Mike Hosking: Union movement creates more chaos

Village Roadshow, no small player in the movie industry, this week filed for Chapter 11.

They have been having some legal issues with another major studio. But they sighted along with that their other overriding  problem, the actors' strike.

You remember that? It was more than actors, of course, it was the whole industry. Hollywood came to a stop for months as they argued over pay and conditions.

Some of the pay and conditions were based around what was seen at the time as this frightening new development called AI that was potentially going to slash their work and income. They wanted protections.

It was eventually settled but, and here is the really big question, at what cost?

Hollywood has never come back and the movie industry has never been the same.

Irony of ironies a lot of people lost their jobs. Not because of AI, but because they never recovered from the shuttering as a result of the strike.

So given fewer movies were made, less income was generated, and the vicious cycle began. That was until someone like Village Roadshow could no longer go on, so they folded for Chapter 11.

Chapter 11, if you don’t know is not the end. It can be the end, but initially it's about some protection to get some affairs in order and potentially get a rescuer.

The lesson here is unionism. This is what this is. Hollywood, the film, and television industry is heavily unionised. It's one of those ideas that, once upon a time might have made a modicum of sense, but as the world and the workplace has changed and got increasingly sophisticated now presents as an old idea that does more harm than good.

So they go on strike, the multi millionaire actors back them , food parcels are handed out, they pound the picket line, and they eventually cut a deal.

Is that good? Not if you then go and lose your job, not if the studio then goes and files for Chapter 11. What's the point of that?

What would you rather have? More money for fewer people? Or more people? Because that’s what unionism does.

So, was the strike a win or a path to joblessness and business ruin? What do you reckon Village Roadshow would say?

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Now Village Road Show, who are no small player in
the movie industry. Of course, this week filed for chapter eleven.
They've been having some legal troubles or issues with another
major studio. But they also cited along with that their
other overriding problem, the actors strike. You remember that it
was more than actors, of course, it was the whole
of the industry. Hollywood came to a great, big grinding
stop for months as they argued over pain conditions. Some

(00:21):
of the pain conditions were based around what was seen
at the time as this frightening new development called AI
that was potentially going to slash their work in income.
They wanted protections. It was eventually settled, but and here's
the really big question, at what cost. Hollywood has never
come back. The movie industry has never really been the
same again, irony of ironies. A lot of people lost

(00:42):
their jobs, not because of AI, but because they never
recovered from the shuttering as a result of the strike. So,
given fewer movies were made, less income was generated, and
so the vicious cycle began until someone like Village Road
Show could no longer go on, so they folded for
chapter eleven. Chapter eleven. If you don't know. By the way,
it's not the end. It can be the end, but
initially it's about some protection to get some affairs in
order and potentially get a rescuer. The lesson here is

(01:04):
this unionism, which is what this is. I mean Hollywood,
in the film and television industry is heavily unionized as
one of those ideas that once upon a time might
have made a modicum of sense, but as the world
in the workplace has changed and got increasingly sophisticated, now
presents as an old idea that basically does more harm
than good. So they go on strike. The multimillionaire actors,
of course back them. Food parcels are handed out, they

(01:26):
pound the picket liney eventually cut a deal. Is that good? Well?
Not of you then go and lose your job, not
of the studio then goes and files for chapter eleven.
What's the point of that? What would you rather have
more money for fewer people or more people? Because that's
what unionism does. So was the strike a win or
a path to joblessness and business ruined? And what do
you reckon? Village Road Show would say? For more from

(01:49):
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