If we turn on the TV or watch a movie, we rarely think about unions, politics, and strikes as they apply to the makers of TV and movie content. But, the reality is, the people responsible for making TV shows and movies are organized into unions in order to protect themselves against large media corporations. The Writers Guild of America (WGA) is currently negotiating a new contract with the Alliance of Motion Pictures and Television Producers (AMPTP). Apparently, the negotiations aren’t going well and a strike seems to be in the making.

Are you going to support the strike? If so, how? If not, why not?

In order to be in solidarity with the striking writers, will those of us who watch network TV, watch movies in theaters, watch movies at home on VHS or DVD, download movies/TV to our computers, watch content on mobile phones, iPods, or MP3 players refuse to cross the picket line and stop watching TV and movies once the strike starts?

In light of the recent United Auto Workers strikes at GM and Chrysler, the WGA strike doesn’t seem as important. But it is! A victory for the WGA is a victory for all unions and all workers in the U.S. I think that it’s an important enough idea for me to repeat over and over again: if one works in the U.S. then supporting unions is seriously important.

Something really interesting happened today as a result of my talking about unions at work. One of the people working in the warehouse was listing off a few of the things this person felt needed to be changed and fixed. After listening to the list, I asked, “why not start a union?” At that moment, we both looked at each other and the idea of starting a union in our small company actually made sense. I mean, nothing was thought out, it was more of a “these are all the problems, this, this, that, this, that, this and the most obvious way to guarantee that these problems get the attention they deserve is to start a union.” And even though it was fleeting, the moment was still empowering.

As far as organizing goes, I’d say it was the quintessential moment one experiences when the truth is finally out in the open and both people see the benefits to the organizing that’s taken place so far. I’ve never experienced one of these moments in the workplace before. So, I didn’t push the idea too much because I didn’t want to spoil it. But now I know from experience the feelings involved with starting a union. Two people talking about workplace issues coming to the realization that a union would be the perfect solution.

So, what does this have to do with the WGA strike against the AMPTP? Everything. Without courageous people who join and maintain unions, who risk their livelihoods to strike for the benefit of the whole union and workers everywhere, people like me and the people I work with might not have the kind of moment I describe above. And instead of moving the small company I work for towards a more worker-friendly, pro-union environment, we might be going the other direction, moving us closer to slavery.

At the same time, I’m aware that fundamental economic changes must occur in the United States in order to truly end oppression, exploitation, and domination. The union movement is one of the foundations for these more radical fundamental economic changes. The way I see it, going to work 40 hours per week ultimately supports the status quo. But going to work 40 hours per week in a union that’s focused on ending oppression, exploitation, and domination is supporting the foundation for the fundamental economic changes our world desperately needs.