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IATSE’s Hollywood locals have declared war on this producer over issues of unfair labor practices. Larry Levinson Productions has subsequently fired and replaced all their crews which were repped by IATSE on LLP’s big budget mini-series Mega-Storm, which NBC is reportedly purchasing. Picket lines have formed at LLP’s sound stages in Simi Valley and at the location of the shoot. LLP has been a long-time IATSE holdout, and I know Local 600 has been after the company for a while. Levinson does all those low-budget Hallmark movies non-union. But Local 600 and the other Hollywood locals are joining to try to organize more work like they claimed they would during the recent contract ratification campaign. I hear that, now that LLP is doing larger projects with bigger budgets, it’s become a prime target for the IA to organize.
IATSE accuses LLP of asking their crew to work 16+ hour days, over often 6-day weeks, with less than safe turnarounds, all for close to minimum wage and without future job security. IATSE is fighting for fair labor practices. LLP has signed contracts with both the DGA and SAG, but has been quoted as saying it will never sign with IATSE. The fired crew is now on strike and the production company has brought in scabs to complete the show. IATSE claims many are inexperienced office workers. The picket lines form at the anticipated crew call and wrap times in an attempt to identify and contact the scabs.
Pickets also are expected at NBC in the next few days. The union is trying to pressure NBC not to purchase product from this content producer and its members are pledging to boycott any programs purchased without a fair labor agreement signed by the producers and IATSE.
Posts like this are appearing on various network website blogs and job boards pertaining to the industry:
“Movie of the Week and DVD content producer Larry Levinson Productions (LLP) has been taking advantage of an overly competitive job market in the area of Film and Television crew. As with any industry where there is a large number of workers and a few jobs it is necessary for the workers to bravely unite to demand that livable and fair wages be paid. This has happened as IATSE and non-union Crew are now STRIKING against this treament from LLP. The Network television mini series “Mega Storm” is reported at $9 Million dollars in budget, yet they were paying many of their key crew positions less than $10 per hour, having them work 16+ hour days, and 6 day weeks, without overtime on the 6th day, and without adequate rest periods between shifts. Please support the Workers as they attempt to get Larry Levinson to the table to negotiate fair wages and work conditions. Post your concerns at NBC’s website, and spread the word. Join the picket lines. For information on picketing locations and times, and for general updates on progress join StrikeLLP@gmail.com or call an IATSE representative for more information. PLEASE JOIN OUR FIGHT FOR THE RIGHTS OF WORKERS, THE GOOD OF THE NATION, AND THE HEALTH OF OUR ECONOMY.”
Editor-in-Chief Nikki Finke - tip her here.
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Love love love the Craigslist ad: someone’s whiling away the afternoon looking at the ‘erotic services’ section, get bored, flips through a couple different listings, finds a posting recruiting picketers. “Hey, maybe I’ll go strike for a while before I meet up with ‘Trudy’ over in Inglewood…” Tom Short done taught you guys good: way to organize… Good luck!
Worked two 20+ hour days on a Relativity Media film last year. Complained. The big famous director and his abusive A.D. didn’t like that very much. Left the film. Yuk.
Here and elsewhere, I’m seeing plenty of the old “you should feel lucky you have a job in this economy so it shouldn’t matter if you’re being paid in baked potatoes and handshakes” sort of nonsense.
Sad.
Just to clarify no union representative has officially said that strikebreakers will be blacklisted.
and Non-Union Worker: YOU ARE A SCAB. It is not slander to call you a scab. The number 1 legal defense to Slander is truth. Look up the definition. IT IS YOU WHO DEFAME YOURSELF! The crew outside is united, and your efforts serve to break them apart. Why would you do that? Why do people drive through the picket lines inside vans covered in trash bags (that’s ironic), with their faces covered? Why is crew parking 2 miles away when there is ample parking at the stages? Why do you hide? Why do you deride the people who have given up everything to make things better for everyone including you? Shame on you. Its sad.
Most of your facts are inaccurate and misleading. You have the only deal like that at LLP.
“It’s true, I have worked long days, but nothing over 14 hours, which is what our pay is based on. Any 6th day worked, I have been paid for and paid well because the whole 6th day is counted as overtime.”
You must be in makeup, hair or wardrobe… maybe art… but you should know, what’s true for you is not true for everybody. First of all, 16 hour days have happened for the heavy labor depts (grip, electric, art, and think of all those poor PA’s) it’s true most days the producers attempt to keep from going past 14 hours, but that has nothing to do with the crews well being, it has everything to do with the fact that that is when overtime kicks in for us. Not 8hrs, 10, or even 12 – overtime comes in after 14hrs of work on these Larry Levinson productions!
