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This year, advertisers and ad agencies may well use the strike as a bargaining tool, said Erin Firneno, vice president of business intelligence for researcher Advertiser Perceptions. The writers’ strike, which has entered its third week, is also injecting a new element of uncertainty for ad buyers, at a time when television viewership is declining and the possibility of recession looms. While the TV networks have long contended with splintered viewership amid the rise of social media and streaming, the writers' strike puts content production at risk, said Rishad Tobaccowala, a former executive at advertising and public relations giant Publicis Groupe and advisor on business transformation. Last year, NBC’s upfront presentation emphasized star power as the network returned to a live event after a COVID-19-imposed hiatus. Ahead of the upfront presentations, media executives sought to reassure investors about the strike’s impact.

☆ ‘Picket’: Once a Military Barrier, Now a Tool of Protest
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Ben Zimmer | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Linguist and lexicographer Ben Zimmer analyzes the origins of words in the news. Read previous columns here. Since May 2, when the Writers Guild of America called for a strike after contract talks fell through with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, WGA union members have joined picket lines in Los Angeles and New York City. Picketers have gathered every day in front of the offices of major studios, streaming services and networks, showing their solidarity with chants and creative signs.

Fox Corp. , Disney , Warner Bros. Media executives' messaging to advertisers could center around value this year, particularly as companies continue to offer more content on their streaming services. Cost cuttingWhile media executives will try to convince advertisers to maximize their spending, they'll be pushing that narrative while making fewer shows. The logo of the streaming service Paramount+ on a logo wall at the Paramount+ launch event. Jörg Carstensen | Picture Alliance | Getty ImagesParamount, in particular, has seen a big reliance on franchises, especially for its Paramount+ streaming service.

☆ 'iCarly' writers join the WGA strike as showrunner Ali Schouten calls out Hollywood studios' 'corporate greed'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-11 | by ( Reed Alexander | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

Insider spoke to Ali Schouten, the showrunner behind Paramount+ series "iCarly," about what's at stake. The "iCarly" writers will link up with the picket line outside the lot where the show is filmed, according to Ali Schouten, the series' showrunner and executive producer. Ahead of the "iCarly" writers' picketing on Thursday, I spoke with Schouten to understand what she and her colleagues are fighting for. Lisa Rose/Paramount+The last writers' strike resulted in $2 billion worth of losses for the California economy, and some experts predict the impact of this work stoppage could be even greater. How is the writers' strike impacting you, your business, or your family?

BURBANK, California, May 11 (Reuters) - As striking Hollywood writers protest working conditions, some are seeking more than a new labor contract. Single members of the Writers Guild of America gathered outside the Universal Studios lot this week for a combination of picketing and a dating mixer that later moved to a taco eatery. "Writers love to multitask, so this is perfect for us," said 42-year-old "Feed the Devil" writer Matt Altman. Workers and supporters of the Writers Guild of America protest outside Universal Studios Hollywood after union negotiators called a strike for film and television writers, in the Universal City area of Los Angeles, California, U.S., May 3, 2023. "Love, Victor" writer Van B. Nguyen, 37, said she thought it was a fun idea to combine fighting for change with fighting for love.

☆ 'Hey Netflix! You broke it — now fix it': On the picket lines with Hollywood writers as they bring signs, slogans, and sunscreen to their fight against the studios for 'as long as it takes'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Reed Alexander | Alison Brower | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

A writers' strike has been underway since overnight Monday. Thousands of Hollywood writers have fanned out across the streets of Los Angeles since early Tuesday afternoon, waving signs and chanting to demonstrate their resolve. Insider spoke with eight WGA members who are picketing or contributing to the work stoppage in other ways. Are you a member of the Writers Guild of America or do you work in the entertainment industry? How is the writers' strike impacting you?

☆ Canadian government says it gave striking union 'final offer'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Picketers march on Parliament Hill as approximately 155,000 public sector union workers with the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) continue to strike, in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada April 26, 2023. REUTERS/Blair Gable/File PhotoApril 29 (Reuters) - Canadian government negotiators have presented striking public workers with a "final offer," the Treasury Board of Canada said on Saturday, aiming to end a dispute that has disrupted services ranging from tax returns to passport renewals. The head of the union representing some 155,000 striking public workers earlier this week accused the government of stalling and called on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to get involved in negotiations. On Saturday, the Treasury Board, which oversees public administration, said it gave the union its offer on Friday. "This is a fair, competitive and reasonable final offer," the Treasury Board said in a statement.

☆ Canada calls public worker strike demands 'unaffordable'; union urges Trudeau intervention
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Picketers march on Parliament Hill as approximately 155,000 public sector union workers with the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) continue to strike, in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada April 26, 2023. REUTERS/Blair GableOTTAWA, April 26 (Reuters) - The union representing some 155,000 striking Canadian public workers is making "unaffordable" demands, the Treasury Board of Canada said on Wednesday, while the union head accused the government of stalling. The strike by federal government workers, represented by the Public Service Alliance of Canada, entered its eighth day on Wednesday, affecting services ranging from tax returns to passport renewals. Union President Chris Aylward called on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to get involved in negotiations and give the Treasury Board a new mandate. Earlier Wednesday the union said it was escalating strike action, blocking ports in Vancouver, Montreal and Saint John’s.

