZ oil/gas supplies to another country?

    That's the difference why that worked and this was never going to.

    Peter - All I was trying to demonstrate is that tans tasman unions co-operating together can be a benefit to NZ workers. Real improvements in wages won't come from fiddling around with the tax system.

    Auckland • Since Jul 2008 • 215 posts Report Reply

  • Peter Cox,

    Peter - All I was trying to demonstrate is that tans tasman unions co-operating together can be a benefit to NZ workers.

    If it's done well, I couldn't agree more - and not just trans-tasman, but also the US, Canada, etc. and I'm glad you made the point. And thankyou also for making me clarify myself. We certainly don't want to get into a position where we're suggesting overseas unions are all self interested monsters. My personal view of the MEAA is they actually made an honest mistake too with their legal position, and I'm sure they'll learn from it.

    Having said that I don't think that they certainly wouldn't have made the same mistakes if they were in Australia, and would have been a lot more careful with how they run it - checking the legal status properly, getting their members vote first, interacting and the wider industry first, etc. so as to avoid this kind of damage we've seen here.

    Real improvements in wages won't come from fiddling around with the tax system.

    Also, very true. Nor plans to make last second changes to labour law by Gery Brownlee.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 312 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia,

    Quite frankly, Fran can piss off the China.

    Sounds like the kind of stuff Stephen King wrote when he was on the beer 'n' blow diet. Just hope Fran never pisses on the china, because that's just gross.

    North Shore, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12370 posts Report Reply

  • nzlemming,

    In 2010 New Zealand Equity has continued to grow in numbers and in strength of purpose; by mid-year 50 more members had joined their union.

    Which, added to Pat Hackett's 89 means around 139 members at the time this dispute began. (where did you find that report, BTW, Pat? It's eluding my eagle eye)

    Also:

    On the campaign front, NZ Equity’s call for a standard contract is continuing with an online petition encouraging the Screen Production & Development Association (SPADA) to meet with us to begin negotiations.

    Who's zooming whom?

    Waikanae • Since Nov 2006 • 2937 posts Report Reply

  • Petra,

    Robyn Malcolm on Close Up: "There was no boycott."
    "We lifted it on Sunday"
    "Lifted what?"
    "Well, the ... the conversation ... suggestion that ... um ..."

    Rotorua • Since Mar 2007 • 317 posts Report Reply

  • Peter Cox,

    On the campaign front, NZ Equity’s call for a standard contract is continuing with an online petition encouraging the Screen Production & Development Association (SPADA) to meet with us to begin negotiations.

    What? When? Where?

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 312 posts Report Reply

  • SteveH,

    So in the end, it's a question of timing, isn't it? We don't really know what came first, chicken or egg. Did those notices come out after some approaches were rebuffed? Or not? We don't know.

    Even if the notices came out after some approaches were rebuffed I don't see it as a reasonable move on the union's part because the target of the notices (The Hobbit producers) were not the people the union should have been negotiating with (Spada).

    One final point. The union has finally been negotiating with Spada so they've obviously recognised that Spada was the right party to approach. So why wasn't the notice against the Hobbit rescinded at that point? Why has The Hobbit production continued to have been blocked even after the union entered the negotiations they wanted with an unrelated party? The notice has been up for far longer than it should have been.

    Btw Jacqui, while I've been responding to your posts I haven't intended to target you specifically. I feel that some people (e.g. Millsy) have tried to turn the debate into arguments based on generalisations (e.g. if you're pro-union you must support NZAE in this). I don't' agree with that: I think the debate should be about the specifics of this situation. Your posts just conveniently bought the thread back to the specifics.

    Since Sep 2009 • 444 posts Report Reply

  • nzlemming,

    And not specifically NZAE but:

    ..............Jun-08......Jun-09........Jun-10
    Media.......7,902.........7852..........7364
    Equity.......7,111.........6701..........6393
    ATAEA......3,615.........3798..........3392
    Musicians......858..........886............830
    TOTAL......19,486......19,237 .......17,979

    An almost 10% drop in membership in 2 years is something to be concerned about and either an indication of how members really feel about the organisation or an indication that the industry is shrinking to the point where those members are no longer employable.

    PS Russ #PAS2.0 tables?

    Waikanae • Since Nov 2006 • 2937 posts Report Reply

  • nzlemming,

    And, finally, from that report (just for giggles):

    Performers are good talkers. It’s what we do. No surprises then that the success of Equity relies on chat; on communicating our hopes and dreams for our industry, clearly and consistently, to as broad an audience as possible. In the last year we’ve done a pile of talking. We’ve talked to producers, government and agents about immigration. We’ve talked about Kiwi jobs for Kiwi workers. We’ve talked to casting directors about auditioning guidelines. We’ve talked to countless performers about signing our petition for a standard contract.

