IATSE Ratifies Hollywood Basic Agreement

COMMENTS (13)

• This isn’t anything to be proud of. When working conditions continue to be ignored and and we keep giving away benefits, well, pretty soon we won’t have anything left. This industry is raking in the profits yet it continues to squeeze the life out of the below the line folks. We chose this way of life and career because there’s nothing like it, it can be pretty exciting… I dont know what else to say right now. I am so disappointed. This contract hurts my family…

  Comment by Voted Against Ratification — Tuesday July 3, 2012 @ 4:05pm PDT  Reply to this post

• The AMPTP says “The new contract is a critical step in keeping feature film and television production in Southern California”.
  Fact: The new contract had NOTHING to do with keeping production here in Los Angeles, that’s a State Tax Incentive issue. Runaway production would continue either way with or without this deal.
  The studios have been showing RECORD profits each year for the last decade, last year they grossed over $29 Billion & stocks improved over 300% in some cases. I believe that Matt Loeb is incorrect by saying this is a “Fair” deal.

  Comment by A crew Member that made them Billions — Tuesday July 3, 2012 @ 4:48pm PDT  Reply to this post

• The thought of having to pay $600 a year to keep my dependents on my insurance, is not “fair” Matt Loeb. Record profits off of the backs of many, yet again.

  Comment by Amy voted no — Tuesday July 3, 2012 @ 6:47pm PDT  Reply to this post

  • Are you crazy? 600 per year is next to nothing. In the DGA I have to pay 1200 per year. When on my wife’s insurance before that we had to pay 2500 per year!

    Comment by C B — Thursday July 5, 2012 @ 6:05pm PDT  Reply to this post

• This is yet another in a long series of LOSER contracts going back decades, in an industry that is NOT hurting, but is making RECORD-BREAKING PROFITS EVERY YEAR. Despite the union LIES that this is a “GREAT VICTORY,” and that there were “NO CUTS IN WORKING CONDITIONS OR BENEFITS,” the majority of the membership refused to even vote on this, and of those that did, a majority of them voted in fear that a non-ratification vote “would mean a strike,” as threatened by our own “leadership.” Actually whAt it would mean is another round of negotiation sessions, with the union wielding a big stick – an angry membership – a position EVERY REAL UNION WANTS TO BE IN. But the IATSE has NEVER, in their entire history, had a strike against the major studios and networks, they have never even threatened one. What kind of union has NEVER had a strike? Let’s put it this way – back in the 1930′s, 1940′s and 1950′s, the major studios could BUY any contract they wanted, if the payoffs to union leaders were big enough, much like the corporations are buying Congress and the Presidency right now. I’ve seen no indication that anything has changed. Note to the IATSE “Leadership” – a 2% wage “increaer” when inflation is over 4% IS A LOSS OF WORKING CONDITIONS. Additional MANDATORY Premium payments for dependents on the Health Plan, NEVER necessary before, IS A LOSS OF BENEFITS. Additional UNPAID Travel time to Locations IS A LOSS OF WORKING CONDITIONS. A loss of a major portion of the “Individual Account Plan” payments, is a LOSS OF BENEFITS. And on and on and on IT GOES. Actually, one thing has changed – instead of the IATSE ratifying the FIRST piece of paper the Producers handed them, as in past years, they EAGERLY RATIFIED the SECOND piece of paper handed them, but still MONTHS before the contract expiration date, “in order to promote indistry stability,” which is an employer goal, NOT a labor goal. What union wants a “stable” industry during negotiations, if they have to trade off their members’ paychecks, careers, lives and Health Plan to get it?

  Comment by Doug Hart — Tuesday July 3, 2012 @ 10:11pm PDT  Reply to this post

• It’s clear to me that there is only one thing left to do,Run for your union office and throw the bums out!!

  Or shut up.

  —-
  Really… Leo? This is your best?

  The membership should vote Leo Reed out of office if this is the best he can do.

  This is the I.A. contract…Leo …there is a deference in negotiating and “RUBBER STAMPING” the I.A. contract.

  Leo Reed negotiated the last 399 contract with give backs and the loss of the 30 mile zone while his salary is over 300k a year and still climbing, while… we the membership…pays more out of pocket expenses.

  When was the last time Leo Reed worked under our contract? 25, 27 or 30 years ago?. Leo Reed is 73 years old and has no skin in the game. And since we do not have term limits, then we have to vote him out!!

  VOTE …Leo Reed OUT OF OFFICE..it is the only way to save what is left of our union.

  Stop the give backs..Stop Leo Reed

  What are we going to do without Leo Reed? Maybe have a much stronger contract

  Vote for Gary Watts 2013

  ~ Gary Watts ~

  Comment by Gary Watts — Wednesday July 4, 2012 @ 12:31am PDT  Reply to this post

• I became a proud member of local 700 in 1991. I’ve voted no on each and every contract since then because we’ve systematically lost ground at every step. My salary has been in neutral since 2002 and I’m doing better than most. What a joke, fire our representatives they do us no favors.

  Comment by Voted no again — Wednesday July 4, 2012 @ 1:51am PDT  Reply to this post

• I’m an editor. I barley make a living. Lots of MAJOR shows don’t pay overtime “there’s no money in the budget”. I’m donating my time to BILLION DOLLOR COPRORATIONS. If you try to get paid for the hours you actually work you are seen as inefficient and a trouble maker and you won’t get asked back next season. I’ve given thousands of dollars of OT to the show I’m on because I need a job and in this economy if I leave they’ll quickly find someone that will take even less then me.

