Bringing Down Mickey Mouse

    This is near and dear to my heart: how the heck do hundreds of thousands of creators (writers, artists, actors, theater people) take on an information industry that has become the most powerful single industry in human history? Understand, that this vertically-integrated industry spans telecommunications (voice, wireless, Internet), cable, software, and all things you can point to that create the stuff people read, watch, listen to and communicate with.

    So, out of the AFL-CIO Executive Council meeting yesterday comes some good news: the first Industry Coordinating Committee (the set-up that was created in response to the critique put out by the Change To Win effort that unions needed a strategic industry focus) has been formed for the unions dealing with the information industry.

    According to the AFL-CIO's press release, "The Arts, Entertainment, Media and Telecommunications ICC will build power for working people in this industry by undertaking collaborative initiatives in four principal areas -- organizing, collective bargaining, contract standards and public policy.  The 10 unions that are part of the new ICC are: Actors' Equity Association (AEA), American Federation of Musicians (AFM), American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA), Communications Workers of America (CWA), International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE), International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), National Association of Broadcast Employees and Technicians (NABET-CWA), Screen Actors Guild (SAG), The Newspaper Guild (TNG-CWA) and the Writers Guild of America East (WGAE).  Combined, these unions represent nearly one million workers in these sectors."

    I'm all for this. A few years ago, I started something called the Creators Federation which was aimed at bringing together all these unions that deal with a converging information industry. Much good work has been done by the AFL-CIO's Department of Professional Employees on this issue in the past--but it's a tough road because the DPE has to deal with a number of unions that, historically, have not always worked together.

    Admittedly, I have a bias believing that organizing the information industry may be the most crucial industry to organize in the next 10 years. It's not just about sheer numbers--because actually there are plenty of jobs in manufacturing, retails and service to organize. It's more the perception--people believe that consumption of information is the guiding principle of their lives (how many people carry IPods now?)--and the scary notion that such a powerful industry that shapes ideas and access to information will simply rule the roost with no brake on its insatiable appetite.

    If anyone has more interest in the shape of the industry and how it has evolved, you can go to the Creators Federation website and read the strategic power analysis that I wrote and published earlier this year.