ReportWire

Tag: Strikes

  • Germany braces for 50-hour train strike after employers refuse union demands

    Germany braces for 50-hour train strike after employers refuse union demands

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    BERLIN (AP) — A labor union representing more than 200,000 railway workers said Friday that it was going ahead with a planned strike next week after its demands for better pay were rejected by employers.

    The EVG union said its members will walk out for 50 hours from late Sunday until late Tuesday. Rail company Deutsche Bahn has canceled all long-distance travel during that period and warned that most regional trains also won’t run.

    The strike will likely be one of the biggest in recent years, following a previous large-scale walkout in April.

    But union co-leader Cosima Ingenschay said that a strike could still be averted at the last minute if employers put forward another offer.

    EVG went into the current round of pay negotiations seeking a raise of 12% for its members, or at least 650 euros more each month. It also wants the minimum wage of 12 euros an hour to be ensured through basic pay rather than with bonuses, as is currently the case for some 2,700 workers.

    The strike will affect dozens of rail companies as well as freight traffic.

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  • Pilots at United picket for higher pay as pressure builds before summer travel season

    Pilots at United picket for higher pay as pressure builds before summer travel season

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    DALLAS (AP) — Just ahead of what could be a record-breaking summer travel season, pilots from one of the nation’s biggest airlines marched in picket lines at major airports on Friday as they push for higher pay.

    The United Airlines pilots have been working without a raise for more than four years while negotiating with airline management over a new contract.

    The pilots are unlikely to strike anytime soon, however. Federal law makes it very difficult for unions to conduct strikes in the airline industry, and the last walkout at a U.S. carrier was more than a decade ago.

    The coast-to-coast protests by United pilots come on the heels of overwhelming strike-authorization votes by pilots at American Airlines and Southwest Airlines. United pilots could be the next to vote, according to union officials.

    Pilots at all three carriers are looking to match or beat the deal that Delta Air Lines reached with its pilots earlier this year, which raised pay rates by 34% over four years.

    Top scale at United for a captain is $369 an hour on two-aisle planes, called “widebodies,” which are generally used on international flights, and $297 an hour on “narrowbodies” such as Boeing 737s. Airline pilots fly an average of 75 hours per month, according to the Labor Department.

    United has proposed to match the Delta increase, but that might not be enough for a deal.

    “We still have a long ways to go to resolve some of the issues at the table,” said Garth Thompson, chair of the United wing of the Air Line Pilots Association.

    Thompson said discussion about wages has been held up while the two sides negotiate over scheduling, including the union’s wish to limit United’s ability to make pilots work on their days off.

    United spokesman Joshua Freed said, “We’re continuing to work with the Air Line Pilots Association on the industry-leading deal we have put on the table for our world-class pilots.”

    Pilots argue that United should reward them for helping the airline survive the coronavirus pandemic.

    “We made quite a few sacrifices during the pandemic, and we feel it is now time for the company to step up to the plate and to give us a contract, acknowledging the sacrifices and the contributions that we have made,” said pilot Arzu Delp, as he picketed at San Francisco International Airport.

    The Delta contract that United pilots are using as their starting point will cost Delta $7.2 billion over four years. All airlines are dealing with rising labor costs, which could show up in the price of a ticket, but fares are also set by supply and demand, notes Blaise Waguespack, who teaches airline management and marketing at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.

    Giselle Ascione, a United passenger in San Francisco, said the airlines are making a lot of money, and “the pilots as well as the attendants should be paid. It’s common sense.”

    Even if the airlines and their unions fail to reach agreements quickly, strikes are unlikely in the next few months — when millions of Americans hope to fly over summer vacation. Under U.S. law, airline and railroad workers can’t legally strike, and companies can’t lock them out, until federal mediators determine that further negotiations are pointless.

    The National Mediation Board rarely declares a dead end to bargaining, and even if it does, there is a no-strikes “cooling-off” period during which the White House and Congress can block a walkout. That’s what President Bill Clinton did minutes after pilots began striking against American in 1997. In December, President Joe Biden signed a bill that Congress passed to impose contract terms on freight railroad workers, ending a strike threat.

    The last strike at a U.S. carrier occurred at Spirit Airlines in 2010.

    Thompson, the union leader at United, said his pilots “will continue to work in 2023” despite challenges including an “aggressive” summer flight schedule.

    Over the years, airline workers have conducted job actions that fell short of a strike but disrupted flights anyway. A federal judge fined the American Airlines pilots’ union $45 million for a 1999 sickout that crippled the airline’s operations, although the amount was later reduced. In 2019, a federal judge ordered unions representing American’s aircraft mechanics to stop what the airline termed an illegal work slowdown.

    Arthur Wheaton, director of labor studies at Cornell University, said Congress would not permit an airline strike because of the economic harm it would cause, but unhappy pilots could still cause disruptions in other ways.

    “They always have ‘work to rule.’ They could say, ‘We’re not working any overtime,’” Wheaton said. “I don’t anticipate the pilots trying to screw up travel for everybody intentionally, but bargaining is about leverage and power … having the ability to do that can be a negotiating tactic.”

    Airlines are vulnerable to work-to-rule protests because they depend on finding pilots and flight attendants to pick up extra shifts during peak travel periods.

    Regardless of the legal hurdles to a walkout, unions believe that strike votes give them leverage during bargaining, and they have become more common. A shortage of pilots is also putting those unions in particularly strong bargaining position.

    Chicago-based United has roughly 14,000 pilots, and the union expects at least 2,000 will picket Friday at 10 airports from Newark, New Jersey, to Los Angeles. The union is also distributing leaflets that highlight the pilots’ desire for better work-life balance in their scheduling but make no mention of pay.

    ___

    Haven Daley in San Francisco contributed to this report.

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  • German rail workers union announces 50-hour strike

    German rail workers union announces 50-hour strike

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    A German labor union is calling for railway workers to stage a 50-hour strike next week to bolster its calls for an inflation-related pay raise

    BERLIN — A German labor union is calling for railway workers to stage a 50-hour strike early next week to bolster its calls for an inflation-related pay raise.

    The EVG rail workers union called for its 230,000 members to walk off the job from 10 p.m. on Sunday evening until midnight on Tuesday. The walkout will affect around 50 companies that provide rail services.

    Pay negotiations between EVG and German railway companies have been underway since February. EVG is seeking a raise of 12% for its members.

    This longer strike “increases the pressure significantly, because the employers leave us no other choice,” said Kristian Loroch, EVG’s lead negotiator, according to the news agency dpa.

    Deutsche Bahn personnel chief Martin Seiler called the strike “completely unreasonable.”

    “Instead of looking for compromises, the EVG wants to paralyze the country for an unbelievable 50 hours,” he said in a statement Thursday morning. “Millions of travelers are not getting where they want to go, to school, to work, to their loved ones.”

    The walkout is the third staged by railway workers this year, and comes in the wake of strikes in other sectors. In late March, a full-day strike paralyzed the railway network. That walkout was coordinated with another union, ver.di, which brought most of Germany’s airports and some regional transit networks to a standstill.

    EVG organized a second strike in April, which affected regional and long-distance rail services in Germany.

    Germany’s annual inflation rate has declined from the levels it reached late last year but remains high. It stood at 7.2% in April.

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  • Samsung union threatens first strike in company’s history as pressure mounts after profit plunge

    Samsung union threatens first strike in company’s history as pressure mounts after profit plunge

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    Samsung is facing a testing time with profit slumping due to weak demand for its memory chips.

    SeongJoon Cho | Bloomberg | Getty Images

    An influential Samsung Electronics workers union on Thursday warned that its members could walk out over a wage dispute in what could be the South Korean tech giant’s first strike in its history.

    The National Samsung Electronics Union claims that Samsung management has cut the union out of wage negotiations.

    The NSEU, which says it represents around 10,000 staff, or around 9% of employees, staged a press conference outside one of Samsung’s buildings in Seoul and demanded the tech giant’s Chairman Lee Jae-yong join the discussions.

    Lee Hyun-kuk, a representative of the union, said it would go on strike after a consultation with its members but said it depends on the “attitude” of Samsung Chair Lee, and his willingness to negotiate, according to local media reports that were posted on the union’s website.

    “It depends on the attitude of chairman Lee Jae-yong. We sincerely ask him to come to the table for talks,” the NSEU’s Lee said, according to Bloomberg.

    Samsung was not immediately available for comment when contacted by CNBC.

    If the walkout goes ahead, it would be the first strike since the founding of Samsung Electronics in 1969. Samsung Electronics encompasses Samsung’s consumer hardware, semiconductor, display and mobile carrier businesses.

    Tension with workers comes at a sensitive time for the world’s biggest smartphone and memory chip maker, after its operating profit in the first quarter plunged to its lowest level since 2009. Samsung has been hurt by falling prices and demand for its memory chips, which is its biggest profit driver.

