About 100 members of Hawaii’s chapters of the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, and the Writers Guild of America, rallied Tuesday afternoon at the state Capitol to vocalize their support for Hollywood’s first industrywide strike in 63 years, shutting down television and film productions around the globe.
Also supporting them was the Hawaii Nurses Association which, after ending its weeklong strike on Beretania Street, made its way to the Capitol to support the union movement.
Locally, the strike by SAG-AFTRA and WGA has stalled production of films and television programs set in Hawaii, including Disney’s live-action movie “Lilo and Stitch” and television shows “NCIS Hawaii” and the upcoming “Rescue: HI-Surf,” according to Hawaii Film Commissioner Donne Dawson. In June, NBC announced that ”Magnum P.I.” would not be renewed, according to Dawson.
The WGA went on strike in May, creating a direct impact on the resulting production of television shows and films. On Saturday, SAG-AFTRA joined the WGA, which has stopped production altogether.
In Hawaii about a dozen writers are represented by the WGA, and SAG-AFTRA represents about 1,200 actors statewide, according to Scott Swartz, Hawaii’s SAG-AFTRA chapter
secretary.
The industrywide strike list of demands includes wage increases, equitable residuals and protections against original work
replicated by artificial
intelligence.
But Hollywood’s shutdown means that local unionized workers who are not represented by SAG-AFTRA or WGA who work on Hawaii’s television and film productions also aren’t getting paid.
Jeremy LeCain, 52, is a member of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees. LeCain was about to resume working as a lighting technician for “NCIS: Hawaii” in June when the production was halted due to the strike.
As a supporter of a three-person family that includes a 6-year-old granddaughter, LeCain said he’s had to cut down on food and extra shopping to make up for the loss of income.
He’s also unsubscribed from any streaming services to prove a point, he said with a laugh.
Though he’s not represented by the unions that are striking, he said he recognized half of the people present at the rally and wanted to show his support.
“If (IATSE) was out here, they’d be here supporting us,” LeCain said. “I’m here to do the right thing.”
Some celebrities made guest appearances at the rally, including Dennis Chun of “Hawaii Five-0” and the cast of “NCIS: Hawaii.”
Vanessa Lachey took the microphone amid a roaring round of applause and “chee-hoos.”
“When I look around and I see the sea of people, all of you, standing here united, we’re here for one reason: for us,” Lachey said. “This is something that AI can’t do. They can’t stand here, they can’t feel this moment, they can’t make this movement, they can’t make a difference and a change — we have that opportunity.”
Actress Shereen Balles is a mother of 16-year-old twins and a SAG-AFTRA member since 2010. Since her debut in 2010, Balles has made appearances on “Magnum P.I.,” “NCIS: Hawaii” and “Hawaii Five-0.”
Local film and television production has been her primary job and has kept the Hawaiian actress from leaving the islands. But, she wanted people passing by the rally to see how many Hawaii residents rely on the industry for a job.
“I want them to see us fighting for stability as a
human being,” Balles said. “There’s a price to pay to be here.”
Aaron Kandell, who co-wrote Disney’s animated film “Moana” with his twin brother, Jordan, has been on strike with WGA since May.
The brothers, who were born and raised in Hawaii, haven’t seen any financial residuals for writing “Moana,” which is available to watch on Disney+, Disney’s streaming service.
“The amount of time that ‘Moana’ gets played on Disney+, not only do my brother and I not see even a penny of that profit, nor do any of the people that worked on the film,” Kandell said.
The strike means that the brothers aren’t getting paid, but Kandell said that “being on strike for the past 80 days unfortunately isn’t that much different from our daily existence of not getting any income for months and years.”
According to Kandell, Disney Chief Executive Officer Bob Iger makes $74,175 in a day while the average Hollywood writer makes $69,510 in a year.
The Kandell brothers are next-door neighbors in Manoa with children of their own: Aaron with a 7-year-old and a 3-year-old and Jordan with a 10-year-old.
Aaron said that financially, “it’s been hard, but it’s always been hard.”
He has personally experienced how expendable writers, actors and animators can be when working for a conglomerate production company. He and his brother made more money by working as part-time teachers for 20 hours a week than selling their first script, which they had been
working on for eight years.
“We’ve gotten used to having to live off the earnings of a (script) sale that can carry us for years,” Kandell said. “People assume that actors and writers make ungodly amounts of money, but that’s like the 1%. The majority of us are day workers who get paid daily or weekly rates and have to chase gigs.”