  This “union” sucks.

  Comment by WOODROW — Thursday July 5, 2012 @ 10:31am PDT  Reply to this post

• Let me inform you all the people who don’t vote are morons.because all u people who don’t vote get counted as a yes vote.all o people who don’t like the contract were were u at all the union meetings.giving your options and getting involved. No it’s easier to sit back and bitch that the unions does nothing,maybe u should go work in a diffent industry were u have no benefits and have to pay for everything.the entertainment industry is not untouchable from the worlds economy.

  Comment by Frank spadafora — Thursday July 5, 2012 @ 5:32pm PDT  Reply to this post

  • @Frank,

    With all due respect, I believe that you didn’t understand what most posters are stating here.

    We ARE union workers who EXPECT to have OUR interests protected. That is the job of those who are elected to serve us. YES – those who run the unions are there to serve us. THAT is their job. When they threaten us, as they did during this contract. Or, as they did during the previous contract (concerning qualifying hours for medical benefits) they only place themselves into the position of elite bullies.

    Frank, I vote. And I care about my union brothers and sisters and their families. I don’t need to be threatened by union bullies to ratify a lousy contract or else the sky will fall! They didn’t want to fight for us, that is obvious.

    Union reps are there because WE ask them to SERVE US. They are not there to fatten THEIR bank accounts on our backs – we have producers who do that!

    Frank, every ‘dues paying’ union member has earned the right to express their feelings about what has become a class warfare between the haves and the have nots in IA WITHOUT being called morons by guys like you.

    It’s unfortunate, but true, that our elected (and appointed) members are bullying those who feel that the union has turned it back on the rank and file members.

    Idea: Perhaps those who don’t ‘qualify’ for ‘full benefits’ shouldn’t be forced to subsidize, (through paying their FULL dues), those who are receiving full benefits? Perhaps members should be allowed to have an ‘honorable withdrawal’ when they can’t find work? In NABET and IBEW both options fit the needs of members. And, in NABET — ALL UNION MEMBERS receive the same benefits, hours don’t matter. The IA is run off of the dues of members who DON’T receive benefits. That’s a clear cut fact – regardless of how the IA will manipulate the numbers (just as they do when it comes to votes), those who DON’T receive benefits subsidize the “haves”. In anyone’s book, that’s just wrong.

    I have always been proud of my union affiliations. I’m In IA, NABET, and IBEW. I believe in unions. But, I also believe in fairness for ALL of the members — even a rude, overly emotional, uneducated person such as yourself.

    God Bless

    Comment by IHateTheUnionLiars — Thursday July 5, 2012 @ 9:32pm PDT  Reply to this post

• This is all a song and dance. IATSE doesn’t care about its worker on an individual level. There are tons of positions across IATSE that don’t even have set minimum salaries! Production companies are getting away with paying Production Coordinators $700/wk or less. When mileage is factored in Production Assistants make more money!

  The unions, IATSE especially, need to focus on what makes being in a union desirable: a decent wage.

  Comment by C B — Thursday July 5, 2012 @ 6:08pm PDT  Reply to this post

• This was no surprise to me. And quite honestly, I don’t believe the results. I didn’t believe the last contract’s ‘overwhelming’ support from IA members when the end result of that contract was thousands of WORKING IA members losing their medical benefits! Who voted to raise the qualifying hours? No one that I know did. Yet THAT contract was overwhelmingly passed by our members. I fully believe the results were a lie last time, and I fully believe it this time, also.

  We don’t ‘negotiate’, we bend over and grab our ankles and then thank the producers for not taking TOO MUCH from us.

  I work on huge money makers for a major studio. I’m paying for COBRA now and in 12 months will have no medical coverage. I don’t blame the producers for that — I blame this weak, ineffective joke of a union. We have no power, respect, guidance, positive direction for our unions future, or leaders who remember what it means to feed their families. Too many golf tournaments, traveling for ‘negotiations’, and fat union per firm and paychecks gas tainted our leaders. Perhaps ‘they’ need to be reminded who ‘they’ work for.

  Perhaps in our next contract we can RESTORE some of what we’ve lost. A good place to start would be to restore the 300 hour qualifying period vs the 400. 400 hours is nearly impossible for the average crew member. Sure, the IA wants their dues paid by EVERYONE, even those members NOT receiving benefits. Plus, local 600 takes a percentage of our wages – even when we’re NOT qualifying for benefits! WTF. That’s worst than the mafia. Actually, the mafia only hurts their enemies- IA hurts its ‘dues paying members’. I guess there is a difference!

  We need to clean the IA from the top down. Our ‘representatives’ have become too cozy with our employers, the producers, studios, etc., period.

  This contract is an embarrassment. It is no contract at all. It is just another ‘take away’ document.

  Comment by LostMyIAMedicalBenefitsJuly1,2012 — Thursday July 5, 2012 @ 6:46pm PDT  Reply to this post

• Really a bummer, it’s truly time to clean house.
  Who started this bullshit that a no vote was a
  strike vote. Please get Involved. The work is still
  leaving Los Angeles so where does Loab get off making these comments? If that doesn’t open people eyes nothing will.

  Comment by Ed Zaffina — Tuesday July 10, 2012 @ 12:13pm PDT  Reply to this post