I don’t care who you are, a 14 hour day is ridiculous. 12hrs… that’s acceptable as it’s pretty standard across the film industry, but 14 or more is just stupid – and frankly it’s dangerous. I would be willing to bet everything I own that if overtime on Megastorm or The Storm or whatever the hell it’s called now was scheduled after 12 hours, then the producers would be making certain we do not exceed 12 hour days.
You’re right though, there is downtime to be had. One good example would be on saturday March 21st. The call time was 2:30 pm, so at 2:30 we began our setup and ultimately around 45 minutes later we’re all done and ready to shoot – except that the actor that was needed for the scene wasn’t there. Found out later that somebody in production had dropped the ball and the actor was never given the proper call time for that day. It was between 5:30 and 6:00pm when he finally arrived – so yeah, up until he arrived you would find some of us lounging around and otherwise goofing off.
Other examples would be less extreme but the concepts the same. When there’s work to be done, we work – and hard, but when the production is just dicking around and wasting our time, we will take a seat and maybe even close our eyes to catch up on some much needed rest.
Also, I’m astounded to hear that you’re getting your 6′th day all paid as overtime since that obviously wasn’t happening for myself and many others. However you got that out of them I don’t know, but I would like that same treatment and that’s why I’m walking this picket line.
And yes, every day that you cross the line you are indeed a scab. I hate to call you that but you are, because you make it possible for Larry to continue the same terrible business practices that he’s been using for years. You might be happy with where you are in that company right now, but the rest of us have reached the breaking point – it’s not even about this one job anymore, it’s about where we’ll be a few months from now, a year from now, 5 years from now, and so on. I’ve been in and out of LLP since 2003 and not a single damn thing has changed since then, this can’t go on – stand with us and help us change the future for everybody involved. It’s just about you.
The Scab
by Jack London, (1876-1916)
After God had finished the rattlesnake, the toad, and the vampire, he had some awful substance left with which he made a scab.
A scab is a two-legged animal with a corkscrew soul, a water brain, a combination backbone of jelly and glue.
Where others have hearts, he carries a tumor of rotten principles.
When a scab comes down the street, men turn their backs and angels weep in heaven, and the devil shuts the gates of hell to keep him out.
No man (or woman) has a right to scab so long as there is a pool of water to drown his carcass in, or a rope long enough to hang his body with.
Judas was a gentleman compared with a scab. For betraying his master, he had character enough to hang himself. A scab has not.
Esau sold his birthright for a mess of pottage.
Judas sold his Savior for thirty pieces of silver.
Benedict Arnold sold his country for a promise of a commision in the british army.
The scab sells his birthright, country, his wife, his children and his fellowmen for an unfulfilled promise from his employer.
Esau was a traitor to himself; Judas was a traitor to his God; Benedict Arnold was a traitor to his country.
A scab is a traitor to his God, his country, his family and his class.
The whole thing is sad…
I see a bunch of good people I used to work with now jobless, angry, and still not in the union… and for what?
I see SAG and DGA members fulfilling their contracts with LLP (as they are legally obligated to do) having to deal with picketers attempting to block their passage and harassing them as they go to and from work…
Production is dealing with the crew changeover, and starting to make their days, and young kids are getting on-the-job training and getting paid for it.
Obviously, it’s inexcusable for any producer to abuse a crew or put it in danger – which I haven’t seen on this, BTW – but my father taught me that when you commit to a job, you finish it.
The tactics used in this case have not worked. They never had a chance of working. Not against Larry. I’m not championing him by any means, it’s just the truth.
And I have to laugh when I read posts complaining about long days and awful hours… that’s part of this business… union or non-union…
And – I guarantee you – if this production started with an IATSE contract, they would never have hired the people who eventually walked off. They would have hired season veterans.
What is the place for non-union crews? How else does one learn a trade? And what other options exist other than walking out on a job to ensure fair pay for fair work?
There are a lot of negative comments on here, which surprises me.
Let’s say the crew was the most inexperienced crew ever, Who would you support? Larry Levinson? Amidst a climate of corporate greed and economic upheaval he stands alongside the misguided and stubborn CEOs who refuse to change. He could be a hero, creating hundreds of good union jobs with a pension and good insurance to film workers in Los Angeles as productions flee to other states with incentives and cheaper foreign countries. Instead he insists on being the villain and hides in his ivory tower with all the rest, destroying our local economy.
The fact that the strikers are fighting to make things safer, stronger and more secure for all workers at LLP is honorable and Right.
