Solidarity Forever! My dad was a proud member and leader as part of the steel workers Union. As a retired educator I was a member and leader at one time in the teachers Union. Keep the faith Brother Mike!
Good morning Mike. I wasn't in a union, but 1974-78 I worked at the Lahey Clinic when it was located in Kenmore Square in Boston. All the doctors who work there are specialists. Employees had free medical care. You could see any doctor and have free treatment or surgery. Life and disability insurance. They also had a credit union. There were a lot of young people, just starting out with no experience. We worked in medical records, insurance departments. They trained you and you advanced to different departments. It was a great place to work.
Thanks for the suggestions! I would also like to recommend GRACE AND FRANKIE. It is the only anything I have watched 3x! (Except for HAMILTON) :) It has a great script, acting, an array of contemporary life episodes..something for everyone! A show that I would never have thought I would keep watching is AJ and the Queen. It really pulls you in. Both are NETFLIX. I liked the Elvis movie too.! For those of us who only get one streaming service, you can find many of these movies at your friendly public library for free! Thanks for all you do and I am glad you are taking a break from the news!
Thanks for bringing up the union, my dad wasn't in a union (painters) but my grandfather was (electrician) in Washington DC. he worked as a stage electrician on all big shows in DC. worked at the white house also. Took.me to the ballet and The Ice capades. Alot fun growing up.
The beauty is I grew up in the middle class. Closer to the rich class. Now they stop any union that tries to get going. I blame the owner's of the corporations and the Republicans. Can't let the American people have more.
Down here where I live in DeSantis land you see where his kind of politician would take our country.
I have just finished Ad Astra per Aspera, last week's episode of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. I grew up watching Star Trek from the very first episode. Christopher Pike was always the Captain that should have been... and now, over fifty years later, he has arrived. Time Travel , isn't it great?
Watch this show.
And I watched the first couple of episodes of Platonic last night. I laughed out loud when they showed the scene about the former assisted living facility. I bought such a dwelling, and I can attest to the ear piercing alarms, and other stuff. But... ya get used to anything after a while. ;)
I listened to and have thought about your Writers’ Strike podcast for several days.
I was a member of the Building Trades from 1971 through 2018. Between 1972 and 1984 I was on strike/lockout five times with each being between four and six weeks long. These all occurred during the summer, the height of construction season.
The first of these strikes was ended for me when the Government of the day ordered compulsory arbitration through a Government appointed Arbitrator. At my union meeting I spoke against abiding by the Order but a majority of my Union voted in favour. One Union, alone, voted to defy the Government. No one went back to work and a week later the Employers’ Council sweetened their offer and we all returned to work. That Government was defeated one year later in a General election the New Democratic Party, (a labour friendly social democratic party), elected,
During succeeding strikes and government changes I learned a few lessons about the need for Unions to adapt and to use creative tactics. It seems to me, from afar, that the Unions involved in the current strike to which you are a part of might want to consider that abiding by the employers rules will result in their destruction.
During the strikes I was involved we had weekly demonstrations in public places, we occupied individual employers offices, we had twice weekly membership information meetings, we signed interim agreements with independent employers whereby they were permitted by the Union to continue working subject to abiding by the terms of the to be negotiated agreement.
Do you get the picture? We did everything possible to support our members and cause the Employers to bear the burden of this economic war. We even encouraged our members to take their families on holidays.
There are many things the Screen Writers could do; explore some.
weirdly enough I just binged "new amsterdam" which is while flawed in some respects, the only cheesy medical show I ever saw that flies directly into our broken health care system. just when you think it can't go farther, it polevaults smack into the center of the morass. of course suspension of disbelief applies, as with all rx dramas. based on 12 patients: life and death at bellevue hospital by eric manheimer .
Couple of more bingeworthy shows: FUBAR with Arnold Schwarzenegger. Spy comedy along the lines of True Lies. Very funny! Tom Arnold even shows up for an episode! Great fun. Then there's The Recruit about a lippy young lawyer recruited into the CIA. He gets a graymail case that turns him into a field agent who talks himself into and out of very extreme situations. Funny and a good spy thriller to boot.
