COVER STORY : ‘Love & War,’ English & Health Benefits

If Murphy Brown worked for Diane English’s production crew, she and her baby would have no health-care benefits.

That’s the kind of criticism that has been swirling around English and her husband, Joel Shukovsky, for their decision not to use union workers on the crew of their new CBS sitcom, “Love & War.”

“We find it outrageous that such a high-profile, outspoken advocate of the rights of single parents would choose not to pay those single parents who are working for her any health insurance or pension benefits,” said Bruce Doering, business representative for the camera local of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employes.

“The bottom line is she portrays herself as a great adversary of Dan Quayle on the issue of women’s rights, but we think she’s the Dan Quayle of labor relations,” Doering said.

“The reason we’re not union is because we simply can’t afford to be union right now,” English responded. “It’s not about ripping off employees. We’re a young, independent company, and we can’t afford to align ourselves with a collective bargaining unit that in negotiations favors the majors.

“We’ve told our employees that if ‘Love & War’ sticks to the wall, there will be health benefits forthcoming.”

Doering dismisses English’s claim that she can’t afford to cover health-care costs, arguing that her deal with CBS is such that the network assumes most of the financial risk for “Love & War.”

“The irony is she can afford collective bargaining agreements with the Directors Guild of America, the Writers Guild of America and the Screen Actors Guild,” Doering said. “She’s taking advantage of the people who need the representation the most, the below-the-line people, the technicians, the people who don’t get paid $25,000 a week.”

“We are being portrayed as these terrible slave drivers (who are) cheating our people,” said English, who points out that there are about half a dozen other network series using non-union crews.

“A lot of these people have never been able to get into the union, even though they very much wanted to,” English said. “We’re giving a lot of first-time breaks, and there are a lot of women in key positions on our show, women with Asian and Hispanic last names. Shukovsky-English is an outfit that’s going to be around for years to come, and these people are coming in on the ground floor.”