I understand the long hours, as I had just worked on a set with grueling hours, however I was grateful for the work. Many of us working on the set were ready to sleep in our cars for fear of falling asleep behind the wheel of our cars. But firstly, you must weigh your hourly rate and days of work in this slowdown against the abuses BEFORE walking the picket line. If by all means it is necessary, walk that picket line if your union reps don’t show up to set or file claims against the producer. And for God’s sakes, call the Screen Actors Guild and tell them what’s happening and that their actors and background actors’ safety and well-being is at stake. If you want SAG behind you, you have to spell out the reasons for them to stand behind you and they WILL! It’s no different than when the SAG actors themselves have to file claims. It isn’t always pretty, but it is strength in numbers. Did the extra who had her hair caught on fire call SAG and file a claim? Didn’t anyone from the crew encourage her to or did everyone just figure that it was her own problem to deal with?
The best thing IATSE could have done before settling their contract was to announce that they wanted to partner up with SAG in fighting these egregious contract rollbacks. But it seems every union EXCEPT SAG is settling for those rollbacks. Alan Rosenberg knew better to settle. Too bad AFTRA and the DGA and the WGA and IATSE didn’t. SAG isn’t to blame for the work slowdown as much as the economy and stock market is. Hedge funds are in trouble which makes funding 50% of movies a near impossibility.
Take advantage of the slowdown and start hammering away at better working conditions. This is a perfect example as to why IATSE shouldn’t have settled.
Jesus Christ – people need to stop acting like 100 studio executives run this town. They don’t any more than what unions LET THEM get away with. If LLP wants to use non-union crew, than SAG should tell them NO UNION ACTORS either. See what we can accomplish when our unions band together? See how difficult the unions make it for one another when they don’t??? You can thank the DGA for caving in to AMPTP, and the WGA for caving in to AMPTP, and AFTRA for caving in to AMPTP and now IATSE caving in to AMPTP. So don’t point a finger at SAG that you are being abused by producers. Because SAG is trying to keep ALL productions from moving in this very direction as this bullshit happens on AFTRA sets ALL THE TIME!!! This kind of shit wouldn’t happen if the unions would stick together for their rights. LLP would be out of work if the unions worked with one another upon hearing of these abuses and practices. But it really does you no good to complain if you can ask for more out of your own darn contract from AMPTP and see to it that you GET all that you’re asking for instead of agreeing to work 400 hours now. It’s not that I have no sympathy, but I can’t understand how anyone in IATSE is complaining when clearly they could have struck WITH SAG and brought AMPTP to their knees. Must studios wouldn’t dream of putting an inexperienced non-union film student on their set to man their crew.
I think in the future, DGA, WGA, AFTRA/SAG/AEA, IATSE should all be under one great big frickin’ union to better leverage themselves against AMPTP. Think necessity is the mother of all invention.
@ Dorothy:
Just so you know, you’re a fucking idiot asshole.
” gaffer, key grip, and dp are too inexperienced.”
Clearly production has joined this post, so let me raise the obvious question : if you believe these keys to be inexperienced and unsafe leaders then why do you continually hire them? Either you are full of shit or the other post was correct, you recognize problems and do nothing to solve them. Neither of these options reflect positively on you or your leadership skills.
Until the men and women in production learn to take responsibility for the way they run these shows Llp will continue to have be an unsafe environment for any crew member to work. Period.
Don’t forget the Teamsters!!! We are right there with you. The guys driving for the shows there are most likely dirty (wouldn’t pass certain DOT tests…if you know what I mean). That is why they are working there.
LLP is the new Saban
The article wasn’t bad, it got the point across. Now as for the comments, i don’t quite understand. Most of these comments are against the strike and thats fine however why are people so pissed off. I feel this strike is about “Megastorm” more than its about LLP. What “Electric Crew” said sounds about right from what i have heard. Working lets say 14 hours and getting a 10 hour or less turn around every day with a few 15/16 hour days sucks especially when you aren’t even getting compensated or even worse appreciated for the work.
The economy is in bad shape, i agree, people are jobless and losing their homes. Yet, i don’t feel it should be an excuse to underpay and abuse employees. People like “dorothy” and “Ifuseekamy” have to understand that. And by just quitting doesn’t change anything all it does is let someone else take the abuse.
If you actually agree with people like “the dude”, “belowtheline”, “nonunionworker” and so on, put some research into this. And guys like “maverick” are just plain mean! You tell the crew to quit if they aren’t happy with the little pay, poor working conditions, long hours yet Maverick’s excuse is that “Higher wages for workers DO NOT MAKE THE FOREIGN MARKETS OR NETWORKS PAY MORE FOR THE FILMS!”. What this means is that producers like maverick will cut corners, these corners are not locations, special effects, stunts, big named actors, these corners are the crews wages! hey, Dorothy said the crew “… ought to be grateful in this economy”.