[1/2] Picketers gather and march downtown as approximately 155,000 public sector union workers with the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) continue to strike, in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada April 24, 2023. For the 155,000 Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) on strike, the main sticking point is wages. "If they do get the remote work language in the collective agreement, then others will be inspired to do the same." PSAC, which names remote work as its second priority after wages, said on its website that it is time to look to the future "by enshrining remote work protections" into collective agreements. On Tuesday the Treasury Board said remote work remained a sticking point.

REUTERS/Chris WattieOTTAWA, April 19 (Reuters) - About 155,000 federal workers in Canada walked off the job on Wednesday after failing to reach a deal for higher wages and work-from-home guarantees, a strike that affects a range of public services from tax returns to passport renewals. The Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) union and the federal government said negotiations are ongoing, and Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stressed the urgency of resolving the dispute. The contract negotiations cover two main groups of employees: 120,000 workers under the Treasury Board and more than 35,000 revenue agency workers. Tax agency workers want a pay bump of 22.5% over three years, while the Treasury Board workers are seeking a 13.5% pay rise over three years. "There's obviously still the concern that this contract could set a precedent for other public sector union negotiations," he said.

☆ British nurses launch historic strike, as pay and staffing crises threaten the NHS
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Rob Picheta | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

“The reality is, every day, nurses across the UK are walking into understaffed hospitals,” Mackay said. “I feel really sorry for the young girls who are now trying to get into the profession, they have to pay for their training. Nurses’ pay dropped 1.2% every year between 2010 and 2017 once inflation was taken into account, according to the Health Foundation, a UK charity that campaigns for better health and health care. Christopher Furlong/Getty ImagesEarlier this year, the RCN rejected an offer by the government to increase nurses’ pay by a minimum of £1,400 ($1,707) a year, which amounted to an average rise of 4.3%, well below the rate of inflation. Members of Britain’s armed forces were being trained to drive ambulances and firefight in the event of strike action, ministers said earlier this month.

☆ Canceled lectures, no grades: University of California students face chaotic finals as academic workers strike
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms | Alicia Victoria Lozano | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +7 min

LOS ANGELES — Hundreds of thousands of undergraduate students at the University of California face a chaotic finish to their fall term as a strike by academic workers grinds through its fourth week. It’s definitely a weird situation.”University of California academic workers walk the picket line at the University of California, Los Angeles, on Nov. 28. Some campuses, including UCLA, have pushed back deadlines for submitting grades because faculty members rely so heavily on teaching assistants to assess student performance. Alicia Victoria Lozano / NBC NewsHernandez, a freshman, said teaching assistants help him with assignments and show him how to better tackle complicated subjects. Teaching assistants are integral to UCLA's "cluster" program that gives first-year students an opportunity to immerse themselves in smaller learning groups led by faculty and teaching assistants, he said.

☆ Tensions rise in West Coast port labor battles, with unions and management trading accusations
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-28 | by ( Lori Ann Larocco | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Tensions are rising in West Coast port labor battles as unions and port management trade accusations about worker productivity and the awarding of job assignments. Jerome Roberts, GVP of marketing at supply chain consulting company Blume Global, told CNBC the one shift protest had no lasting productivity impact. Logistics companies fear the latest round of accusations will only increase tensions for a supply chain and national port infrastructure already dealing with multiple labor concerns. Project44, which also collects and analyzes port productivity for the CNBC Supply Chain Heat Map, has tracked some recent issues at Seattle operations. Container dwell times at the Port of Oakland have been improving over the month of September, according to Josh Brazil, vice president of supply chain insights at Project44.

☆ Workers are getting bolder. The number of strikes tripled from last year as Americans see their wages shrink and bosses profit.
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-17 | by ( Jason Lalljee | Juliana Kaplan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

More workers have gone on strike in the first half of 2022 than in all of 2021. In short, more workers have gone on strike in 2022 than in 2021 — and that's still with six months of data left to track. Post-vaccine 2021 into 2022 has marked an uptick in organizing and increasing pushback from workers on the previous status quo. They reached an agreement with railroad companies, avoiding the immediate possibility of strikes that could have crippled the US economy. Workers at companies like Starbucks, Trader Joe's, and Amazon are seeing historic union wins.

☆ ‘Crooked’ Review: How Teapot Dome Boiled Over
▼ + stars: | 1923-08-02 | by ( Lindsay M. Chervinsky | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

On Aug. 2, 1923, President Warren G. Harding died unexpectedly, saving him from the consequences of the unfolding Teapot Dome Scandal, which was swallowing his administration. Teapot Dome, which involved illegally obtained oil leases in Montana and widespread corruption in the Interior Department and the Veterans Bureau, is considered one of the biggest scandals in presidential history. Yet it was just one small part of a complex web of bribery, intimidation and blackmail that surrounded Harding’s attorney general, Harry Daugherty. Mr. Masters, a journalist and TV host, begins his story in September 1922, describing how Daugherty dealt with a railway strike prompted by wage cuts. “With only half the nation’s trains running, the American economy had ground to a halt,” Mr. Masters writes.

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