Actors Equity Protests 'American Girl'

[Omaha Steve]

Full story: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/08/04/AR2006080400745.html



Actors Equity Protests 'American Girl'

By COLLEEN LONG
The Associated Press
Friday, August 4, 2006; 12:21 PM

NEW YORK -- Sisters Elizabeth and Savannah Powers came to the 'tween shopping Mecca American Girl Place, dolls in tow, to watch their favorite characters on stage in "The American Girls Revue." Too bad Uncle Guard, Cornelia and the majority of the cast were outside waving protest signs on a picket line.

The actors claim the New York retail store and theater, part of the American Girl empire, is guilty of unfair labor practices, withdrawing proposed salary raises after they expressed interest in joining the Actors' Equity Association.

"I went to school four years to become an actor," said Kalynn Dodge, who walked out of Thursday's rehearsal to protest in the sweltering heat. "The next step is to become a member of the union, and we want to take the next step. It's not right."

Jerry Miller, who plays Uncle Guard in the revue, said he wanted health insurance, and he wanted someone to negotiate contract terms for him.

"I'm not a negotiator _ I don't know what I'm supposed to be asking for," he said.


My 10 year old granddaughter loves them.

[aquart]

1. I am so not surprised.

Does your granddaughter know the history of unions?

[Omaha Steve]

14. nope

I only see her once every 3-4 months. She splits time between her split up parents.

[w4rma]

2. The AP sure didn't do much research into that story. (nt)

[Tanuki]

3. I propose

that the next doll in the "American Girl" series represent a child mill laborer in pre-union America. She could be missing a few fingers and be partially scalped from getting her hands and hair caught in unsafe machinery. Those people need to get a clue.

[Beowulf]

12. Actually, they have that doll

Her name is Nellie and she's a child laborer in the Samantha books. She is adopted by Samantha's family in the last Samantha book. It's at that point in her story that AG introduced a Nellie doll and her own story. I guess she couldn't be a real American girl until she was rescued by Samantha's wealthy family.

[Omaha Steve]

4. I posted this about child labor Wednesday and got no replies

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=103&topic_id=226463

[jeffgad]

5. Hats off to these actors. I'm a member of Actor's Equity, and

at any given time, like 90% of the union is unemployed. To give up a job for their principles is really admirable. Actors wanting safe working conditions and health insurance? Don't they just want to act for fun? Then WP had to play the whole "disappointed kids" angle. I bet there wouldn't have been a story at all if this had been a production of "Rent."

[demodonkey]

6. AEA Member here, too...

...on honorable withdrawal to work on election integrity, to get accurate vote counting and voter-verified paper ballots.

But absolutely hats off to these actors! Fair wages and health insurance are a basic in any profession. (And I'm so tired of hearing people assume that everyone "does acting" as an unpaid hobby.)

[displacedtexan]

7. Hats off, indeed!

Have you ever noticed how the untrained always want your help with
their pageants, programs and community productions?

All for free, of course!

Pitiful.

[1932]

8. They should interview the disappointed kids of parents w/o health ins. &

decent wages who pack familes into small apartments and, for whom, a college education is a dream or a huge financial burden that isn't likely to pay off.

And you're absolutely right. If these were the employees of a huge multinational corporation, the angle would be that the corporations are doing great things to be profitable -- which is exaclty what all the news has been like today about united airlines who forced concessions from unions and are now showing profits.

[NashVegas]

9. So ... Actors Should Just Shut Up and Get On Stage?

FYI, just about all actors, that anyone can name, ARE the employees of huge multinational corporations. Disney, Dreamworks, Clear Channel. These corporations wouldn't have a product without these employees, who have one distinct advantage over the rest of the world: these employees are not faceless.

It is the attitude like what's in your post that has killed and is killing what is left of unions and decent treatment for the working class. You're too concerned with your own burdons to support the guy who's getting screwed right next to you. When your turn comes, your neighbor will either be too broke to help or too apathetic when he remembers how helpful you were.

[1932]

10. I have no idea what you're talking about.

Here's what I was talking about in my post: I think the article makes the actors and American Girl seem like their inability to come to terms is spoiling the day for children who want to see a show. I think, rather than worrying about the children in the audience, they should worry about the children of the workers. But I also think that the article wouldn't include American Girl as the cause of the problem along with the workers if American Girl didn't have a reputation as a liberal company. I think the evidence of that is the news coverage of United Airlines, which has been celebrated the last two days for making a profit after getting concessions from the unions.

I'm for unions and I'm against bad media which misrepresents who the victims are.

[NashVegas]

13. Okay Sorry

I guess I was too sleepy for sarcasm.

[fasttense]

11. Well, I'm not buying those dolls for my niece ever again

I'm sending this article to my sister in law.