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Posts with tag strike

Boycotting Sellers Dent eBay's Business

by Terrence O'Brien, posted Feb 25th 2008 at 6:11PM

Boycotting Sellers Dent eBay's Business
Auction site eBay has been suffering at the hands of an online protest over a change in how it charges sellers for listing and selling goods. The change has resulted in a substantial increase in costs for sellers.

The changes lowered the initial fees for sellers to list items on eBay, but increased the commission charged on completed sales. Additionally, the feedback system was altered to eliminate the negative feedback on buyers option, making it tougher to weed out sneaky or dishonest buyers.

eBay has faced boycotts before, but none approaching the scale of the current one. Thanks to protest related activities on sites such as MySpace and Facebook, eBay sellers have been able to better organize and encourage each other to stick with the boycott.

Since the boycott started on February 18,, listings on eBay have dropped 13 percent to about 13 million items. Nancy Baughman, an eBay retailer taking part in the strike, says if she and the other activists can get the number of listings down to 12 million, then they will have made a very significant dent in the online auction house's business.



From USA Today

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Striking Writers Accept $1,200 Per Web-Streamed Episode

by Tim Stevens, posted Feb 11th 2008 at 11:10AM

Striking Writers Accept $1,200 Per Streaming EpisodeThe writers' strike is over -- or nearly so anyway. According to reports, most of the players involved have come to terms and all that remains now is an official vote from the various unions and guilds involved. If all goes well, it'll be over by Wednesday.

One of the big sticking points had been how writers should be compensated for shows broadcasted online, something they were previously receiving nothing for. The answer, according to the pending deal, is a flat fee of up to $1,200.

That would be on top of whatever amount they'd get for the traditional, on-air broadcast of the episode. $1,200 may seem like a lot, but with television stations losing traditional viewership and moving more and more content online in an attempt to stay hip, it may not be too much longer before "traditional" television broadcasting becomes the exception rather than the norm.

What happens to this contract when major network shows are being exclusively distributed online? We're hoping that when that time comes, the various players involved can do a little better at negotiating than they did this time. Nobody likes a strike -- or months of re-runs.

From Valleywag

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NYC Cabbies Threaten Strike Over GPS

by Terrence O'Brien, posted Jul 26th 2007 at 11:39AM


Sure, it won't be nearly as devastating as the New York City transit strike of 2005, but an impending taxi strike could make the lives of many New Yorkers much more difficult if it goes into effect. The New York Taxi Workers' Alliance is prepping to walk off the job in response to the city's new requirement that all cabs install a touch screen device that includes a GPS receiver.

Cabbies are up in arms because they claim the GPS units are a violation of privacy, and because they will often be asked to pay for the devices themselves, which cost between $2,900 and $7,200 over a three year period.

The city claims that the GPS units will not track the movements of the cabs (though, they'd certainly be capable), but will only record pick up and drop off points, something cab drivers are required to do already. To offset the cost of the units, the city hopes to increase revenue by allowing riders to pay with credit cards via the units, and it also plans to sell advertising on the screens.

Other benefits of the devices include allowing riders to search for local businesses as well as movie and play times. Having the GPS units will also help track lost items and find cabs in trouble.

The New York Taxi Workers' Alliance plans to meet next month to decide on a date and duration for that strike, if one is deemed necessary.

From Gearlog and USA Today

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