    The union is asking for a 6% wage increase for workers. Samsung management said last month it would increase wages by around 4%, according to the union.

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  • Writers strike looks to be a long fight, as Hollywood braces

    Writers strike looks to be a long fight, as Hollywood braces

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    LOS ANGELES — Hollywood writers picketing to preserve pay and job security outside major studios and streamers braced for a long fight at the outset of a strike that immediately forced late-night shows into hiatus, put other productions on pause and had the entire industry slowing its roll.

    The first Hollywood strike in 15 years commenced Tuesday as the 11,500 members of the Writers Guild of America stopped working when their contract expired.

    The union is seeking higher minimum pay, more writers per show and less exclusivity on single projects, among other demands — all conditions it says have been diminished in the content boom of the streaming era.

    “Everything’s changed, but the money has changed in the wrong direction,” said Kelly Galuska, 39, a writer for “ The Bear ” on FX and “Big Mouth” on Netflix, who picketed at Fox Studios in Los Angeles with her 3-week-old daughter. “It’s a turning point in the industry right now. And if we don’t get back to even, we never will.”

    The last Hollywood strike, from the same union in 2007 and 2008, took three months to resolve. With no talks or even plans to talk pending between the WGA and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which represents studios and productions companies, there is no telling how long writers will have to go without pay, or how many major productions will be delayed, shortened or scrapped.

    “We’ll stay out as long as it takes,” Josh Gad, a writer for shows including “Central Park” and an actor in films including “Frozen,” said from the Fox picket line.

    The AMPTP said in a statement that it presented an offer with “generous increases in compensation for writers as well as improvements in streaming residuals” and was prepared to improve its offer “but was unwilling to do so because of the magnitude of other proposals still on the table that the guild continues to insist upon.”

    The writers were well aware that a stoppage was likely. Yet the breakoff of contractual talks hours before a deadline that negotiations in previous years have sailed past for hours or even days, and the sudden reality of a strike, left some surprised, some worried, some determined.

    “When I saw the refusals to counter and the refusing to even negotiate by the AMPTP, I was like on fire to get out here and stand up for what we deserve,” Jonterri Gadson, a writer whose credits include “A Black Lady Sketch Show,” said on a picket line at Amazon Studios as she held a sign that read, “I hate it here.”

    All of the top late-night shows, which are staffed by writers that pen monologues and jokes for their hosts, immediately went dark. NBC’s “The Tonight Show,” Comedy Central’s “Daily Show,” ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live,” CBS’ “The Late Show” and NBC’s “Late Night” all made plans for reruns through the week.

    NBC’s “Saturday Night Live,” which had been scheduled to air a new episode Saturday, will also go dark and air a rerun, and the two remaining episodes in the season are in jeopardy.

    The strike’s impact on scripted series and films will likely take longer to notice — though some shows, including Showtime’s “Yellowjackets,” have already paused production on forthcoming seasons.

    If a strike persisted through the summer, fall TV schedules could be upended. In the meantime, those with finished scripts are permitted to continue shooting.

    Union members also picketed in New York, where less known writers were joined by more prominent peers like playwright and screenwriter Tony Kushner (“The Fabelmans”) and “Dopesick” creator Danny Strong.

    Some actors including Rob Lowe joined the picket lines in support in Los Angeles. Many striking writers, like Gad, are hybrids who combine writing with other roles.

    Speaking from his acting side, Gad said of his fellow writers, “We are nothing without their words. We have nothing without them. And so it’s imperative that we resolve this in a way that benefits the brilliance that comes out of each of these people.”

    The other side of his hyphenated role could be in the same space soon, with many of the same issues at the center of negotiations for both the actors union SAG-AFTRA and the Directors Guild of America. Contracts for both expire in June.

    Streaming has exploded the number of series and films that are annually made, meaning more jobs for writers. But writers say they’ve been made to make less under shifting and insecure conditions that the WGA called “a gig economy inside a union workforce.”

    The union is seeking more compensation for writers up front, because many of the payments writers have historically profited from on the back end — like syndication and international licensing — have been largely phased out by the onset of streaming.

    Galuska said she is among the writers who have never seen those kind of once common benefits.

    “I’ve had the opportunity to write on great shows that are very, very popular and not really seen the compensation for that, unfortunately,” she said.

    The AMPTP said sticking points to a deal revolved around so-called mini-rooms — the guild is seeking a minimum number of scribes per writer room — and the duration of employment contracts.

    Writers are also seeking more regulation around the use of artificial intelligence, which the WGA’s writers say could give producers a shortcut to finishing their work.

    “The fact that the companies have refused to deal with us on that fact means that I’m even more scared about it today than I was a week ago. They obviously have a plan. The things they say no to, are the things they’re planning to do tomorrow.” ___

    Jake Coyle and David Bauder in New York, and Krysta Fauria and Jonathan Landrum Jr. in Los Angeles, contributed.

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  • Late-night TV shows go dark as writers strike for better pay

    Late-night TV shows go dark as writers strike for better pay

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    NEW YORK (AP) — The first Hollywood strike in 15 years began Tuesday as the economic pressures of the streaming era prompted unionized TV and film writers to picket for better pay outside major studios, a work stoppage that already is leading most late-night shows to air reruns.

    “No contracts, no content!” sign-carrying members of the Writers Guild of America chanted outside the Manhattan building where NBCUniversal was touting its Peacock streaming service to advertisers.

    Some 11,500 film and television writers represented by the union put down their pens and laptops after failing to reach a new contract with the trade association that represents Hollywood studios and production companies.

    The union is seeking higher minimum pay, more writers per show and shorter exclusive contracts, among other demands — all conditions it says have been diminished in the content boom driven by streaming.

    “There’s too much work and not enough pay,” said demonstrator Sean Crespo, a 46-year-old writer whose credits include the former TBS show “Full Frontal With Samantha Bee.”

    The labor dispute could have a cascading effect on TV and film productions depending on how long the strike lasts, and it comes as streaming services are under growing pressure from Wall Street to show profits.

    Late-night television was the first to feel the fallout, just as it was during the 2007 writers strike that lasted for 100 days.

    All of the top late-night shows, which are staffed by writers that pen monologues and jokes for their hosts, immediately went dark. NBC’s “The Tonight Show,” Comedy Central’s “Daily Show,” ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live,” CBS’s “The Late Show” and NBC’s “Late Night” all made plans for reruns through the week.

    NBC’s “Saturday Night Live,” which had been scheduled to air a new episode Saturday, will also go dark and air reruns instead.

    “Everyone including myself hope both sides reach a deal. But I also think that the writers’ demands are not unreasonable,” host Stephen Colbert said on Monday’s “Late Show.”

    “This nation owes so much to unions,” Colbert said. “Unions are the reason we have weekends, and by extension why we have TGI Fridays.”

    Playwright Tony Kushner (“The Fabelmans”) and “Dopesick” creator Danny Strong were among those demonstrating in New York on Tuesday.

    The strike’s impact on scripted series and films will take longer to notice. If a strike persisted through the summer, fall TV schedules could be upended. In the meantime, those with finished scripts are permitted to continue shooting.

    During the 2007 strike, late-night hosts eventually returned to air and improvised their way through shows. “Tonight” show host Jay Leno angered WGA leadership when he began writing his own monologues.

    One late-night show won’t go dark. Fox News’ “Gutfeld!” with Greg Gutfeld will continue airing new episodes, Fox said Tuesday.

    The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which represents studios and productions companies, said it presented an offer with “generous increases in compensation for writers as well as improvements in streaming residuals.”

    The trade association said in a statement that it was prepared to improve its offer “but was unwilling to do so because of the magnitude of other proposals still on the table that the guild continues to insist upon.”

    A shutdown has been widely forecast for months. The writers last month voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike, with 98% of membership in support. Writers say their pay isn’t keeping pace with inflation, TV writer rooms have shrunk too much and the old calculus for how residuals are paid out needs to be redrawn.

    Streaming has exploded the number of series and films that are annually made, meaning more jobs for writers. But writers say they’re making less than they used to while working under more strained conditions. The WGA said “the companies’ behavior has created a gig economy inside a union workforce.”

    The union is seeking more compensation for writers up front. That’s because many of the payments writers have historically profited from on the back end — like syndication and international licensing — have been largely phased out by the onset of streaming.

    The studios’ trade association said Monday that the primary sticking points to a deal revolved around so-called mini-rooms — the guild is seeking a minimum number of scribes per writer room — and the duration of employment contracts.

    The writers’ union says more flexibility is needed for writers at a time when they’re contracted for series that tend to be shorter-lived than the once-standard 20-plus episode broadcast season. They are also seeking more regulation around the use of artificial intelligence, which writers say could give producers a shortcut to finishing a WGA writer’s work.