Hi Michael, Thanks for the show reccomendations! I've been binging on YouTube, time to get back to a structured well told stories. I read over 60 books the first year of lockdown and haven't stopped since i found the Libby library app.
Speaking of that, why don't they show more old movies on TV instead of these reality shows if there is still a strike? I grew up watching old movies on the weekend as a kid, now I never see them hardly at all. Better than another reality show. I guess KCET in LA do show old movies on Friday night. Where did they go? is the film destroyed / deteriorated? or some network hoarding them all? When was the last time they showed Godspell during Easter? or during Christmas, that one where the boy finds a home for all his siblings trudging through the snow pulling a sled . or the WWIi movie where the mother is forced to work in a camp and her son lives on the street searching for her until the red cross truck catches him. or You Can't Take it with You,. or My Man Godfrey. yada yada yafa. Showing my age. I guess there is a cable channel for that. now I see I've missed some good shows not watching local stations. thank you❤️
It’s good to take a break. It’s that time of year.
I hope all the union writers out there are still writing, for later. 🎃
I want to retire so I’d have time to write my own goofy shit, probably Seth Rogenish, but of undying universal quality to live on through the ages. You know. One of these days.
Michael, from the day I subscribed to your substsack I stopped receiving emails. They were always put in spam in spite of everything I tried to do. The email service said I had to become a paid subscriber to get them in my inbox. They have since moved all my favorite emails to spam.
I loved your list of shows, here are some of my recent favorites:
Somebody, Somewhere (HBO)
Afterlife (by Ricky Gervais on Netflix)
Unforgotten (Amazon)
Dopesick (Hulu)
The Outlaws (Amazon)
Börgen (Netflix)
Happy Valley (Amazon, Acorn)
Enjoy!
Solidarity Forever! My dad was a proud member and leader as part of the steel workers Union. As a retired educator I was a member and leader at one time in the teachers Union. Keep the faith Brother Mike!
Good morning Mike. I wasn't in a union, but 1974-78 I worked at the Lahey Clinic when it was located in Kenmore Square in Boston. All the doctors who work there are specialists. Employees had free medical care. You could see any doctor and have free treatment or surgery. Life and disability insurance. They also had a credit union. There were a lot of young people, just starting out with no experience. We worked in medical records, insurance departments. They trained you and you advanced to different departments. It was a great place to work.
Thanks for the suggestions! I would also like to recommend GRACE AND FRANKIE. It is the only anything I have watched 3x! (Except for HAMILTON) :) It has a great script, acting, an array of contemporary life episodes..something for everyone! A show that I would never have thought I would keep watching is AJ and the Queen. It really pulls you in. Both are NETFLIX. I liked the Elvis movie too.! For those of us who only get one streaming service, you can find many of these movies at your friendly public library for free! Thanks for all you do and I am glad you are taking a break from the news!
Thanks for bringing up the union, my dad wasn't in a union (painters) but my grandfather was (electrician) in Washington DC. he worked as a stage electrician on all big shows in DC. worked at the white house also. Took.me to the ballet and The Ice capades. Alot fun growing up.
The beauty is I grew up in the middle class. Closer to the rich class. Now they stop any union that tries to get going. I blame the owner's of the corporations and the Republicans. Can't let the American people have more.
Down here where I live in DeSantis land you see where his kind of politician would take our country.
LOOT with maya rudolf on apple tv+ - it is quirky, humorous and lots of positivity with good acting.
sorry, not a thriller with anxiety triggering soundtracks.
Greetings again,
I have just finished Ad Astra per Aspera, last week's episode of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. I grew up watching Star Trek from the very first episode. Christopher Pike was always the Captain that should have been... and now, over fifty years later, he has arrived. Time Travel , isn't it great?
Watch this show.
