News & Commentary June 25, 2023 (selling goods made with forced labor)

https://onlabor.org/june-25-2023/

By Will Ebeler

Will Ebeler is a student at Harvard Law School.

In this weekend’s news and commentary, the Directors Guild of America ratifies a new contract; a House Committee report accuses Temu of selling goods made with forced labor; and past evidence suggests New York City’s new delivery driver minimum wage will increase wages without increasing prices.

On Friday evening, the Directors Guild of America announced that its members had ratified a new contract with Hollywood television and movie studios. The three-year contract includes a 13% wage rise over three years; a new payment linked to the number of foreign subscribers on streaming platforms; restrictions on the use of AI; and new safety measures on sets. The deal was approved with the support of 87% of those voting. Meanwhile, the contract between the Screen Actors Guild and studios expires on June 30; actors have already voted to authorize a strike if the sides can’t reach an agreement by then. The deal comes during an ongoing strike by the Writers Guild of America. There is no end in sight to the Writers Guild strike, with no talks scheduled with studios. Writers Guild leaders have called the studios’ deal with directors part of a playbook to “divide and conquer.”

FULL story at link above.