“400 hours” mentioned Brent Hershman. i agree that it totally sucks that he lost his life. People may not know that he got offered a place to stay in Long beach but he wanted to see his daughter. Now the difference between “pleasantville” and “megastorm” is that Brent Hershman got paid well for all those hours he put in. Thats where the IA comes in to make sure that he does get paid. So by saying that the IA lets people work these hours is true but they make sure they are taken care of, ie a hotel room close by, extra compensation…
As for the non-union worker, maybe you don’t know the the definition of a scab so let me clarify what a scab is “…people who continue to work during strike action by trade unionists. The act of working during a strike is also known as crossing the picket line (and, often, physically requires crossing a picket line)…” So you being on the original crew or not still makes you a scab. You are not supporting your fellow friends and coworkers.
Please understand what is actually happening before just writing uneducated nonsense with some bogus name. We are all in it together whether you agree with it or not. Union may not be the best way all the time however they are supporting us more so than people crossing the line and everyone else who agrees with them.
Come out and support, I’m not even part of this crew and i’m there at 2am!!
For the “Kid” that says he’s not a scab still working on the show “megastorm”…I’m sure you are a P.A. and don’t understand unions in the first place. in fact, most posts on here, don’t understand unions… the one that said you wont be blacklisted, i assure you, you will be. Because unlike other unions, IATSE unions do not promise you work, or give you work. It is us the IATSE members, that stay in contact with one another and do the actual hiring, and firing. so yea, im sure you could technically cross a picket line, somehow get your 30 union permit days, and join, but no one will fucking hire you because you are a scab.
and to all the scabs. you don’t have a job. that is not your job, it never was. IT IS SOMEONE ELSE’S JOB. That someone else is having problems with THEIR employer. stay the fuck out of it. if you want to learn how to make movies let me know. I’ll teach you how to do it the right way after i slap you around with a bates paddle.
All LLP has to do is wait until July when the New Media
contract kicks in for the IATSE. You know the contract that IATSE members just aproved???
LLP and other can do whatever that want to in the name of New Media. 16 hour days at 12 bucks an hour for a Key position on a 6 day week….Oh yeah baby! You in the New Hollywood now!
I am tired of people thinking that all of the time, money, sweat and tears i have put in to my career is up for grabs , Like $200 for 12hrs of running and carrying a camera around while the EP makes 50k for my hard work……MAKE SURE YOU GET PAID WHAT YOUR WORTH!!
When IATSE comes in, they just worry about the union getting a payoff. They promise crew members instant access to the union with no initiation, then don’t give it to people. Sure, they end up guaranteeing the crew some better conditions and more OT, but they cover themselves first. The impact on the crew is negligible.
This may be true of some locals, but not all. I am an officer in an IA local outside of CA and we have given membership to anyone on an organized job that has asked for it and has completed the required paperwork. Also, of all the jobs that we have organized, the crew has gained substantial improvements in pay, benefits, and working conditions. It’s not to “cover themselves first.” On some of these low budget films that are organized, we end up spending more to organize and then audit it than we receive back in work assessments. We could just sit back and do nothing and say “why bother – it doesn’t do anything for us or help us out,” but we don’t. The crew gets better wages and benefits, and we get to live up to our non-profit designation.
I appreciate the union stance. I really do. I have actually refused to do many shows, left in the middle, or forced changes because the circumstances for the crew would be, or were, unacceptable.
Of course, as a producer, I’m used to being called “mean”. But the point is simple…wages should be determined by the marketplace and not arbitrary groups. We have minimum wage laws in this country and nobody has accused LLP of violating them (nor is that a complaint levied at many shows targeted by the unions for “flipping” and striking).
And the non-union worker kid is correct. Most of the non-union crews are inexperienced, unprofessional, and quite frankly deserving of minimum wage. The system as a whole should reward those who train and work hard with admission into a professional guild that guarantees them minimum payments, benefits etc. Sadly, the way the unions currently operate does not foster this environment. If IATSE had their way, the guys sleeping on the truck as described by the poster above would be full fledged Local 80 half way through the show, and not because they earned it.
When the budget warrants it, when the EPs have the dough to bring on big name cast, directors with value etc. I hire all union crews. Across the board. When the money isn’t there, and the EPs want to make a movie, have money and people are willing to work, I see no problem in putting an employer together with an employee, without the involvement of the union.
