Latest news with #HollywoodWritersStrike
Forbes
2 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
New Database Helps Labor Unions Navigate AI And Digital Technologies
LOS ANGELES, CA - Hollywood writers go on strike outside of FOX Studios on the first day of the ... More Hollywood writers strike on May 2, 2023 in Los Angeles. The University of California-Berkeley's Labor Center has announced a new data tool to help labor union negotiators, researchers, media, and policymakers better understand the state of play of union negotiations around the digital economy. The searchable inventor, developed by researcher Lisa Kresege, offers insights into how labor unions are responding to responding to AI, electronic monitoring and surveillance, and other emerging technologies. Researchers created the database using the U.S. Labor Department's Office of Labor-Management Standards and the Office of Personnel Management's Collective Bargaining Agreements database. They augmented those data with contracts pulled from union and employer websites and direct contributions from union leaders. The inventory draws on a multi-decade analysis of more than 500 union contracts and collective bargaining provisions related to digital workplace technologies, covering over 175 union agreements. It references over 950 technology-related contract provisions. The database offers users insights into the range of strategies unions have been undertaking in recent years to strengthen their negotiation position around technology use in workplaces ranging from securing worker protections to supporting upskilling and reskilling to shaping how new technologies are introduced and used in workplaces. The inventory is organized into six sections that focus on different areas of workplace technology provisions negotiated by unions. Each section contains information about how unions' bargaining strategies, technology functions, and patterns in contract language However, the authors caution that the database should be used as a research tool and not as an indication of best practices or recommended language for unions. Workers Seek a Say Around AI, Tech, at Work AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler and Microsoft President Brad Smith sign the new 'tech-labor ... More partnership' agreement. In recent years, labor unions have taken aim at shaping AI and other digital technologies' impact on workers, including to improve job quality and working conditions. Liz Shuler, President of the AFL-CIO, the largest labor union federation in the United States, has seen the AI zeitgeist as an opportunity to reinvigorate the labor movement. In 2023, the AFL-CIO inked a deal with Microsoft around worker voice and AI development, and last year the federation signed a historic agreement with the U.S. National Science Foundation, one of the largest federal funders of scientific R&D, around engaging labor around tech development. Individual labor unions such as the Writers Guild of America and the Communication Workers of America have been especially active in ensuring that their members have a say in the implementation of AI at work. During a web panel hosted by the think-tank New America, Lisa Takeuchi Cullen, President of Writers Guild of America-East, emphasized that Hollywood's famous strike around AI was never about banning the technology in the industry but ensuring workers have a voice around its implementation. Workers are generally more worried than hopeful about AI at work. A Pew poll from last August that show that among all the concerns American adults have regarding AI, there is no greater gap between what AI experts and the public think than how people do their jobs and the economy. While the share of American workers belonging to labor unions has declined in recent years, Gallup has found that public support for unions is at its highest point since the 1960s, reaching 70% in 2024. With more employers seeking to accelerate the implementation of AI and other digital technologies in workplaces, workers are poised to continue to see ways to negotiate their uses. Resources like the UC Labor Center's inventory can help workers and labor leaders stay current on the sector's collective negotiations and response to the digital technologies.
