Planet Money – The secret entrance that sidesteps Hollywood picket lines

Intro

In this episode of Planet Money, the team explores the secret entrance that allows certain productions to bypass the Hollywood picket lines. They delve into the history of picket lines, secondary boycotts, and the creation of the neutral gate system. The discovery of a compromised neutral gate leads to a significant shift in the ongoing strike. Through this story, we gain insights into the tactics and strategies employed by unions and studios in the battle for better working conditions and pay.

Main Takeaways

The Impact of Picket Lines

• Members of the Writers Guild of America went on strike to negotiate better pay and working conditions.
• Picket lines are set up outside studios to disrupt business as usual until demands are met.
• Shows like Real Time with Bill Mar, Late Late Show, Hacks, Bold and Beautiful, and Young and the Restless are affected by the strike.

The Separate Entrance

• Some productions, such as game shows and commercials, are not part of the strike and have a separate entrance to the studio.
• The separate entrance allows these productions to avoid crossing picket lines.
• This entrance is only available to companies not involved in the labor dispute.

The Neutral Gate System

• Neutral gate created for unrelated parties to avoid being inconvenienced by the strike.
• System has been in place for decades, created to prevent secondary boycotts.
• Unions used secondary boycotts to target businesses connected to the primary target of the strike, causing financial pain from more directions.
• Taft-Hartley Act of 1947 weakened Union power by banning secondary boycotting practice, leading to ambiguity in the law.
• The Moore Drydock case resulted in four conditions to determine when and where picketing is allowed, leading to the neutral gate system.

The Compromised Neutral Gate

• The use of the neutral gate system during the television city strike was questioned due to suspicion of people working for some of the shows that weren’t supposed to be using the gate.
• Streck Captain Bill had a hunch that some show was sneakily using the neutral gate.
• Former Young and the Restless writer Sarah Bebell recognized soap opera actor Mark Grossman entering the lot through the neutral gate.
• Bill and his team found evidence of Mark Grossman repeatedly entering through the neutral gate and presented it to their union’s lawyer.
• The neutral gate was deemed compromised and flipped to a picket line, adding to the studio machinery that could be disrupted.

Annoyance as a Tactic

• Flipping the gate won’t be the thing that gets the studios back to the table, but even if it moves the needle just to smudge, then it’s a victory.
• There was a marked increase in angry drivers driving into the picket lines, frustrated employees who don’t want to be inconvenienced by separate gates.
• Annoyance is the big tactic that Bill can use in this much larger war of economic attrition going on between the Hollywood unions and the studios.
• Annoy enough people at enough different picket lines, and maybe you end up closer to getting the deal you want.

Summary

The Impact of Picket Lines

Members of the Writers Guild of America went on strike to negotiate better pay and working conditions. To put pressure on the studios, picket lines were set up outside the studios, disrupting business as usual. This strike affected various shows, including Real Time with Bill Mar, Late Late Show, Hacks, Bold and Beautiful, and Young and the Restless.

The Separate Entrance and the Neutral Gate System

While most productions were affected by the strike, certain productions, such as game shows and commercials, were not part of the labor dispute and had a separate entrance to the studio. This separate entrance allowed them to avoid crossing picket lines. The neutral gate system, in place for decades, was created to prevent secondary boycotts. Unions used secondary boycotts to target businesses connected to the primary target of the strike, causing financial pain from multiple directions. The Taft-Hartley Act of 1947 weakened union power by banning secondary boycotting practices, leading to ambiguity in the law. The Moore Drydock case established four conditions to determine when and where picketing is allowed, resulting in the creation of the neutral gate system.

The Compromised Neutral Gate

During the television city strike, suspicions arose regarding the use of the neutral gate by shows that were not supposed to be using it. Streck Captain Bill suspected that some show was sneakily using the neutral gate. Former Young and the Restless writer Sarah Bebell recognized soap opera actor Mark Grossman entering the lot through the neutral gate. Bill and his team gathered evidence of Mark Grossman repeatedly using the neutral gate and presented it to their union’s lawyer. As a result, the neutral gate was deemed compromised and flipped to a picket line, further disrupting the studio machinery.

Annoyance as a Tactic

Flipping the gate was not expected to immediately resolve the labor dispute, but it served as a victory in the larger war between the Hollywood unions and the studios. Annoyance became a significant tactic employed by Streck Captain Bill to create economic attrition. By inconveniencing enough people at different picket lines, the unions aimed to move closer to achieving their desired deal.

Conclusion

The secret entrance that sidesteps Hollywood picket lines reveals the intricate strategies employed by unions and studios during labor disputes. The compromised neutral gate serves as a symbol of the ongoing battle for better working conditions and pay. Through annoyance and disruption, the unions aim to gain leverage and push the studios back to the negotiation table.