Finally, I can hardly shed a tear for you guys talking about the immorality, and illegality of evil producers yet none of you union types seem to know or care that “blacklisting” and other assorted threats and tricks are just as illegal as firing a crew that threatens to go union.
to the crew member who continues to cross the line and witnesses other crew members not doing their job or even partaking in illegal activities, you obviously have not been working for this company for very long, or even in the industry for that matter. getting the health benefits with llp isn’t as easy as “just asking for it.” and while one show may be okay, another show maybe terrible. llp does not make productions the proper way, and i’m very sorry you don’t comprehend that. it is really sad that all of you have to hide to go to work, and refuse to talk to us. the IA isn’t trying to stop production, but make it better and safer for the employees. you are probably just too young to understand that!
and by the way, those employees who walked when the show was struck – their health benefits were cut without notice.
to the crew member who continues to cross the line and witnesses other crew members not doing their job or even partaking in illegal activities, you obviously have not been working for this company for very long, or even in the industry for that matter. getting the health benefits with llp isn’t as easy as “just asking for it.” and while one show may be okay, another show maybe terrible. llp does not make productions the proper way, and i’m very sorry you don’t comprehend that. it is really sad that all of you have to hide to go to work, and refuse to talk to us. the IA isn’t trying to stop production, but make it better and safer for the employees. you are probably just too young to understand that!
and by the way, those employees who walked when the show was struck – their health benefits were cut without notice.
Non-Union Worker- I’m not sure what you do on this show, but $11 an hour to work any set gig and you’re defending them? I’m confused….
“The only problem with this show was the inexperienced gaffer, key grip, and DP.”
Clearly production has entered the blog, so let me raise the obvious question: If you truly believed that these department keys were inexperienced and unsafe leaders then why did you hire them? Either you are full of shit, or what “Electric Crew” posted was correct…you recognize problems and chose not to solve them. Neither reflects positively upon you or your leadership skills.”
Until the men and women of production learn to take responsibility for the way they run their shows, LLP will always be an unfriendly place for crew members.
“I have been crossing this line since it started and here is why:
I was already working on Megastorm when I got the call that 85% of the crew had walked and went on strike to try and flip the show. Knowing that Larry had famously fired every crew that had tried it before, I knew it was a terrible idea and chose to keep my job.
It’s true, I have worked long days, but nothing over 14 hours, which is what our pay is based on. Any 6th day worked, I have been paid for and paid well because the whole 6th day is counted as overtime. On a 70 hour paid week, 14 hours a day for 5 days, I get $11/per for the first 40 hours, O.T. 1.5X for the next 20, and O.T. 2X for the remaining 10 hours. A 6th day is all 2X overtime. And after only 3 shows with LLP anyone is eligible for FREE medical and dental care, including eye exams. Everyone from the producers to the janitors. All you have to do is ask.”
By your post, I’m guessing you are the sound mixer. You were making a better wage than most (not to mention rentals) from the comfort of video village. It’s not surprising that you wouldn’t want to leave that behind to help out your less fortunate fellow workers. Saying that you are replaceable doesn’t excuse you being a coward. Scab isn’t a defamation of character, it is your character. Whether somebody advertises that fact or not doesn’t change what you are.
As for the medical plan you mentioned, it’s true. LLP does offer a medical plan after 3 shows, but good luck staying on it.
“And the non-union worker kid is correct. Most of the non-union crews are inexperienced, unprofessional, and quite frankly deserving of minimum wage. The system as a whole should reward those who train and work hard with admission into a professional guild that guarantees them minimum payments, benefits etc. Sadly, the way the unions currently operate does not foster this environment. If IATSE had their way, the guys sleeping on the truck as described by the poster above would be full fledged Local 80 half way through the show, and not because they earned it.”
Allow me to educate you, sir, about the crew currently striking this production. Many of us ARE members of the various IA unions…600, 728, 80, 44, etc. We were not inexperienced workers, just poorly lead, and EXPERIENCED enough to know the difference.
“Lazy workers.” It is true that there was down time on this show. As mentioned earlier, the director liked to change his mind every 2 seconds, and spun everyone around him in circles. Not much got done when he did this. So, again, we had down time while everyone got up to pace. Fine. I’m sure fingers could be pointed at any department in this instance. The fact is that when there was work to be done it was done, and when there wasn’t, as was often the case in the mornings, then people did as they pleased until there was. Nobody wants to do work twice…so we wait for decisions. This is also true of union shows, except they are scheduled better. This tactic generally keeps people busy. Try it some time! Then talk about the working habits of your crew.
@Non-union crew
No electricians smoked pot on this show. Get your facts straight jackass.