Buzz Feed
26-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Buzz Feed
10 Shows That Got Canceled Out Of The Blue, And 9 That Actually Had Pretty Valid Reasons
There's nothing quite like the sting of seeing y our favorite show get axed out of nowhere. One minute, you're hooked, and the next, it's canceled without warning. This seems especially common with cult-favorite shows, which often don't last more than a few seasons but leave a legacy that lasts for decades. However, not every cancellation is a shock. Between behind-the-scenes drama, plummeting ratings, and scandals, some shows practically sealed their own fate. From fan favorites that ended way too soon to series that, frankly, had it coming, here are 10 cancellations that blindsided fans and nine that made perfect sense. The shows that were cancelled out of the blue: 1. FX's Terriers was released in 2010, lasting a single season, despite incredibly favorable reviews. This detective drama followed ex-cop and recovering alcoholic Hank and his best friend, Britt, as private detectives in California. Then-FX president John Landgraf explained that it was because of low ratings and an ineffective marketing campaign. 2. From the mind of the problematic Joss Whedon, Firefly developed a dedicated fanbase quite rapidly. However, it wasn't enough for the network, as it failed to pull in ratings. It only aired 11 out of its 14 scheduled episodes. 3. Pushing Daisies similarly gained a solid following. Unfortunately, a few different factors played into its ending. For one, the 2007-2008 Hollywood Writers Strike. Secondly, ratings weren't high. The show ended after two seasons. Powered By 4. For as short-lived as it was, Freaks and Geeks built a cult-like following. Even though the show is responsible for launching the careers of James Franco, Seth Rogen, Jason Segel, and Linda Cardellini, to name a few, it only lasted a single season. According to NME, its cancellation after one season (NBC never aired six episodes in its original run) was the result of an erratic schedule, poor marketing, and creative differences. 5. NCIS: Hawai'i had already developed a pretty strong base. However, CBS felt like it wasn't enough. The company said cost and ratings, along with trying to keep their schedule fresh, led them to nix the show. Powered By 6. Netflix's The Get Down brought a refreshing take on musical dramas and earned great praise. However, the streamer decided to nix the show after the first season due to a reported high production cost, behind-the-scenes issues, and other factors that led the show to end. Powered By 7. Another Netflix series gone too soon, Mindhunter, followed FBI agents Holden Ford and Bill Tench, with psychologist Wendy Carr, as they interviewed serial killers to gain an understanding of their psyche and use that information to solve similar cases. However, the show's creator explained that the show had begun getting too expensive, and Netflix wanted to appeal to a broader audience, so they pulled the plug after two seasons. Powered By 8. There are a few reasons why Don't Trust The B***h in Apartment 23, unfortunately, didn't make it past two seasons. According to Krysten Ritter, who starred as Chloe, ABC nixed the show after poor scheduling and being "dragged around by a sh*t-smeared dog." Powered By 9. Lovecraft Country started bubbling up as a promising series on HBO. However, in the middle of the production for its second season, it was abruptly canceled. Without an official cause by the network, rumors began swirling about its cancellation, especially since Season 1 ended on a cliffhanger. Some believed it could've been due to the high cost of production; others said that it was because there wasn't a solid vision for the next season. According to Tinderbox: HBO's Ruthless Pursuit of New Frontiers by James Andrew Miller, several sources from HBO alleged that showrunner Misha Green created a "toxic" and "hostile" work environment. Powered By 10. My So-Called Life was another fan favorite that developed a cult-like following after its conclusion. However, low ratings and uncertainty about its target audience caused ABC to cancel the show after two seasons. The shows that were cancelled for valid reasons: 11. House of Cards became a Netflix mainstay in the 2010s, but once sexual misconduct allegations against its star Kevin Spacey emerged, they decided to pull the plug. Its sixth and final season focused on Claire Underwood after rewrites and reshoots. Powered By 12. TLC's reality show, 19 Kids And Counting, ran for 10 seasons, following Jim Bob Duggar and his wife, Michelle, and their 19 children. In 2015, the show was canceled after Josh Duggar, their eldest son, faced allegations of child molestation. Powered By 13. After ABC ordered a reboot of Roseanne for a 10th season, the show's star fumbled the bag completely. Roseanne Barr went off on a racist Twitter rant targeting former Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett. ABC swiftly took action, announcing that the show would be canceled. However, they later reworked the series into The Conners. Powered By 14. In addition to poor ratings, Clone High 's initial cancellation was due to the backlash it faced for its offensive portrayal of Mahatma Gandhi, which led to hunger strikes in India, according to reports. The show later received a reboot without Gandhi's inclusion. Powered By 15. A television adaptation of the 1988 movie Heathers was set to debut on the Paramount Network. However, it faced several delays initially and raised concerns surrounding its subject matter, particularly school shootings. It was ultimately canceled, but the show eventually aired. Powered By 16. HBO nearly had a hit on its hands with Luck. According to CBC, the death of three racehorses on set and some major pushback from PETA led the network to cancel the show after its first season. What's worse is that Luck was already working on its second season by the time network executives called it off. Powered By 17. Louis C.K.'s downfall included the cancellation of the FX show Louie. The show went on an "extended hiatus," but once the comedian confirmed that the allegations of sexual misconduct against him were true, the network cut ties, and it never returned. Powered By 18. Megyn Kelly made her switch from Fox to NBC, and the transition was hardly smooth. Megyn Kelly Today was canceled after she said that it was okay for people to wear blackface as a Halloween costume. Powered By 19. Finally, there's The Briefcase. This show followed two financially struggling families, each given $100,000 — but with a catch. Over 72 hours, they had to decide whether to keep the money or share some (or all) of it with the other family in need, whom they learned more about along the way. The show faced heavy backlash, with critics arguing it exploited the less fortunate. Ultimately, it suffered dismal ratings and was canceled after just one season.
