From my brother Jim, who writes: "Remember these are mostly entertainment industry leftists involved in this matter…………..once again we see liberals who are capitalists with their own money. A higher mandated wage, they say, will cause job loss and theater closings...........wow.
Very interesting, as they present the conservative argument against raising the minimum wage. Not what you'd expect from actors on the L.A. scene.
To my mind, raising minimum wage vs. more jobs - that's a tough call.
From the L.A. Times
With leaders of the national stage actors' union poised to deliberate Tuesday on a new $9 hourly minimum wage in small Los Angeles theaters, the rank and file in L.A. has voted overwhelmingly against the pay hike.
The 2,046 to 1,075 vote by local Actors' Equity Assn. members was only advisory. The Actors' Equity national governing council still has the authority to change the pay rules for L.A. members, who for decades have performed for token amounts in theaters of 99 seats or fewer.
The $9 minimum would apply to rehearsals as well as performances. It would replace a system that pays $7 to $15 for each performance, depending on the ticket price and seating capacity, and nothing for rehearsals that can consume scores of hours.
The new wage could quadruple what actors earn from a typical production.
But opponents say a change could backfire on actors by shutting down the most economically fragile theaters and putting the rest under pressures that would drain much of the flavor and adventure from L.A.'s small-theater menu. They warn that producers would no longer put on shows requiring large casts and that their main concern would become ensuring a safe box-office return instead of picking plays that embody creative experimentation and risk.
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