    “Understand that our fight is the same fight that is coming to your professional sector next: it’s the devaluing of human effort, skill, and talent in favor of automation and profits,” said the writer-director Justine Bateman.

    Many studios and production companies are slashing spending. The Walt Disney Co. is eliminating 7,000 jobs. Warner Bros. Discovery is cutting costs to lessen its debt. Netflix has pumped the brakes on spending growth.

    With a walkout long expected, writers have rushed to get scripts in and studios have sought to prepare their pipelines to keep churning out content for at least the short term. But the loss to local economies can be considerable. Los Angeles is estimated to have lost $2.1 billion in economic output during the last strike.

    “We’re assuming the worst from a business perspective,” David Zaslav, chief executive of Warner Bros. Discovery, said last month. “We’ve got ourselves ready. We’ve had a lot of content that’s been produced.”

    Overseas series could also fill some of the void. “We have a large base of upcoming shows and films from around the world,” Ted Sarandos, Netflix co-chief executive, said on the company’s earnings call in April.

    The WGA strike may only be the beginning. Contracts for both the Directors Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA, the actors union, expire in June. Some of the same issues around the business model of streaming will factor into those bargaining sessions.

    The actors’ union on Tuesday encouraged its members to join the writers’ picket lines in solidarity. ___

    Aron Ranen and David Bauder contributed to this report.

    ___

    Follow AP Film Writer Jake Coyle on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/jakecoyleAP

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  • Writers strike looks to be a long fight, as Hollywood braces

    Writers strike looks to be a long fight, as Hollywood braces

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    LOS ANGELES — Hollywood writers picketing to preserve pay and job security outside major studios and streamers braced for a long fight at the outbreak of a strike that immediately forced late-night shows into hiatus, put other productions on pause and had the entire industry slowing its roll.

    The first Hollywood strike in 15 years commenced Tuesday as the 11,500 members of the Writers Guild of America stopped working when their contract expired.

    The union is seeking higher minimum pay, more writers per show and less exclusivity on single projects, among other demands — all conditions it says have been diminished in the content boom of the streaming era.

    “Everything’s changed, but the money has changed in the wrong direction,” said Kelly Galuska, 39, a writer for “ The Bear ” on FX and “Big Mouth” on Netflix, who picketed at Fox Studios in Los Angeles with her 3-week-old daughter. “It’s a turning point in the industry right now. And if we don’t get back to even, we never will.”

    The last Hollywood strike, from the same union in 2007 and 2008, took three months to resolve. With no talks or even plans to talk pending between the WGA and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which represents studios and productions companies, there is no telling how long writers will have to go without pay, or how many major productions will be delayed, shortened or scrapped.

    “We’ll stay out as long as it takes,” Josh Gad, a writer for shows including “Central Park” and an actor in films including “Frozen,” said from the Fox picket line.

    The AMPTP said in a statement that it presented an offer with “generous increases in compensation for writers as well as improvements in streaming residuals” and was prepared to improve its offer “but was unwilling to do so because of the magnitude of other proposals still on the table that the guild continues to insist upon.”

    The writers were well aware that a stoppage was likely. Yet the breakoff of contractual talks hours before a deadline that negotiations in previous years have sailed past for hours or even days, and the sudden reality of a strike, left some surprised, some worried, some determined.

    “When I saw the refusals to counter and the refusing to even negotiate by the AMPTP, I was like on fire to get out here and stand up for what we deserve,” Jonterri Gadson, a writer whose credits include “A Black Lady Sketch Show,” said on a picket line at Amazon Studios as she held a sign that read, “I hate it here.”

    All of the top late-night shows, which are staffed by writers that pen monologues and jokes for their hosts, immediately went dark. NBC’s “The Tonight Show,” Comedy Central’s “Daily Show,” ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live,” CBS’ “The Late Show” and NBC’s “Late Night” all made plans for reruns through the week.

    NBC’s “Saturday Night Live,” which had been scheduled to air a new episode Saturday, will also go dark and air a rerun, and the two remaining episodes in the season are in jeopardy.

    The strike’s impact on scripted series and films will likely take longer to notice — though some shows, including Showtime’s “Yellowjackets,” have already paused production on forthcoming seasons.

    If a strike persisted through the summer, fall TV schedules could be upended. In the meantime, those with finished scripts are permitted to continue shooting.

    Union members also picketed in New York, where less known writers were joined by more prominent peers like playwright and screenwriter Tony Kushner (“The Fabelmans”) and “Dopesick” creator Danny Strong.

    Some actors including Rob Lowe joined the picket lines in support in Los Angeles. Many striking writers, like Gad, are hybrids who combine writing with other roles.

    Speaking from his acting side, Gad said of his fellow writers, “We are nothing without their words. We have nothing without them. And so it’s imperative that we resolve this in a way that benefits the brilliance that comes out of each of these people.”

    The other side of his hyphenated role could be in the same space soon, with many of the same issues at the center of negotiations for both the actors union SAG-AFTRA and the Directors Guild of America. Contracts for both expire in June.

    Streaming has exploded the number of series and films that are annually made, meaning more jobs for writers. But writers say they’ve been made to make less under shifting and insecure conditions that the WGA called “a gig economy inside a union workforce.”

    The union is seeking more compensation for writers up front, because many of the payments writers have historically profited from on the back end — like syndication and international licensing — have been largely phased out by the onset of streaming.

    Galuska said she is among the writers who have never seen those kind of once common benefits.

    “I’ve had the opportunity to write on great shows that are very, very popular and not really seen the compensation for that, unfortunately,” she said.

    The AMPTP said sticking points to a deal revolved around so-called mini-rooms — the guild is seeking a minimum number of scribes per writer room — and the duration of employment contracts.

    Writers are also seeking more regulation around the use of artificial intelligence, which the WGA’s writers say could give producers a shortcut to finishing their work.

    “The fact that the companies have refused to deal with us on that fact means that I’m even more scared about it today than I was a week ago. They obviously have a plan. The things they say no to, are the things they’re planning to do tomorrow.” ___

    Jake Coyle and David Bauder in New York, and Krysta Fauria and Jonathan Landrum in Los Angeles, contributed.

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  • Late-night TV shows go dark as writers strike for better pay

    Late-night TV shows go dark as writers strike for better pay

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    NEW YORK — The first Hollywood strike in 15 years began Tuesday as the economic pressures of the streaming era prompted unionized TV and film writers to picket for better pay outside major studios, a work stoppage that already is leading most late-night shows to air reruns.

    “No contracts, no content!” sign-carrying members of the Writers Guild of America chanted outside the Manhattan building where NBCUniversal was touting its Peacock streaming service to advertisers.

    Some 11,500 film and television writers represented by the union put down their pens and laptops after failing to reach a new contract with the trade association that represents Hollywood studios and production companies.

    The union is seeking higher minimum pay, more writers per show and shorter exclusive contracts, among other demands — all conditions it says have been diminished in the content boom driven by streaming.

    “There’s too much work and not enough pay,” said demonstrator Sean Crespo, a 46-year-old writer whose credits include the former TBS show “Full Frontal With Samantha Bee.”

    The labor dispute could have a cascading effect on TV and film productions depending on how long the strike lasts, and it comes as streaming services are under growing pressure from Wall Street to show profits.

    Late-night television was the first to feel the fallout, just as it was during the 2007 writers strike that lasted for 100 days.

    All of the top late-night shows, which are staffed by writers that pen monologues and jokes for their hosts, immediately went dark. NBC’s “The Tonight Show,” Comedy Central’s “Daily Show,” ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live,” CBS’s “The Late Show” and NBC’s “Late Night” all made plans for reruns through the week.

    NBC’s “Saturday Night Live,” which had been scheduled to air a new episode Saturday, will also go dark and air reruns instead.

    “Everyone including myself hope both sides reach a deal. But I also think that the writers’ demands are not unreasonable,” host Stephen Colbert said on Monday’s “Late Show.”

    “This nation owes so much to unions,” Colbert said. “Unions are the reason we have weekends, and by extension why we have TGI Fridays.”

    Playwright Tony Kushner (“The Fabelmans”) and “Dopesick” creator Danny Strong were among those demonstrating in New York on Tuesday.

    The strike’s impact on scripted series and films will take longer to notice. If a strike persisted through the summer, fall TV schedules could be upended. In the meantime, those with finished scripts are permitted to continue shooting.

    During the 2007 strike, late-night hosts eventually returned to air and improvised their way through shows. “Tonight” show host Jay Leno angered WGA leadership when he began writing his own monologues.

    One late-night show won’t go dark. Fox News’ “Gutfeld!” with Greg Gutfeld will continue airing new episodes, Fox said Tuesday.

    The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which represents studios and productions companies, said it presented an offer with “generous increases in compensation for writers as well as improvements in streaming residuals.”

