Labor Law: Entertainment Short Course

1 credits · Law School

This short course studies labor law through the lens of the entertainment industry, where the collective bargaining relationship between the studios and their unionized employees undergirds almost every facet of "Hollywood." The actors, directors, writers, producers, and crew of the major television shows and motion pictures you know and love are members of their respective unions. This course will demonstrate how that reality shapes the industry--from the negotiation of the talent agreement to the distribution of the project and everything in-between. The course will delve into case studies to illustrate labor law at work in the industry, including: the 2012 merger of the Screen Actors Guild and American Federation of Television and Radio Artists to form SAG-AFTRA; SAG-AFTRA's recent organizing of social media "influencers;" the 2020 negotiations between the entertainment unions and studios to get members back to work safely during the COVID-19 pandemic; and the recent writers' strike against their agents. Pass/Fail. [1]