'Where The Wild Things Are' Runs $32.4M 
Oscar Can't Always Get What He Wants 
NBC Bright Spot Of Lousy GE 3Q Earnings; 4Q … 
Oops! Vivendi May Delay 20% NBCU Sale? 
65 Nations Vie For Foreign Language Oscar 
Elle's Women In Hollywood Power List 
HOW BIG IS BIG? AEG Predicts Michael Jackson … 
Sane Debt-Reduction Move By Redstone; But … 
EXCLUSIVE: Comcast Wants NBCU Deal Done … 
UPDATE: Now even some top studio execs are telling me this is a ridiculously premature announcement.
Talk about a conveniently timed announcement intended to undermine SAG's federal mediator-ordered formal talks with the AMPTP tomorrow. It's also conveniently timed to undercut the WGA's news today that it's going after Big Media for reneging on making those New Media payments contained in the new contract. But labor sources tell me they suspect this is a phoney baloney announcement because there's not even any revelation of terms in the news release. Supposedly, the AMPTP-IATSE tentative contract is actually nowhere near in shape to present to IATSE members after only a reputed 9 negotiating sessions. (Wait, didn't ol' Tom Short start the bargaining ages ago only to stop the talks and step down as IATSE prez. Do those sessions count, too?) Yet the Hollywood CEOs' negotiating clique was desperate to make an announcement, any announcement, today to put pressure on SAG to further marginalize the big actors union, and to take pressure off itself for months of stalling. Here's the announcement:
LOS ANGELES, Nov. 19 -- The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, Moving Picture Technicians, Artists and Allied Crafts (IATSE) and Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) tentatively agreed today to the terms of a new three-year IATSE contract. Terms apply to about 35,000 IA members represented by the West Coast studio Locals and New York-based Locals 52 and 161.
"This was a tough negotiation during tough economic times but both sides worked hard and negotiated reasonably to come to this agreement," IATSE International President Matthew D. Loeb said. "This new agreement both protects members and allows new media to evolve."
In response to the agreement, AMPTP issued the following statement: "The AMPTP is pleased to announce its sixth major labor agreement of 2008, this time with IATSE. The IATSE-AMPTP agreement is consistent with the five other major agreements AMPTP has already negotiated this year, and it includes meaningful economic gains and groundbreaking new media rights. Taken together, these six new labor agreements will keep our industry at work, allow producers to experiment with new media, and give everyone in our industry a stake in the success of new and emerging markets."
Terms and conditions of the tentative agreement are in line with industry standards as established by other labor negotiations in 2008, and with applicable modifications for the particular needs of IATSE members. The IA received the unanimous support of the negotiating committee to recommend ratification of the tentative agreement by the membership.
The IATSE is an International Union that represents members employed in the stagecraft, motion picture and television production, and trade shows industries throughout the United States, its Territories, and Canada.
Loading ...
It’s amazing how quickly you can negotiate a contract if you don’t fight for anything and take whatever they want to give you.
Why is IATSE in Hollywood the most transparent, company-union there is? I’m so tired of their useless, brainless and petty acts as a so-called union. But I have heard good things about them in other places.
Why are all of these forces – AFTRA, WGA, DGA, and now IATSE – ganging up against the Membership First leadership of the Screen Actors Guild?
All of us in the IATSE should get ready to hear the terms of this new contract. I will bet our health care plan will be cut to the point of having to pay for our spouses, and children after August 09′. If the IATSE did not give this away, I will be blown away. Prepare for this IATSE members when we have to vote on this new contract.
Agreed with Mike S:
Something just struck me as so odd yesterday, that it would appear that the AMPTP would just lie down and play dead in those negotations in a way that would allow quick resolution, instead of nastily trying to stick it to IATSE as they have with everybody else on the payroll.
I feel pretty damn stupid that it didn’t even dawn on me yesterday that the AMPTP had not lied down and played dead, but rather (as usual), they’d just lied.
Best wishes to IATSE in negotiating something the membership feels okay with accepting; something that takes good care of them instead of just non-specific untruthful hot air about conveniently-timed phantom “agreements.” Expecting the worst (aka, more of the same steam-roll-over unions crap), but hoping for the best for IATSE.
IATSE is the paper union without any balls that sells it members short every negotiation and even alters health coverage terms after ratification.
The IATSE exists today solely to provide film crafts persons on a sliding scale rate based on budget to do exactly the same work as those lucky enough to work under the Basic. Selling members on the old saw “Well at least you get your hours to qualify, so what if the rate is only $15.00 hour.
Another primary purpose is to provide corporate CEO like salaries and benefits to contractual Executive Directors that aren’t elected by the membership and turn into invertebrates during negotiations then go about smoking cuban cigars in the AMPTP courtyard during breaks.
Rumor has it that Tom Short is dividing his free time volunteering at an animal rescue center and working as a crossing guard in Tarrytown, NY
“Why are all of these forces – AFTRA, WGA, DGA, and now IATSE – ganging up against the Membership First leadership of the Screen Actors Guild?”
It’s an international conspiracy. Didn’cha know?
If health care was cut that sharply I would vote against it too.
This is going to be a terrible contract, and given all the public bitching that the oft-elected Tom Short did about all other unions over the past 12 months, unfortunately it will be well deserved.
When Tom “C. for Concession” Short was IATSE President, we used to say we were “Shorted” every time Short bragged about a new (and worse) contract (that Short himself never had to work under).
I guess now we will have to say that we’ve been “Loebed.” Nothing haa changed except the name on the President’s door.
The IATSE has NEVER, in its 111 year history, held a strike or even threatened a strike, against a major group of employers to get a better contract.
The producers know this,of course, and know that the IATSE will NEVER strike, so they are free to jerk us around and give us table scraps, in an industry that makes more money for these employers every year than they can hide.
Therefore, each of our contracts gets worse and worse.
They brag about “achieving” a 3% wage increase, but when inflation is 5% or 6%, that’s a net loss.
They also forget to mention the decreased overtime payments, loss of meal penalties, travel time, etc.
They brag about “preserving” our health plan, but conveniently forget to mention the decreased coverage, increased deductables, increased prescription costs, etc., that occur every three years.
And what do we get for our dues? A subscription to a second-rate magazine.
Worst of all, when over half of our US production was being done in Canada or overseas, the IATSE did ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to help its members or reverse the trend, thereby adding to the problem.
Even without seeing the terms of this new contract disaster, I think it is safe to say we got screwed again.
Why don’t we just wait to see what was actually negotiated instead of anticipating disaster? We may just learn the new Prez Loeb did a good job on our behalf! Give the guy a chance. The world’s a lot different than it was 50 years ago and we need to have some flexibility and realize things just aren’t the same as they were in 1958….oh and Joe Plummer…most locals have elected business reps whose wages are based on the same thing their members make. only a few have exec directors.
All union reps should make the lowest rate that they negoiate, my family is just as important and like to have vacations and how many 1st year contracts do we need at the lowest rates, I am a over 20 year vet. of the buis and watch our reps report that if you don’t like the rate we will find some one who will as the make Full scale, so KISS MY A___