    The trade association said in a statement that it was prepared to improve its offer “but was unwilling to do so because of the magnitude of other proposals still on the table that the guild continues to insist upon.”

    A shutdown has been widely forecast for months. The writers last month voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike, with 98% of membership in support. Writers say their pay isn’t keeping pace with inflation, TV writer rooms have shrunk too much and the old calculus for how residuals are paid out needs to be redrawn.

    Streaming has exploded the number of series and films that are annually made, meaning more jobs for writers. But writers say they’re making less than they used to while working under more strained conditions. The WGA said “the companies’ behavior has created a gig economy inside a union workforce.”

    The union is seeking more compensation for writers up front. That’s because many of the payments writers have historically profited from on the back end — like syndication and international licensing — have been largely phased out by the onset of streaming.

    The studios’ trade association said Monday that the primary sticking points to a deal revolved around so-called mini-rooms — the guild is seeking a minimum number of scribes per writer room — and the duration of employment contracts.

    The writers’ union says more flexibility is needed for writers at a time when they’re contracted for series that tend to be shorter-lived than the once-standard 20-plus episode broadcast season. They are also seeking more regulation around the use of artificial intelligence, which writers say could give producers a shortcut to finishing a WGA writer’s work.

    “Understand that our fight is the same fight that is coming to your professional sector next: it’s the devaluing of human effort, skill, and talent in favor of automation and profits,” said the writer-director Justine Bateman.

    Many studios and production companies are slashing spending. The Walt Disney Co. is eliminating 7,000 jobs. Warner Bros. Discovery is cutting costs to lessen its debt. Netflix has pumped the brakes on spending growth.

    With a walkout long expected, writers have rushed to get scripts in and studios have sought to prepare their pipelines to keep churning out content for at least the short term. But the loss to local economies can be considerable. Los Angeles is estimated to have lost $2.1 billion in economic output during the last strike.

    “We’re assuming the worst from a business perspective,” David Zaslav, chief executive of Warner Bros. Discovery, said last month. “We’ve got ourselves ready. We’ve had a lot of content that’s been produced.”

    Overseas series could also fill some of the void. “We have a large base of upcoming shows and films from around the world,” Ted Sarandos, Netflix co-chief executive, said on the company’s earnings call in April.

    The WGA strike may only be the beginning. Contracts for both the Directors Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA, the actors union, expire in June. Some of the same issues around the business model of streaming will factor into those bargaining sessions.

    The actors’ union on Tuesday encouraged its members to join the writers’ picket lines in solidarity. ___

    Aron Ranen and David Bauder contributed to this report.

    ___

    Follow AP Film Writer Jake Coyle on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/jakecoyleAP

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  • Hollywood writers, slamming ‘gig economy,’ to go on strike

    Hollywood writers, slamming ‘gig economy,’ to go on strike

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    NEW YORK — Television and movie writers declared late Monday that they will launch a strike for the first time in 15 years, as Hollywood girded for a walkout with potentially widespread ramifications in a fight over fair pay in the streaming era.

    The Writers Guild of America said that its 11,500 unionized screenwriters will head to the picket lines on Tuesday. Negotiations between studios and the writers, which began in March, failed to reach a new contract before the writers’ current deal expired just after midnight, at 12:01 a.m. PDT Tuesday. All script writing is to immediately cease, the guild informed its members.

    The board of directors for the WGA, which includes both a West and an East branch, voted unanimously to call for a strike, effective at the stroke of midnight. Writers, they said, are facing an “existential crisis.”

    “The companies’ behavior has created a gig economy inside a union workforce, and their immovable stance in this negotiation has betrayed a commitment to further devaluing the profession of writing,” the WGA said in a statement. “From their refusal to guarantee any level of weekly employment in episodic television, to the creation of a ‘day rate’ in comedy variety, to their stonewalling on free work for screenwriters and on AI for all writers, they have closed the door on their labor force and opened the door to writing as an entirely freelance profession. No such deal could ever be contemplated by this membership.”

    The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, the trade association that bargains on behalf of studios and production companies, signaled late Monday that negotiations fell short of an agreement before the current contract expired. The AMPTP said it presented an offer with “generous increases in compensation for writers as well as improvements in streaming residuals.”

    In a statement, the AMPTP said that it was prepared to improve its offer “but was unwilling to do so because of the magnitude of other proposals still on the table that the guild continues to insist upon.”

    The labor dispute could have a cascading effect on TV and film productions depending on how long the strike persists. But a shutdown has been widely forecast for months due to the scope of the discord. The writers last month voted overwhelming to authorize a strike, with 98% of membership in support.

    At issue is how writers are compensated in an industry where streaming has changed the rules of Hollywood economics. Writers say they aren’t being paid enough, TV writer rooms have shrunk too much and the old calculus for how residuals are paid out needs to be redrawn.

    “The survival of our profession is at stake,” the guild has said.

    Streaming has exploded the number of series and films that are annually made, meaning more jobs for writers. But WGA members say they’re making much less money and working under more strained conditions. Showrunners on streaming series receive just 46% of the pay that showrunners on broadcast series receive, the WGA claims. Content is booming, but pay is down.

    The guild is seeking more compensation on the front-end of deals. Many of the back-end payments writers have historically profited by – like syndication and international licensing – have been largely phased out by the onset of streaming. More writers — roughly half — are being paid minimum rates, an increase of 16% over the last decade. The use of so-called mini-writers rooms has soared.

    The AMPTP said Monday that the primary sticking points to a deal revolved around those mini-rooms — the guild is seeking a minimum number of scribes per writer room — and duration of employment restrictions. The guild has said more flexibility for writers is needed when they’re contracted for series that have tended to be more limited and short-lived than the once-standard 20-plus episode broadcast season.

    At the same time, studios are under increased pressure from Wall Street to turn a profit with their streaming services. Many studios and production companies are slashing spending. The Walt Disney Co. is eliminating 7,000 jobs. Warner Bros. Discovery is cutting costs to lessen its debt. Netflix has pumped the breaks on spending growth.

    When Hollywood writers have gone on strike, it’s often been lengthy. In 1988, a WGA strike lasted 153 days. The last WGA strike went for 100 days, beginning in 2007 and ending in 2008.

    The most immediate effect of the strike viewers are likely to notice will be on late-night shows and “Saturday Night Live.” All are expected to immediately go dark. During the 2007 strike, late-night hosts eventually returned to the air and improvised material. Jay Leno wrote his own monologues, a move that angered union leadership.

    On Friday’s episode of “Late Night,” Seth Meyers, a WGA member who said he supported the union’s demands, prepared viewers for re-runs while lamenting the hardship a strike entails.

    “It doesn’t just affect the writers, it affects all the incredible non-writing staff on these shows,” Meyers said. “And it would really be a miserable thing for people to have to go through, especially considering we’re on the heels of that awful pandemic that affected, not just show business, but all of us.”

    Scripted series and films will take longer to be affected. But if a strike persisted through the summer, fall schedules could be upended. And in the meantime, not having writers available for rewrites can have a dramatic effect on quality. The James Bond film “Quantum of Solace” was one of many films rushed into production during the 2007-2008 strike with what Daniel Craig called “the bare bones of a script.”

    “Then there was a writers’ strike and there was nothing we could do,” Craig later recounted. “We couldn’t employ a writer to finish it. I say to myself, ‘Never again’, but who knows? There was me trying to rewrite scenes — and a writer I am not.”

    With a walkout long expected, writers have rushed to get scripts in and studios have sought to prepare their pipelines to keep churning out content for at least the short term.

    “We’re assuming the worst from a business perspective,” David Zaslav, chief executive of Warner Bros. Discovery, said last month. “We’ve got ourselves ready. We’ve had a lot of content that’s been produced.”

    Overseas series could also fill some of the void. “If there is one, we have a large base of upcoming shows and films from around the world,” said Ted Sarandos, Netflix co-chief executive, on the company’s earnings call in April.

    Yet the WGA strike may only be the beginning. Contracts for both the Directors Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA, the actors union, expire in June. Some of the same issues around the business model of streaming will factor into those bargaining sessions. The DGA is set to begin negotiations with AMPTP on May 10.

    The cost of the WGA’s last strike cost Southern California $2.1 billion, according to the Milken Institute. How painful this strike is remains to be seen. But as of late Monday evening, laptops were being closed shut all over Hollywood.

    “Pencils down,” said “Halt and Catch Fire” showrunner and co-creator Christopher Cantwell on Twitter shortly after the strike announcement. “Don’t even type in the document.” ___

    Follow AP Film Writer Jake Coyle on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/jakecoyleAP

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  • Hollywood writers, slamming ‘gig economy,’ to go on strike

    Hollywood writers, slamming ‘gig economy,’ to go on strike

    [ad_1]

    NEW YORK — Television and movie writers declared late Monday that they will launch a strike for the first time in 15 years, as Hollywood girded for a walkout with potentially widespread ramifications in a fight over fair pay in the streaming era.

