Shame on Clare Rose for turning their backs on the very working men and women who helped make the highly profitable company what it is today.
The guild resumed contract negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers a day later.
But if progress is not made, work could stop as early as Tuesday, the union said. Members of the Writers Guild of America East — which includes those working on shows like “Saturday Night Live” — could be affected.
Last week, several members testified at a public hearing on workers rights held by the city Consumer Affairs Department’s Office of Labor Policy & Standards.
Erica Rubinsky told the panel that “reality” TV is by and large part of the “gig” economy — and freelancers were often left without protections.
“There are basic questions about how a 12-hour workday is supposed to be calculated with regard to minimum wage in order to even determine your paycheck, much less if there is a violation,” said Rubinsky. “This makes it hard to interpret how the minimum wage, overtime, sick time and other labor laws apply to you as part of a contingent workforce.”
Not to be left out, workers at Bloomingdale’s iconic E. 59th St. store are also on the verge of a strike.
The retail store has yet to reach a contract agreement with the Retail, Wholesale & Department Store Union, which also represents the Bronx carwasheros.
Workers last week said they will walk out if there’s no progress in contract talks.
At stake for the workers is a potentially historic contract that could give workers commissions for online sales, the union said.
Workers are losing anywhere from 20% to 30% of their annual wages due to online sales, the union said.
Even though they aren’t making any money from online sales, many Bloomingdale’s staffers are asked to fulfill orders for shipping, or process return items sold online or in-store.
In turn, that takes them away from their sales floor time, which hurts their wages, the union said. Many of the workers earnings are comprised totally of sales commissions, the union said.