With thousands dying in Asia, the Writers Guild of America is spending our dues money on the following, according to an email to members today:
BOWLING NIGHT
Sunday, 1/30, 3:30-6 p.m. – Bay Shore Lanes, 234 Pico Blvd., Santa Monica. RSVP: (323) 782-4605.
Bowling shoes, food, and beverages will be provided for WGAw members plus one guest. Presented by the Activities Committee. Space is limited.
Is this a Writers’ Union?
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I don’t want to sound callous at all. I’ve made a donation and will probably make more, but Life Goes On. With thousands dying in Asia, I went out and saw a movie the other night, and had a nice dinner. If a bunch of writers want to go bowling, I don’t think that makes the world a worse place, or assume they haven’t done their part.
Bowling….sounds like fun to me. Of course, I’m still on pain medication after having heart surgery last week.
Allow me to make myself clear. I have no objection to writers going bowling. But as a dues paying member of the Writers Guild, I object to paying for their evening out. Our dues have better uses, thank you.
Yeah, but Roger what’s that got to do with the tsunami?
It’s one thing to say that you don’t want your union dues to be used for social activities. It’s another to say that with thousands dying in Asia, you don’t want your union dues to be used for social activities. I have to agree with TedN. Life goes on. It’s not like every disposable dollar of every organization and person has to go to tsunami relief.
I dunno; that sounds like a suspiciously Red State activity to me. Maybe it’s all a plot to get Blue Guild member’s shoe sizes prior to organizing a new blacklist from the ground up…
I suspect it has nothing specifically to do with the tsunami, Brian, except as a reminder of priorities. I will not speak for Roger, but as a dues paying WGA member, I am, shall we say, less than pleased that our earned money is being used to buy food and bowling privileges for members and guests as opposed (for example) to beefing up our health coverage which, like everyone else’s, has suffered greatly in the past couple of years. Anyone following WGA business in recent years can come up with about a zillion more appropriate uses for our dues money that will be investments for our future. But if that is not how it’s going to be spent, than I find its use for purely recreational pursuits to be ill-timed and unseemly right now.
I can’t say I’m too shocked, given the constant political suck up the average writer trying to maintain a career must endure. It’s kinda of like selling your soul. I’m sure protest from within the group would not be welcomed.
SJ, I get what you’re saying. I don’t know anything about the WGA. I assume that they’re as screwy as any other union. They do some good stuff for their members and they do some stupid stuff.
But I think it’s a bit over the top to use a natural disaster to criticize them. That’s why we’re pissed at Egeland and Short (among other reasons). I didn’t think that Roger’s criticism was fair. But enough of this.