And I watched the first couple of episodes of Platonic last night. I laughed out loud when they showed the scene about the former assisted living facility. I bought such a dwelling, and I can attest to the ear piercing alarms, and other stuff. But... ya get used to anything after a while. ;)
Dear Michael,
I listened to and have thought about your Writers’ Strike podcast for several days.
I was a member of the Building Trades from 1971 through 2018. Between 1972 and 1984 I was on strike/lockout five times with each being between four and six weeks long. These all occurred during the summer, the height of construction season.
The first of these strikes was ended for me when the Government of the day ordered compulsory arbitration through a Government appointed Arbitrator. At my union meeting I spoke against abiding by the Order but a majority of my Union voted in favour. One Union, alone, voted to defy the Government. No one went back to work and a week later the Employers’ Council sweetened their offer and we all returned to work. That Government was defeated one year later in a General election the New Democratic Party, (a labour friendly social democratic party), elected,
During succeeding strikes and government changes I learned a few lessons about the need for Unions to adapt and to use creative tactics. It seems to me, from afar, that the Unions involved in the current strike to which you are a part of might want to consider that abiding by the employers rules will result in their destruction.
During the strikes I was involved we had weekly demonstrations in public places, we occupied individual employers offices, we had twice weekly membership information meetings, we signed interim agreements with independent employers whereby they were permitted by the Union to continue working subject to abiding by the terms of the to be negotiated agreement.
Do you get the picture? We did everything possible to support our members and cause the Employers to bear the burden of this economic war. We even encouraged our members to take their families on holidays.
There are many things the Screen Writers could do; explore some.
Sincerely,
Your Brother
weirdly enough I just binged "new amsterdam" which is while flawed in some respects, the only cheesy medical show I ever saw that flies directly into our broken health care system. just when you think it can't go farther, it polevaults smack into the center of the morass. of course suspension of disbelief applies, as with all rx dramas. based on 12 patients: life and death at bellevue hospital by eric manheimer .
Couple of more bingeworthy shows: FUBAR with Arnold Schwarzenegger. Spy comedy along the lines of True Lies. Very funny! Tom Arnold even shows up for an episode! Great fun. Then there's The Recruit about a lippy young lawyer recruited into the CIA. He gets a graymail case that turns him into a field agent who talks himself into and out of very extreme situations. Funny and a good spy thriller to boot.
Hi Michael, Thanks for the show reccomendations! I've been binging on YouTube, time to get back to a structured well told stories. I read over 60 books the first year of lockdown and haven't stopped since i found the Libby library app.
Speaking of that, why don't they show more old movies on TV instead of these reality shows if there is still a strike? I grew up watching old movies on the weekend as a kid, now I never see them hardly at all. Better than another reality show. I guess KCET in LA do show old movies on Friday night. Where did they go? is the film destroyed / deteriorated? or some network hoarding them all? When was the last time they showed Godspell during Easter? or during Christmas, that one where the boy finds a home for all his siblings trudging through the snow pulling a sled . or the WWIi movie where the mother is forced to work in a camp and her son lives on the street searching for her until the red cross truck catches him. or You Can't Take it with You,. or My Man Godfrey. yada yada yafa. Showing my age. I guess there is a cable channel for that. now I see I've missed some good shows not watching local stations. thank you❤️
Bear Episode 6, Season 2 -- beyond amazing. Like nothing you've seen. Also exhausting.
Michael you didn’t even mention Keeley Hawes in Bodyguard!!!! Brilliant.
Reading Mick Herron's Books about Slough House is good to do too! Here is more about him.https://www.npr.org/2021/03/01/972491904/britains-mi5-spy-agency-proves-more-comic-than-tragic-in-slough-house
It’s good to take a break. It’s that time of year.
I hope all the union writers out there are still writing, for later. 🎃
I want to retire so I’d have time to write my own goofy shit, probably Seth Rogenish, but of undying universal quality to live on through the ages. You know. One of these days.
Have fun.
Michael, from the day I subscribed to your substsack I stopped receiving emails. They were always put in spam in spite of everything I tried to do. The email service said I had to become a paid subscriber to get them in my inbox. They have since moved all my favorite emails to spam.