    The Writers Guild of America said that its 11,500 unionized screenwriters will head to the picket lines on Tuesday. Negotiations between studios and the writers, which began in March, failed to reach a new contract before the writers’ current deal expired just after midnight, at 12:01 a.m. PDT Tuesday. All script writing is to immediately cease, the guild informed its members.

    The board of directors for the WGA, which includes both a West and an East branch, voted unanimously to call for a strike, effective at the stroke of midnight. Writers, they said, are facing an “existential crisis.”

    “The companies’ behavior has created a gig economy inside a union workforce, and their immovable stance in this negotiation has betrayed a commitment to further devaluing the profession of writing,” the WGA said in a statement. “From their refusal to guarantee any level of weekly employment in episodic television, to the creation of a ‘day rate’ in comedy variety, to their stonewalling on free work for screenwriters and on AI for all writers, they have closed the door on their labor force and opened the door to writing as an entirely freelance profession. No such deal could ever be contemplated by this membership.”

    The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, the trade association that bargains on behalf of studios and production companies, signaled late Monday that negotiations fell short of an agreement before the current contract expired. The AMPTP said it presented an offer with “generous increases in compensation for writers as well as improvements in streaming residuals.”

    In a statement, the AMPTP said that it was prepared to improve its offer “but was unwilling to do so because of the magnitude of other proposals still on the table that the guild continues to insist upon.”

    The labor dispute could have a cascading effect on TV and film productions depending on how long the strike persists. But a shutdown has been widely forecast for months due to the scope of the discord. The writers last month voted overwhelming to authorize a strike, with 98% of membership in support.

    At issue is how writers are compensated in an industry where streaming has changed the rules of Hollywood economics. Writers say they aren’t being paid enough, TV writer rooms have shrunk too much and the old calculus for how residuals are paid out needs to be redrawn.

    “The survival of our profession is at stake,” the guild has said.

    Streaming has exploded the number of series and films that are annually made, meaning more jobs for writers. But WGA members say they’re making much less money and working under more strained conditions. Showrunners on streaming series receive just 46% of the pay that showrunners on broadcast series receive, the WGA claims. Content is booming, but pay is down.

    The guild is seeking more compensation on the front-end of deals. Many of the back-end payments writers have historically profited by – like syndication and international licensing – have been largely phased out by the onset of streaming. More writers — roughly half — are being paid minimum rates, an increase of 16% over the last decade. The use of so-called mini-writers rooms has soared.

    The AMPTP said Monday that the primary sticking points to a deal revolved around those mini-rooms — the guild is seeking a minimum number of scribes per writer room — and duration of employment restrictions. The guild has said more flexibility for writers is needed when they’re contracted for series that have tended to be more limited and short-lived than the once-standard 20-plus episode broadcast season.

    At the same time, studios are under increased pressure from Wall Street to turn a profit with their streaming services. Many studios and production companies are slashing spending. The Walt Disney Co. is eliminating 7,000 jobs. Warner Bros. Discovery is cutting costs to lessen its debt. Netflix has pumped the breaks on spending growth.

    When Hollywood writers have gone on strike, it’s often been lengthy. In 1988, a WGA strike lasted 153 days. The last WGA strike went for 100 days, beginning in 2007 and ending in 2008.

    The most immediate effect of the strike viewers are likely to notice will be on late-night shows and “Saturday Night Live.” All are expected to immediately go dark. During the 2007 strike, late-night hosts eventually returned to the air and improvised material. Jay Leno wrote his own monologues, a move that angered union leadership.

    On Friday’s episode of “Late Night,” Seth Meyers, a WGA member who said he supported the union’s demands, prepared viewers for re-runs while lamenting the hardship a strike entails.

    “It doesn’t just affect the writers, it affects all the incredible non-writing staff on these shows,” Meyers said. “And it would really be a miserable thing for people to have to go through, especially considering we’re on the heels of that awful pandemic that affected, not just show business, but all of us.”

    Scripted series and films will take longer to be affected. But if a strike persisted through the summer, fall schedules could be upended. And in the meantime, not having writers available for rewrites can have a dramatic effect on quality. The James Bond film “Quantum of Solace” was one of many films rushed into production during the 2007-2008 strike with what Daniel Craig called “the bare bones of a script.”

    “Then there was a writers’ strike and there was nothing we could do,” Craig later recounted. “We couldn’t employ a writer to finish it. I say to myself, ‘Never again’, but who knows? There was me trying to rewrite scenes — and a writer I am not.”

    With a walkout long expected, writers have rushed to get scripts in and studios have sought to prepare their pipelines to keep churning out content for at least the short term.

    “We’re assuming the worst from a business perspective,” David Zaslav, chief executive of Warner Bros. Discovery, said last month. “We’ve got ourselves ready. We’ve had a lot of content that’s been produced.”

    Overseas series could also fill some of the void. “If there is one, we have a large base of upcoming shows and films from around the world,” said Ted Sarandos, Netflix co-chief executive, on the company’s earnings call in April.

    Yet the WGA strike may only be the beginning. Contracts for both the Directors Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA, the actors union, expire in June. Some of the same issues around the business model of streaming will factor into those bargaining sessions. The DGA is set to begin negotiations with AMPTP on May 10.

    The cost of the WGA’s last strike cost Southern California $2.1 billion, according to the Milken Institute. How painful this strike is remains to be seen. But as of late Monday evening, laptops were being closed shut all over Hollywood.

    “Pencils down,” said “Halt and Catch Fire” showrunner and co-creator Christopher Cantwell on Twitter shortly after the strike announcement. “Don’t even type in the document.” ___

    Follow AP Film Writer Jake Coyle on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/jakecoyleAP

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  • Canada contract accord ends strike for most public workers

    Canada contract accord ends strike for most public workers

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    OTTAWA, Ontario — The Canadian government reached a tentative contract agreement Monday with its largest workers union, ending a 12-day strike by more than 120,000 public servants.

    The four-year deal affects a majority of the Public Service Alliance of Canada workers, including immigration workers, administrative personnel across various agencies, maintenance workers, port workers and firefighters.

    But some 35,000 Canada Revenue Agency workers remain on the picket line.

    Chris Aylward, the union’s national president, said in a statement that group “held the line” and “secured a fair contract that keeps up with the cost of living, increased protections around remote work and creates safer, more inclusive workplaces.″

    Treasury Board President Mona Fortier called the deal “fair and competitive.”

    “We negotiated, we compromised and we found creative solutions,” she told a news conference.

    Fortier said the deal will increase wages 11.5% over four years and will cost Canadian taxpayers CDN$1.3 billion (US$96 million a year).

    The union said the contract agreement secured wage increases totaling 12.6% compounded over four years, along with a one-time, pensionable CDN$2,500 (US$1,896.00) lump sum payment that represents an additional 3.7% of salary for the average union member in Treasury Board bargaining units.

    It said members will have access to additional protection when the employer makes arbitrary decisions about remote work, and that managers will have to assess telework requests individually, not by group, and provide written responses.

    The union said the tentative deal also addresses its demands regarding seniority rights in the event of layoffs. Also, when there are layoffs, an employee who can carry out work that is being conducted by a hired contractor will not lose their job.

    Fortier said talks with the tax agency workers continue.

    “They’re still at the table and negotiating as we speak and we’re looking forward to see how this will unfold,” she said.

    Public servants had hit picket lines at locations across the country for a dozen days in what the union said was one of the biggest job actions in Canadian history.

    Service disruptions loomed large during the strike, from slowdowns at the border to pauses on new employment insurance, immigration and passport applications.

    Initial negotiations on a new collective agreement had initially begun in June 2021, and the union had declared an impasse in May 2022, with both parties filing labor complaints since then.

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  • American Airlines, seeking new contract, vote to OK strike

    American Airlines, seeking new contract, vote to OK strike

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    Pilots at American Airlines are voting to authorize a strike

    DALLAS — Pilots at American Airlines voted to authorize a strike, a move that is highly unlikely to lead to an immediate walkout but puts more pressure on the airline to reach a new contract with the pilots’ union.

    The Allied Pilots Association said Monday that more than 96% of its 15,000 members voted, and among those who did, 99% favored authorizing the union to call for a strike.

    Federal law prohibits airline unions from striking without the tacit approval of a U.S. mediation board – a rare step that has not occurred in this case. Congress and the president can also act to prevent a strike if one appears imminent.

    Airline unions like to take strike votes, however, which they believe increase their leverage at the bargaining table.

    A spokeswoman for the airline said American is confident that it can reach an agreement with the union quickly.

