W.G.A. Strike Fosters Ire Among Those 'Below-the-Line'

Despite signs that a settlement with the W.G.A. might be approaching, all is not well in Strike Land. According to the LA Times, there is an increasing sense of frustration and cynicism among members of the “vast and largely forgotten below-the-line class of skilled entertainment industry labor,” who feel they’ve been hardest hit by the strike, yet most overlooked. An article in today’s paper portays bitter members of the stage employees union scoffing at optimistic headlines about the strike, and disparaging not only the studio owners –“The sons and daughters of the idle rich,” as one union member refers to them – but also the W.G.A. leadership. And much like the striking writers, these set dressers, sound makers, artists, and general handymen are eager to get back to work, so much so that one of them likened himself to “a tool in a drawer”: