Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1081203
66 CINEMONTAGE / Q1 2019 LABOR MAT TERS coverage for all hotel workers, added Greenhouse. In October, 7,700 workers boldly struck 23 Marriott hotels in eight cities, including Boston, Detroit, Honolulu and San Francisco. Then, in November, 15,000 patient-care workers, including radiology technicians, respiratory therapists and pharmacy workers, held a three-day strike against the University of California's medical centers in Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, Irvine and Davis. And further, in one of the most startling work stoppages of all, an estimated 20,000 Google workers walked out November 1 to protest how the company handled sexual harassment accusations against top managers. "That was remarkable," says labor historian Nelson Lichtenstein, delighted to see that even the elite workers at one of the world's more prominent tech companies recognize the effectiveness of collective worker action. In theory, the success of these recent strikes should beget more strikes. But, warned Greenhouse, that might not happen, partly because many workers have lost the necessary "muscle memory" and partly because unions have been on the defensive for years as corporations, courts, conservative billionaires and GOP lawmakers have coordinated efforts to cripple labor. This year's "mad-as-hell" strikers have a defiant message for those who hope that labor unions and worker collective action will vanish from the face of the earth: "Sorry, but we workers — for the sake of fundamental fairness and to achieve basic gains — continue to need unions and collective action. And strikes." 2018 BOX OFFICE SETS NEW RECORD Growth at the US box office led to the biggest year in history worldwide, wrote Pamela McClintock in The Hollywood Reporter. Global box office revenue for 2018 reached an all- time high of $41.7 billion, after a strong increase of almost seven percent at the North American box office. Domestic revenue set a record at $11.9 billion, slipping past the milestone set in 2016 ($11.4 billion), Comscore announced in late December. Disney commanded more than 26 percent of domestic market share, and 17 percent of worldwide market share. Revenue from Disney releases reached a combined $7.3 billion globally, the second-biggest level in history for any Hollywood studio, behind the record $7.6 billion earned by Disney in 2016. Because helping others could one day help you. MPTF provides a safety net of social and charitable support to the entertainment community. We provide financial assistance, referrals to community resources, and a host of other services. Learn more at mptf.com Make a meaningful donation today at mptf.com/donate