    “We understand that a strike-authorization vote is one of the important ways pilots express their desire to get a deal done, and we respect the message of voting results,” said the spokeswoman, Sarah Jantz.

    American and United Airlines are under pressure to match or beat terms that rival Delta Air Lines accepted with its pilots, who earlier this year won 34% raises over a four-year contract.

    The American pilots’ union said it is also seeking scheduling changes that union officials say will improve efficiency and prevent the kind of widespread delays and cancellations seen last summer.

    “The summer travel season is almost here, and we’re all wondering whether this will be another summer of uncertainty for American Airlines,” union President Ed Sicher said.

    American pilots planned to picket later Monday at airports around the country.

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  • Coronation gives tourism boost, but UK economy still reeling

    Coronation gives tourism boost, but UK economy still reeling

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    LONDON — Kelly Curto is taking her first trip outside the U.S., and the die-hard fan of the British royal family is making it the one at the top of her bucket list — heading to London for King Charles III’s coronation.

    After arriving on May 5, the 44-year-old school bus driver from Long Island and a friend will head to the Mall, the ceremonial avenue to Buckingham Palace where the monarch’s pomp-filled procession will pass by the following day.

    That’s where they plan to spend the night if they can find a good spot to glimpse the gilded horse-drawn state coach, royals and thousands of soldiers filing past — despite splurging on a four-star hotel for their nine-day trip.

    “This is like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. You get to be part of history,” Curto said. “Everybody around the world knows this family. Everybody around the world is going to be watching this coronation — and we get to be a part of that.”

    The coronation is luring royal enthusiasts fascinated by the ceremonial spectacle — and drama — of the monarchy and far-flung visitors eager to experience a piece of British history. Tour companies, shops and restaurants are rolling out the red carpet, whether it’s a decked-out bus tour of London’s top sights with high tea or merchandise running from regal to kitschy.

    The weekend of events starting May 6 will bring a cash infusion to central London businesses, especially hotels, pubs and restaurants, but it won’t do much for U.K. residents struggling with an economy on the precipice of recession and a cost-of-living crisis that has stirred months of disruptive strikes by workers seeking pay hikes.

    For visitors looking to splash out, hotels across London are touting coronation-themed packages, menus and decor.

    Those willing to spend an eye-popping 12,995 pounds (over $16,000) can get an overnight stay in the Royal Suite at the five-star Hotel Cafe Royal and a limo ride to the Tower of London for a private tour and viewing of the Crown Jewels.

    The Dorchester Hotel, long a favorite with royals and celebrities, concocted a lavish, five-tier coronation cake and put up theater-style draping across its facade to re-create the decorations that it used to mark Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation in 1953.

    Many international visitors are drawn by the idea of a “beautiful fairytale” about “the royals and everything that is around them,” general manager Luca Virgilio said.

    “So there’s a lot of love and a lot of interest. And we are sold out already, which is very encouraging,” he said.

    The Royal Lancaster London hotel near Hyde Park is serving afternoon tea inspired by Charles’ favorites: roast beef sandwiches, darjeeling tea and damson plum mousse.

    The spread features a darjeeling tea cake shaped like crown atop a crimson cushion, while the hotel bar serves a coronation cocktail: a martini with a splash of darjeeling tea, trimmed with gold leaf.

    For a different twist, Annie Verhaert, 64, and daughter Claudia Lombaert, 30, from Belgium, boarded a vintage red double-decker bus strung with Union Jack flags for a coronation-themed tour that hits landmarks like Big Ben and Trafalgar Square.

    On the way, they sipped tea — using cupholders to prevent spills — and snacked on finger sandwiches and pastries like the “royal scone” from a menu a former royal butler curated for tour operator Brigit’s Bakery.

    “We knew the queen all our life,” Verhaert said. “And it’s now the first time we see a change on the throne. So it’s special.”

    And souvenirs are in no short supply, including tea towels, socks, dessert plates and other paraphernalia with coronation insignia from the Royal Collection Trust, purveyor of official memorabilia.

    Unofficial merchandise also abounds at shops in tourist areas, with Charles’ likeness crudely emblazoned on tote bags, coasters and teabag holders or coronation-branded pens, tins of fudge and playing cards offering more upscale options. Even more items show his mother, who died in September after 70 years on the throne, on everything from mugs to bobblehead figures.

    Officials have high hopes that the coronation will provide a vital boost to the country’s tourism industry, which is still reeling from two years of COVID-19 shutdowns. The U.K. received some 29.7 million visits last year, still nearly a third below 2019.

    “Events like this really kick-start the recovery, don’t they? And they put Britain on the world stage again,” said Patricia Yates, chief executive of the VisitBritain tourism board.

    Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations last year brought in an extra 2.6 million visitors to London, she said, and Charles’ coronation is expected to have a similar effect.

    History, heritage and the royals are the biggest draw for international tourists, Yates said, and royal pageantry is a particular magnet for Americans, who are driving the U.K.’s tourism recovery.

    “We can see a 10% increase in flight bookings through May from the America market,” she said. “The big question mark is, of course, China, which was our second-most-valuable market and still not coming back quite in the numbers we would like to see.”

    The coronation’s wider impact on Britain’s economy is less clear.

    Tax revenue will get a boost from extra retail spending for parties nationwide, including booze sales that have hefty alcohol duties. Pubs will be allowed to stay open two hours longer May 5-6.

    However, organizing the coronation has a huge cost that some reports estimate could run as high as 100 milllion pounds, and an extra public holiday on May 8 means a lost day of productivity.

    So while the hospitality industry benefits, “the flipside of that is that by giving everybody an extra day off, you’re taking quite a bit of output out of the economy in quite a lot of other sectors,” said Andrew Goodwin of Oxford Economics.

    The British economy has been essentially stagnant since the start of last year as decades-high inflation squeezes households and small businesses. The International Monetary Fund expects U.K. output to shrink by the most of any major economy this year.

    To keep up with the soaring cost of living, nurses, teachers, postal workers and others have been striking for higher wages. Security guards at Heathrow Airport plan to walk off the job starting May 5, threatening to disrupt travel for the coronation.

    “There’s a lot of headwinds that the economy has to battle,” Goodwin said.

    Brand Finance says the monarchy boosts the U.K. economy to the tune of 500 million pounds a year, more than making up for the estimated 350 million pounds it costs taxpayers.

    However, that boon is less than a third of the London-based consultancy’s 2017 forecast. CEO David Haigh blamed the plunge in value on a “disastrous six years” for the royal family, including a scandal involving Prince Andrew, a string of gaffes by minor royals and Harry and Meghan falling out with the family.

    Still, “going forward, we still believe that the monarchy generates more in terms of revenue for the U.K. economy than it costs,” Haigh said.

    The royals certainly are drawing Curto, who will stay with a friend at the Wellington Blue Orchid hotel in London at a cost of about 3,000 pounds.

    They plan to visit Hampton Court Palace, Westminster Abbey, the Tower of London and make day trips to Oxford and the Cotswolds. It won’t be cheap, but Curto won’t be pinching pence.

    “I plan on enjoying myself without limits,” she said. “I know London is an expensive city, so I’m prepared to spend a fair amount.”

    ___

    AP reporter Sylvia Hui in London contributed.

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  • Coronation gives tourism boost, but UK economy still reeling

    Coronation gives tourism boost, but UK economy still reeling

    [ad_1]

    LONDON — Kelly Curto is taking her first trip outside the U.S., and the die-hard fan of the British royal family is making it the one at the top of her bucket list — heading to London for King Charles III’s coronation.

    After arriving on May 5, the 44-year-old school bus driver from Long Island and a friend will head to the Mall, the ceremonial avenue to Buckingham Palace where the monarch’s pomp-filled procession will pass by the following day.

    That’s where they plan to spend the night if they can find a good spot to glimpse the gilded horse-drawn state coach, royals and thousands of soldiers filing past — despite splurging on a four-star hotel for their nine-day trip.

    “This is like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. You get to be part of history,” Curto said. “Everybody around the world knows this family. Everybody around the world is going to be watching this coronation — and we get to be a part of that.”

    The coronation is luring royal enthusiasts fascinated by the ceremonial spectacle — and drama — of the monarchy and far-flung visitors eager to experience a piece of British history. Tour companies, shops and restaurants are rolling out the red carpet, whether it’s a decked-out bus tour of London’s top sights with high tea or merchandise running from regal to kitschy.

    The weekend of events starting May 6 will bring a cash infusion to central London businesses, especially hotels, pubs and restaurants, but it won’t do much for U.K. residents struggling with an economy on the precipice of recession and a cost-of-living crisis that has stirred months of disruptive strikes by workers seeking pay hikes.

    For visitors looking to splash out, hotels across London are touting coronation-themed packages, menus and decor.

