The Union Solidarity Coalition (TUSC) is an organization founded by a group of writer-directors over the summer. They launched an eBay auction last week with unique items to support crew members during the strike. The auction has been a tremendous success, with bids coming in quickly and abundantly.
Some of the offerings and current bids (as of press time) include dinner with Bob Odenkirk and David Cross for $10,200, the cast of Bob’s Burgers singing a custom song for $7,200, Natasha Lyonne helping solve the New York Times Sunday crossword via Zoom for $6,100, Lena Dunham painting a mural in your home for $5,100, John Lithgow painting a watercolor portrait of your dog for $4,450, a pottery class with Busy Philipps in New York for $3,500, Adam Scott walking your dog in L.A. for 1-hour for $2,500, a Zoom with Barry Jenkins and Nicholas Britell for $1,250, and a relationship advice squabble over Zoom with Rosemarie Dewitt and Ron Livingston for $1,136.
Due to popular demand and the creative offerings of other celebrity volunteers, TUSC updated the eBay site on Friday with another batch of items. The new offerings include a Zoom with Nicole Kidman and Lulu Wang, an “exquisite corpse drawing Zoom” with Charlie Day and Mary Elizabeth Ellis for $2,025, an L.A. gay bar hop with Dolly De Leon, star of Triangle of Sadness, for $610, a personal serenade via Zoom with David Krumholtz for $510, and a one-hour Mortal Kombat gaming session with Kumail Nanjiani while his wife and creative partner Emily V. Gordon adds commentary for $1,025.
The auction is part of TUSC’s ongoing efforts to raise funds and support crew members during the strikes by the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and SAG-AFTRA. The organization previously raised $315,000 through events like Solidarity Night! in Los Angeles and the funds from the auction will go towards ensuring crew members have access to healthcare through the TUSC Fund. TUSC is also partnering with Entertainment Health Insurance Solutions.
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The idea for TUSC came about during a brainstorm in a WGA-DGA WhatsApp group. The organization is made up of founding members Liz Benjamin, Susanna Fogel, Amy Seimetz, Lena Dunham, Rachel Lee Goldenberg, Tara Miele, Alex Winter, Frankie Shaw, Josh Locy, Justine Bateman, Antonio Campos, Malik Vitthal, Paul Scheer, Zoe Lister-Jones, Andrea Savage, Tony Phelan, Julie Plec, Crystal Moselle, and Sarah Adina Smith. These members reached out to friends, peers, and collaborators to contribute to the auction.
Fogel explains that TUSC has two main missions: fundraising to directly help crew members and organizing community-building events. The auction serves both purposes by raising money and demonstrating the support and care the industry has for its members. The organization plans to continue their outreach and fundraising efforts beyond the strikes to support crew unions during their upcoming negotiations for fair contracts.
The auction, which started on eBay, gained a lot of attention both online and in the news. Many social media users created faux auction items based on the unique offerings, which caught the attention of celebrities like Natasha Lyonne. Other creative fundraising efforts have been seen during the strikes, including the WGA Garage Sale, lawn sign sales by Pay Up Hollywood, and Pamela Adlon’s storage locker sale to benefit the Entertainment Community Fund (ECF). Additionally, a live telethon-style fundraiser called “The Give Back-ular Spectacular” is set to take place on October 25 to raise funds for workers impacted by the strike.
The TUSC insiders are thrilled with the response they have received and attribute it to the collaborative and creative nature of the industry. They are inspired by the support and positivity they have experienced during a time that feels divided. The auction has provided a boost of adrenaline and they hope that it translates into a significant amount of money raised for the cause.
In conclusion, the Union Solidarity Coalition’s eBay auction has been a huge success, with bids pouring in for unique experiences and items offered by celebrities. The auction is part of TUSC’s ongoing efforts to raise funds and support crew members during the strikes. The organization plans to continue their fundraising and community-building efforts beyond the strikes to support crew unions in the future. The response to the auction has been thrilling for the TUSC insiders, and they are grateful for the support and positivity they have received during a challenging time.