    There’s no secret about what we’re trying to achieve – we’re after a fair and viable industry that performers in NZ can contribute to and feel proud of. So we’ll keep talking and, along the way, we’ll continue to build our Equity

    Jennifer Ward-Lealand is an Auckland-based performer and the President of NZ Actors Equity

    It is to laugh.

    Waikanae • Since Nov 2006 • 2937 posts Report Reply

  • Jonathan King,

    And, finally, from that report

    Oh, now you're just being mean.

    Since Sep 2010 • 185 posts Report Reply

  • nzlemming,

    Mea culpa mon ami ;-)

    Waikanae • Since Nov 2006 • 2937 posts Report Reply

  • nzlemming,

    ooh, I just noticed we've passed the Veitch thread. What was the final comment count on the Copyright Thread of Doom, Russ?

    Waikanae • Since Nov 2006 • 2937 posts Report Reply

  • Kumara Republic,

    Also, very true. Nor plans to make last second changes to labour law by Gery Brownlee.

    And sadly, those who want to necromance the ECA 1991 and set the zombie loose have been handed ammo on a plate by the whole Hobbit affair. And the cycle rinses and repeats.

    I liken industrial relations in NZ to the Israel-Palestine situation - unstoppable force meets immovable object. Unlike other countries, where one side usually gets the upper hand - the companies in the USA & UK, the unions in mainland Europe.

    The southernmost capital … • Since Nov 2006 • 5446 posts Report Reply

  • Petra,

    ...I paraphrased 'boycott' there, I was focusing more on the 'collective agreement' part. They don't use the precise term boycott. They say:
    '[the FIA] urges each of its affiliates to adopt instructions to their members that no member of any FIA affiliate will agree to act in the theatrical film The Hobbit'.
    I just paraphrased that as boycott/strike as most people I think probably would.

    I don't understand what the difference is between "no member...will agree to act" and the single word "boycott", in this instance.

    According to tfd.com, boycott means "to abstain from or act together in abstaining from using, buying, or dealing with as an expression of protest or disfavor or as a means of coercion".

    So how was it not a boycott?

    Rotorua • Since Mar 2007 • 317 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha,

    And sadly, those who want to necromance the ECA 1991 and set the zombie loose have been handed ammo on a plate by the whole Hobbit affair.

    It's a bit too serious to be merely "sad" about. Those who have put heaps of effort into say the teachers' dispute must be right pissed off.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • giovanni tiso,

    ooh, I just noticed we've passed the Veitch thread. What was the final comment count on the Copyright Thread of Doom, Russ?

    Only fifty-one more pages to go.

    Wellington • Since Jun 2007 • 7473 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha,

    We'd need a better troll to make it that far.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • SteveH,

    We'd need a better troll to make it that far.

    Hmm, Russell, how about hooking Chris Trotter up with an account?

    Wait, what am I saying?

    Since Sep 2009 • 444 posts Report Reply

  • Jacqui Dunn,

    Just hope Fran never pisses on the china, because that's just gross.

    Well, it would be a rinse of some sort if you're worried about soap residue. And, by all accounts, wee is supposed to be sterile.

    Deepest, darkest Avondale… • Since Jul 2010 • 585 posts Report Reply

  • Jacqui Dunn,

    And now chilluns, go outside in the sunshine. It's a very beautiful day.

    Deepest, darkest Avondale… • Since Jul 2010 • 585 posts Report Reply

  • nzlemming,

    I wish. In Waikanae, it's kind of grey, and putting the towels on the line was more an act of hope than anything else.

    Perfect PAS weather, in other words ;-)

    Waikanae • Since Nov 2006 • 2937 posts Report Reply

  • Beejay,

    "The way the first meeting in Wellington was run was a disgrace – while anyone who turned up and called themselves a performer was allowed to vote in Auckland, the rules were changed in Wellington after the vote had begun to exclude non-Equity members."

    This is inaccurate. The only 'members only' vote at the meeting was on a motion to allow non members to vote on the substantive motion. It was carried and then the other was, with everyone voting.

    Wellington • Since Oct 2010 • 4 posts Report Reply

  • Ian Dalziel,

    A song for Simon:

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    This is inaccurate. The only 'members only' vote at the meeting was on a motion to allow non members to vote on the substantive motion. It was carried and then the other was, with everyone voting.

    My apologies. Some people there were clearly confused about what happened.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Petra,

    Song for the AE:

    Rotorua • Since Mar 2007 • 317 posts Report Reply

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