    Those willing to spend an eye-popping 12,995 pounds (over $16,000) can get an overnight stay in the Royal Suite at the five-star Hotel Cafe Royal and a limo ride to the Tower of London for a private tour and viewing of the Crown Jewels.

    The Dorchester Hotel, long a favorite with royals and celebrities, concocted a lavish, five-tier coronation cake and put up theater-style draping across its facade to re-create the decorations that it used to mark Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation in 1953.

    Many international visitors are drawn by the idea of a “beautiful fairytale” about “the royals and everything that is around them,” general manager Luca Virgilio said.

    “So there’s a lot of love and a lot of interest. And we are sold out already, which is very encouraging,” he said.

    The Royal Lancaster Hotel near Hyde Park is serving afternoon tea inspired by Charles’ favorites: roast beef sandwiches, darjeeling tea and damson plum mousse.

    The spread features a darjeeling tea cake shaped like crown atop a crimson cushion, while the hotel bar serves a coronation cocktail: a martini with a splash of darjeeling tea, trimmed with gold leaf.

    For a different twist, Annie Verhaert, 64, and daughter Claudia Lombaert, 30, from Belgium, boarded a vintage red double-decker bus strung with Union Jack flags for a coronation-themed tour that hits landmarks like Big Ben and Trafalgar Square.

    On the way, they sipped tea — using cupholders to prevent spills — and snacked on finger sandwiches and pastries like the “royal scone” from a menu a former royal butler curated for tour operator Brigit’s Bakery.

    “We knew the queen all our life,” Verhaert said. “And it’s now the first time we see a change on the throne. So it’s special.”

    And souvenirs are in no short supply, including tea towels, socks, dessert plates and other paraphernalia with coronation insignia from the Royal Collection Trust, purveyor of official memorabilia.

    Unofficial merchandise also abounds at shops in tourist areas, with Charles’ likeness crudely emblazoned on tote bags, coasters and teabag holders or coronation-branded pens, tins of fudge and playing cards offering more upscale options. Even more items show his mother, who died in September after 70 years on the throne, on everything from mugs to bobblehead figures.

    Officials have high hopes that the coronation will provide a vital boost to the country’s tourism industry, which is still reeling from two years of COVID-19 shutdowns. The U.K. received some 29.7 million visits last year, still nearly a third below 2019.

    “Events like this really kick-start the recovery, don’t they? And they put Britain on the world stage again,” said Patricia Yates, chief executive of the VisitBritain tourism board.

    Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations last year brought in an extra 2.6 million visitors to London, she said, and Charles’ coronation is expected to have a similar effect.

    History, heritage and the royals are the biggest draw for international tourists, Yates said, and royal pageantry is a particular magnet for Americans, who are driving the U.K.’s tourism recovery.

    “We can see a 10% increase in flight bookings through May from the America market,” she said. “The big question mark is, of course, China, which was our second-most-valuable market and still not coming back quite in the numbers we would like to see.”

    The coronation’s wider impact on Britain’s economy is less clear.

    Tax revenue will get a boost from extra retail spending for parties nationwide, including booze sales that have hefty alcohol duties. Pubs will be allowed to stay open two hours longer May 5-6.

    However, organizing the coronation has a huge cost that some reports estimate could run as high as 100 milllion pounds, and an extra public holiday on May 8 means a lost day of productivity.

    So while the hospitality industry benefits, “the flipside of that is that by giving everybody an extra day off, you’re taking quite a bit of output out of the economy in quite a lot of other sectors,” said Andrew Goodwin of Oxford Economics.

    The British economy has been essentially stagnant since the start of last year as decades-high inflation squeezes households and small businesses. The International Monetary Fund expects U.K. output to shrink by the most of any major economy this year.

    To keep up with the soaring cost of living, nurses, teachers, postal workers and others have been striking for higher wages. Security guards at Heathrow Airport plan to walk off the job starting May 5, threatening to disrupt travel for the coronation.

    “There’s a lot of headwinds that the economy has to battle,” Goodwin said.

    Brand Finance says the monarchy boosts the U.K. economy to the tune of 500 million pounds a year, more than making up for the estimated 350 million pounds it costs taxpayers.

    However, that boon is less than a third of the London-based consultancy’s 2017 forecast. CEO David Haigh blamed the plunge in value on a “disastrous six years” for the royal family, including a scandal involving Prince Andrew, a string of gaffes by minor royals and Harry and Meghan falling out with the family.

    Still, “going forward, we still believe that the monarchy generates more in terms of revenue for the U.K. economy than it costs,” Haigh said.

    The royals certainly are drawing Curto, who will stay with a friend at the Wellington Blue Orchid hotel in London at a cost of about 3,000 pounds.

    They plan to visit Hampton Court Palace, Westminster Abbey, the Tower of London and make day trips to Oxford and the Cotswolds. It won’t be cheap, but Curto won’t be pinching pence.

    “I plan on enjoying myself without limits,” she said. “I know London is an expensive city, so I’m prepared to spend a fair amount.”

    ___

    AP reporter Sylvia Hui in London contributed.

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  • Airport strikes lead to cancellations in Berlin, Hamburg

    Airport strikes lead to cancellations in Berlin, Hamburg

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    Employees at Berlin and Hamburg airports are staging walkouts in an ongoing dispute over pay and conditions for security staff, leading to flight cancellations in both German cities

    BERLIN — Employees at Berlin and Hamburg airports staged walkouts on Monday in an ongoing dispute over salary raises, leading to flight cancellations in both German cities.

    In Berlin, all departures and 70 out of 240 incoming flights were canceled, German news agency dpa reported. Due to a walkout announced at short notice by trade union ver.di, the airport in Hamburg announced in the early morning that 31 of 160 departures had been canceled.

    The walkouts started at 3:30 a.m. and were supposed to last until midnight.

    The union wants to increase pressure on employers with whom it is negotiating bonuses for special working hours, for example at weekends, and rules on overtime pay.

    The union has staged frequent walkouts over recent months to underline its demands, with local transport, hospitals and other public services hit.

    On the weekend, German government officials and labor unions reached a pay deal for more than 2.5 million public-sector workers, ending a lengthy dispute and heading off the possibility of disruptive all-out strikes. That agreement did not include airport employees, however.

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  • German government, unions reach pay deal for public workers

    German government, unions reach pay deal for public workers

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    German government officials and labor unions have reached a pay deal for more than 2.5 million public-sector workers, ending a lengthy dispute and heading off the possibility of disruptive all-out strikes

    ByGEIR MOULSON Associated Press

    BERLIN — German government officials and labor unions have reached a pay deal for more than 2.5 million public-sector workers, ending a lengthy dispute and heading off the possibility of disruptive all-out strikes.

    The ver.di union had pressed for hefty raises as Germany, like many other countries, grapples with high inflation. Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said as the deal was announced around midnight Sunday that “we accommodated the unions as far as we could responsibly do in a difficult budget situation.”

    The deal entails tax-free one-time payments totaling 3,000 euros ($3,300) per employee, with the first 1,240 euros coming in June and monthly payments of 220 euros following until February. In March, regular monthly pay for all will be increased by 200 euros, followed by a salary increase of 5.5% — with a minimum raise of 340 euros per month assured. The deal runs through to the end of 2024.

    Ver.di originally sought a one-year deal with a raise of 10.5%. The deal was reached on the basis of a proposal by arbitrators who were called in after talks broke down last month.

    Ver.di chair Frank Werneke said that “we went to our pain threshold with the decision to make this compromise.” He said that the raises in regular pay next year will amount to an increase of over 11% for most employees of federal and municipal governments.

    The union has staged frequent walkouts over recent months to underline its demands, with local transport, hospitals and other public services hit.

    Germany’s annual inflation rate has declined from the levels it reached late last year but is still high. It stood at 7.4% in March.

    The past few months have seen plenty of other tense pay negotiations in Europe’s biggest economy, some of which have yet to be concluded. In a joint show of strength, ver.di and the EVG union — which represents many railway workers — staged a one-day strike last month that paralyzed much of the country’s transport network.

    EVG, whose members walked off the job again on Friday, is seeking a 12% raise and has rejected the idea of negotiating a deal based on the arbitration proposal that helped resolve the public workers’ dispute. The next round of talks is set for Tuesday.

    And ver.di is still in a dispute with Germany’s airport security companies association over pay and conditions for security staff. In the latest of a string of walkouts, it has called on security workers at Berlin Airport to walk out on Monday. The airport says there will no departures all day.

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  • After 4 US price cuts, Tesla raises cost for older models

    After 4 US price cuts, Tesla raises cost for older models

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    DETROIT — After cutting U.S. vehicle prices four times this year, Tesla raised the cost overnight on its slow-selling more expensive models.

    The hike could be an effort to appease investors, who dumped shares of Tesla on Thursday after its earnings and profit margins dropped due to previous price cuts.

