The SAG-AFTRA National Board over the weekend voted unanimously to express solidarity with the Writers Guild of America and its plans to go on strike amid ongoing negotiations with studios and streamers.
“History shows that fairness and equity to the workers who power the creativity of the entertainment industry has only been achieved through solidarity and the efforts of those workers working within their labor unions and guilds,” read a statement from SAG-AFTRA.
“Changes in the economics of the entertainment industry have worked to the great benefit of large corporate employers and in many cases to the detriment of the creators who make their businesses possible.”
Southwest Airlines has reversed course on plans to place unvaccinated workers who seek medical or religious exemption on unpaid leave following the federally mandated Dec. 8 vaccination deadline. Instead, the airline will allow them to continue working under COVID protocols like masking and social distancing.
Ahead of the holiday season, Amazon is looking to hire 150,000 seasonal employees, a 50 percent increase over the previous year. The starting pay will be $18 an hour with $3,000 sign-on bonuses, depending on the location.
Toyota is pledging to invest $3.4 billion into developing hybrid car batteries in the United States through 2030. The Japanese carmaker plans to establish a U.S. factory by 2025 and expects to create 1,750 jobs.
Netflix’s "Squid Game" has been the buzz of the entertainment world and according to Bloomberg, the series has an estimated value of $900 million to the streaming giant. So far, the film has hit number one in each country Netflix operates in.