Models Demand Union (2007) : Model Alliance formed (2012)

[notmanons]

It's on the news right now.

'Models want union representation'.

ACTORS' union Equity are allowing models to become members for the first time in a bid to fight the scandal of size-zero waifs.

www.thedailyrecord.co.uk

 

[KhaoticKharma]

How will that stop the "size zero waifs"? Are they just not going to be allowed to join?

 

[Uchina]

My interpretation is that by giving the models some leverage in the industry, they will again be allowed to eat.

 

[Ferdinanda]

What's next? Bloggers union?

 

[misssakura]

They're already considering one.

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/webguide/internetlife/2007-08-06-blogger-union_N.htm
http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/08/05/is-blogging-ready-for-a-unionized-workforce/
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,292418,00.html

 

[Ferdinanda]

Omg. I've seen it all.

 

[ninanina19]

They're already considering one.

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/webguide/internetlife/2007-08-06-blogger-union_N.htm
http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/08/05/is-blogging-ready-for-a-unionized-workforce/
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,292418,00.html

Lol.

 

[The_Ida]

What's next? Bloggers union?

So...models have no rights because they are empty-headed dolls?

 

[jollyvixen]

So...models have no rights because they are empty-headed dolls?

Short answer - yes. If models are given a voice, it will give others less power over them. And we CAN'T have that! How dare they have an opinion!

 

[LUXXX]

I think they deserve one...why not? They should get health insurance plans and whatever else unions fight for..

 

[vogueness]

cool idea

 

[notmanons]

Yes it's a nice idea but what do models really bring to be honest..I mean, they're not exactly saving lives in hospitals are they? Their job is a job that is useless.... what do they bring to society?

 

[misssakura]

That's not the purpose of a union! The union ensures FAIR WORKING CONDITIONS AND PAY.

 

[NessaLee]

Absurd. So many laws protect unfair working conditions and pay that unions are essentially useless at this point in time. I feel that they often give people an excuse to do less and get more...aka laziness. I would really be horrified to see models unionize. It's pretty laughable imo.

 

[MulletProof]

That's not the purpose of a union! The union ensures FAIR WORKING CONDITIONS AND PAY.

thank you for bringing common sense into this thread!.

it is about time, to say the least. even though the union term seems to have a slightly bureaucrat connotation these days, it should not be a laughable matter in my opinion.. work is work and so is business and the modeling one in particular has been disastrous and even fatal for some people so so young to the point of being unfortunately not mature enough to understand how it can be abusively managed by older ones.. and while I do believe that nobody is pointing a gun at them to sign up with certain agencies (a common and annoyingly comfortable argument easily appliable on any other way of life IMO), I do think everyone has the right to work in whatever field they want and are equally deserving of fair and dignified conditions just like everybody else no matter how glossy, immoral, useless or stereotypically superficial you want to label certain professions as.

 

[KhaoticKharma]

I have a hard time digesting unions for actors, writers, directors, etc., because of how they have basically become greed driven. Especially the writers- their strike has caused the unemployment of many other people involved with making television shows, people who WON'T get money from syndicated programs. I get the feeling a models union would turn into an acting one- less about making sure conditions are up to par, and more about asking for an absurd amount of money for work that is really not that difficult.

 

[misssakura]

You think the writers guild strike is unfair?

Put it this way, the internet is the biggest advertising media. It's overtaken any other media including print. So why are the studios:
a) Saying that there's no money to be had in the internet, and so they can't afford to pay the writers, even though previously they had said the internet was the future of their studios
b) Refusing to pay even one cent, one measly cent, for internet generated revenue?

This is the issue, DVD sales are generally decreasing. This is where the writer makes the bulk of their money. They get a royalty of 4 cents for every DVD sale, which pays for their bills while they're out of work. Because writers are contracted most of the time, they rely on these residuals to keep them afloat.

So DVD sales are decreasing and internet sales are increasing, except the writer makes NO money from the internet. Nothing. You can look at this with a short term view and say, oh the greedy bastards, putting all these poor people out of work, or you could (and should) take the long term view and say, wow eventually when DVDs are phased out or insignificant, these writers won't get ANY money except for their initial contract fee, for their work that can make a studio millions and millions of dollars.

The strike has to come some time because it's not fair that the studio takes a 100% cut on a very profitable work, it may not seem as significant now but in a year, maybe two, it will be more important than ever. They're not just campaigning for people who are currently writing, they're campaigning for people who haven't even entered the business yet.

Writing is an incredibly stressful job, without it there would be no show. The main reason people are losing their jobs is because the studios are blackmailing the strikers into coming back.

The question is, do you believe the studio, mainly the top execs, deserve to profit 100% from a writer's work?

I say no.

 

[shutterbug]

It's about time! I thought the exploitation of young girls in this industry was just becoming too much.

 

[silk skin paws]

Sounds like a reasonable plan!

 

[*Princesse*]

I get the feeling a models union would turn into an acting one- less about making sure conditions are up to par, and more about asking for an absurd amount of money for work that is really not that difficult.

Perhaps - but should that possibility be avoided at the expense of at least attempting to have someone entirely on the model's side, requiring a certain standard? We hear enough stories about the pressure very young girls receive from their agencies, about their lack of "real friends" in the industry.


I understand some people may already think model's get paid exorbitantly for what they do; honestly, I'd tend to agree. But no amount of money makes up for any kind of abuse, for being taken advantage of in any way. If a union can help prevent that, if a union has even the slightest possibility of preventing that, I think it's great.