Union Solidarity - We Really Are All In This Together

(The following is a post from WGA member Kevin Droney. The man made it through the '88 strike, and he knows his facts and figures.)

Why Production Crews Should Be Cheering On the Writers

I�ve talked with a few IA guys over the past few days, and they were generally unaware of a few things in their own contracts with the Alliance. To whit:

1) Their unions, including I.A.T.S.E., IBT Local 399, Studio Utility Employees Local 724, IBEW Local 40, Plumbers & Pipefitters Local 78, and the Plasterers & Cement Masons Local 755� ALL RECEIVE RESIDUALS.
2) These residual payments go directly into their PENSION AND HEALTH FUND.
3) RESIDUALS earned working on shows CONSTITUTE 55% OF THEIR P & H.
4) If there are funding surpluses from residuals, retirees receive a 13th and a 14th check in that year, instead of the normal twelve.

We�re talking $339 million in residual contributions to the funds in 2006, and a projected $351 million this year.

But it gets better, and this is why IATSE members should be supporting us as the Teamsters and others are. Last year, the AMPTP entered into an agreement with IATSE, which states in part:

The bargaining parties agree that if any other Union or Guild negotiates as part of its collective bargaining agreement with the AMPTP residuals on product for iPods or similar devices, the Producers will meet with the IATSE to negotiate an appropriate residual formula.

Strike captains have been passing out leaflets at the studios for a week explaining all this, and maybe in a hundred years, every production crewmember will get one. Or, if you�re on a crew, maybe you can just steer your colleagues to this site, and speed up the process.

Because here�s the thing: if residuals are NOT paid for reuse on new media, every union member in Hollywood will suffer.

And since United Hollywood is all about fact checking, please don�t hesitate to call the Motion Picture Industry Pension and Health Plans at (310) 769-0007 and ask them.

Up the Unions!

Kevin Droney
WGA member

(Tomorrow from 1-3pm all unions and all union supporters are invited to attend the Union Solidarity Rally at the intersection of Hollywood and Ivar.)