Too many people to accommodate the union house of 7,600, so Obama
and Oprah picked a non union venue of 10,000. But the campaign wants everyone
to know that Obama supports the unions; just not when it’s inconvenient for
him and his celebrity backer. You either support unions or you don’t. This is
one time when you can’t just vote
“present” and hope for a pass.
“Barack Obama has a strong record of working with organized labor and
supports the right of workers to organize,” MacKenzie said. He said
he realizes that there is no other facility in the state to accommodate a
crowd of 10,000.Joyce Cardoza, business agent for the 50-member IATSE Local 195, said, “I
am concerned why a candidate would go into a building and not be able to get
union help in there. They are going in without a union company bringing in
and setting up the equipment.”
Clinton used the same building in June, but as the article states,
no one but Obama is using it now. No wonder. The campaign is in full tilt and
these types of things tend to bother activists. Clinton’s also been tagged because of Chris
Lehane, who is advising the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers
in the writers’ strike, and has done work for Bill Clinton, Al Gore and
many in the Democratic party. As Jane
Hamsher and Digby
both wrote, nothing like one of our own doing union busting for the corporate
giants that run the industry.
Mr. Obama having Oprah in will put him right up there with the worst of them.
Ms. Winfrey could care less if they appear in a union house or not. Oprah runs a non union house of her own.
“‘Oprah isn’t shutting down,’ commented (Chicago
Film Office director Rich) Moskal. Neither are the Jerry Springer, Judge Mathis
and the new Steve Wilcos show.”The reason these shows are not shutting down is either because they employ
non-union writers, or have no need for writers. Is this fact something the
Chicago film community should be celebrating? While there certainly is a place
for non-union production in town, without the skill level fostered by union
crews Hollywood would not be taking even a casual interest in the other things
the city has to offer (such as interesting locations and cooperative film
offices). The result would be that Chicago’s image as a film town would
evaporate, and with it the infrasctructure and economic support that allows
non-union projects to thrive.In the case of Oprah, she belongs to three different craft unions
herself (as a performer), yet refuses to allow union representation of any
sort inside the doors of her studio, instead paying substandard wages and
benefits to non-union crews. It is a travesty that Oprah feels no responsibility
to those who helped her create her billions in profit, but that’s the
way things are and it’s part of the reason union representation is so
vital in this industry.
This has been under wraps for a long time. Nobody has ever questioned the queen of talk, because she’s always flown underneath the radar. Not anymore. This from a woman who makes billions while freezing out unions on her show. As I’ve said before, scrutiny sucks.
Oh, but the Obama campaign wants everyone to know that the New Hampshire AFL-CIO
has been working with Obama’s team on the IATSE freeze out, the union trying to organize in N.H., for the Oprah event.
It’s all so cozy that the union has evidently assured Ms. Winfrey and the Obama
campaign that there will not be a picket. So the Oprah-Obama event will go on
without a blip, no union, no pickets, so no one will be crossing the picket
line. It’s all very chummy because we can’t have anyone getting upset. The AFL-CIO
has Barack’s back. You know, just like Planned Parenthood and NOW with Mr. Obama’s
“present” vote on those abortion votes.
Can’t ruin the Oprah vibe.
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