    Investors also expressed concerns Friday in a letter to Tesla’s board that CEO Elon Musk is too distracted running his other companies, including Twitter and SpaceX, to effectively lead the electric car and solar panel company.

    The Austin, Texas, company added $2,500 to all four versions of the Models S and X, increasing their prices by 2.4% to 2.9%.

    The lowest-price Model S now starts at $87,490, while the base price for the X is $97,490, according to Tesla’s website early Friday. Neither is eligible for the U.S. government’s $7,500 electric vehicle tax credit because they exceed sticker price limits.

    Prices of the company’s top-selling Model Y small SUV and Model 3 small sedan remained the same after being lowered earlier this week.

    Tesla shares closed Thursday down nearly 10% after Musk said the company would sacrifice profit margins in order to boost sales. On Wednesday Tesla reported first-quarter net income that fell 24% from a year ago, and operating profit margins that dropped from 19.2% in the first quarter of last year to 11.4% last quarter.

    The stock closed Friday at $165.08, up 1.3%.

    The price increases come at a strange time for Tesla because global sales of the aging Model X large SUV and Model S big sedan fell nearly 38% in the first quarter to 10,695.

    In a letter to Tesla Chairwoman Robyn Denholm and the board, a group of 17 investors who say they hold over $1.5 billion in Tesla shares called on the board to make sure Tesla has a CEO who dedicates enough time and attention to running the company.

    The group, which includes Amalgamated Bank, the New York City Comptroller’s Office, and some pension and investment funds, wrote that it has lost confidence in the board over its “meager oversight” of Musk.

    Messages were left Friday seeking comment from Tesla.

    “The Board has allowed the CEO to be overcommitted at a time when the company faces critical challenges, including increased competition, regulatory scrutiny, and a stock slide,” the letter said.

    The group asked for a plan to overhaul composition of the board, including moving out directors with close ties to Musk.

    In addition to Tesla, Musk is CEO of Twitter and SpaceX, and is co-founder of Neuralink, The Boring Company and Open AI.

    The group, citing complaints about racial discrimination, poor plant safety, and investigations by U.S. highway safety regulators and the Justice Department, wrote that Tesla “appears to be embracing a broader culture of being ‘above the law.’”

    Amalgamated Bank, the first investor listed on the letter, says on its website that it works with over 1,000 unions and has given strike loans to workers walking picket lines. Tesla has been in a battle with the United Auto Workers union over organizing its factory in Fremont, California.

    Investors have not been kind to electric vehicle makers in the past week. Through Friday, Tesla shares were down 11% for the week, while startups Rivian, Lucid and Lordstown Motors all lost between 8% and 10% of their value. Fisker dropped 11% for the week, and Nio fell 10%. Nikola bucked the trend, rising almost 12.5%.

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  • After 4 US price cuts, Tesla raises cost for older models

    After 4 US price cuts, Tesla raises cost for older models

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    DETROIT — After cutting U.S. vehicle prices four times this year, Tesla raised the cost overnight on its slow-selling more expensive models.

    The hike could be an effort to appease investors, who dumped shares of Tesla on Thursday after its earnings and profit margins dropped due to previous price cuts.

    Investors also expressed concerns Friday in a letter to Tesla’s board that CEO Elon Musk is too distracted running his other companies, including Twitter and SpaceX, to effectively lead the electric car and solar panel company.

    The Austin, Texas, company added $2,500 to all four versions of the Models S and X, increasing their prices by 2.4% to 2.9%.

    The lowest-price Model S now starts at $87,490, while the base price for the X is $97,490, according to Tesla’s website early Friday. Neither is eligible for the U.S. government’s $7,500 electric vehicle tax credit because they exceed sticker price limits.

    Prices of the company’s top-selling Model Y small SUV and Model 3 small sedan remained the same after being lowered earlier this week.

    Tesla shares closed Thursday down nearly 10% after Musk said the company would sacrifice profit margins in order to boost sales. On Wednesday Tesla reported first-quarter net income that fell 24% from a year ago, and operating profit margins that dropped from 19.2% in the first quarter of last year to 11.4% last quarter.

    In afternoon trading Friday the stock was up 1.8%.

    The price increases come at a strange time for Tesla because global sales of the aging Model X large SUV and Model S big sedan fell nearly 38% in the first quarter to 10,695.

    In a letter to Tesla Chairwoman Robyn Denholm and the board, a group of 17 investors who say they hold over $1.5 billion in Tesla shares called on the board to make sure Tesla has a CEO who dedicates enough time and attention to running the company.

    The group, which includes Amalgamated Bank, the New York City Comptroller’s Office, and some pension and investment funds, wrote that it has lost confidence in the board over its “meager oversight” of Musk.

    Messages were left Friday seeking comment from Tesla.

    “The Board has allowed the CEO to be overcommitted at a time when the company faces critical challenges, including increased competition, regulatory scrutiny, and a stock slide,” the letter said.

    The group asked for a plan to overhaul composition of the board, including moving out directors with close ties to Musk.

    In addition to Tesla, Musk is CEO of Twitter and SpaceX, and is co-founder of Neuralink, The Boring Company and Open AI.

    The group, citing complaints about racial discrimination, poor plant safety, and investigations by U.S. highway safety regulators and the Justice Department, wrote that Tesla “appears to be embracing a broader culture of being ‘above the law.’”

    Amalgamated Bank, the first investor listed on the letter, says on its website that it works with over 1,000 unions and has given strike loans to workers walking picket lines. Tesla has been in a battle with the United Auto Workers union over organizing its factory in Fremont, California.

    Investors have not been kind to electric vehicle makers in the past week. Through Thursday, Tesla shares were down 12.4% for the week, while startups Rivian, Lucid and Lordstown Motors all lost about 10% of their value. Fisker dropped 14% for the week, and Nio fell 12%, while Nikola dropped almost 8%.

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  • Nigerian airport workers go on strike; travelers stranded

    Nigerian airport workers go on strike; travelers stranded

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    ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — Thousands of travelers were stranded in Nigeria on Monday as airport union workers began a two-day strike demanding better conditions.

    The strike caused flights to be canceled as employees from across seven unions in Nigeria’s aviation industry blocked access to the country’s largest airports, in Lagos and the capital, Abuja.

    Strikes are common in Nigeria’s aviation sector. Workers say they have poor conditions and airlines are struggling with rising costs and fuel shortages. It is the second union-organized strike this year and comes after failed attempts by regulators and policymakers to appease workers.

    Monday’s strike came on the heels of the government’s refusal to release recently reviewed aviation working conditions and adjust pay to match Nigeria’s new minimum wage of $65 per month, according to a strike notice issued over the weekend.

    Hadi Sirika, Nigeria’s aviation minister, didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.

    The delays showed no sign of abating. In Abuja, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria advised passengers to make contingency plans in order to avoid missing flights and appointments.

    The seven labor associations said the strike could be prolonged if authorities don’t act on their demands to improve conditions and shelve plans to demolish some of their offices in Lagos.

    “Should the warning strike fail to achieve the desired results, an indefinite strike shall ensue,” the unions said in the notice signed by each of them and issued over the weekend.

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  • UK inflation remains over 10% as food prices rise

    UK inflation remains over 10% as food prices rise

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    The price of food in the U.K. rose at the fastest pace in 45 years last month, keeping inflation above 10% for a seventh straight month amid a cost-of-living crisis that has fueled a wave of strikes by government workers

    ByDANICA KIRKA Associated Press

    LONDON — The price of food in the U.K. rose at the fastest pace in 45 years last month in, keeping inflation above 10% for a seventh straight month amid a cost-of-living crisis that has fueled a wave of strikes by government workers.

    Food prices jumped 19.2% in the 12 months through February, the biggest increase since August 1977, the Office for National Statistics said Wednesday.

    Overall, consumer price inflation eased to 10.1%, from 10.4% the previous month, as the cost of gasoline and diesel fuel fell. The March figure was above the 9.8% rate economists had forecast.

    “The heat has been turned down on the bubbling cauldron of prices, but inflation is still scalding and interest rates look set to be pushed up again to try and cool it down rapidly,” said Susannah Streeter, head of money and markets at Hargreaves Lansdown in London.

    The British government and Bank of England are struggling to prevent price increases triggered by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine from becoming embedded in the economy. While the U.K.’s inflation rate has remained above 10% for eight of the past nine months, inflation slowed to 5% in the U.S. and 6.9% in the countries sharing the euro last month.

    Double-digit inflation has led to strikes from public sector workers, including doctors, nurses, teachers, civil servants and train drivers, whose wages are being eroded by the rising cost of living.

    The Bank of England has approved 11 consecutive interest rate increases in an effort to tame inflation. That pushed the bank’s key interest rate to 4.25% last month, from just 0.1% in December 2021, raising borrowing costs for consumers and businesses.

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