GETTING ORGANIZED
Sounding Off on Non-Union Post Houses
by Tris Carpenter
 Tris Carpenter |
Most of the time when I write this column, I’m doing one of two things: Sometimes I’m reporting on something that either Local 700 or the IATSE has organized, or is in the process of trying to bring under contract; other times, I’m aiming to inspire you to do something, such as standing up for yourselves and your colleagues to get the full range of benefits you deserve on the job.
This time, I’d like to do both.
Around January of this year, I started getting reports from the sound editorial community about a particular non-union sound post-production facility here in Los Angeles. Unless the house seems to be directly involved in something that ought to be investigated (working on union shows, for example, or refusing to pay people for work they did), I generally file the info away. There have been non-union sound places for years, and there always will be; we need to pick our battles and find ones where we have sufficient leverage to flip them into the union column.
I heard about the facility again in March, when an anonymous caller left a message on our Tip Line. It’s 1-800-432-EDIT (3348), a toll-free number which you can call to leave info about non-union jobs out there.
Of course, we get all kinds of messages on that line. Sometimes, the info is not particularly helpful: “Hey, Ascent Media has a non-union shop over in Santa Monica…” doesn’t really help much. Sometimes, the info is very helpful; in this case, the caller left the names of the owners and information about some of the shows that the company was reportedly going to do this summer.
Armed with that information, I started digging around and figured out that, indeed, there was a Big Studio Movie that looked to be going to that house. I then made a personal visit to the owner and advised him that the Big Studio Movie was (of course) a union show; subcontractors (such as sound houses) are required to meet the same standards for pay and benefits. Therefore, he really ought to get his shop signed to an IATSE agreement, pronto. The facility signed a week or so later, just before they got started on their Big Studio Movie.
Obviously, I’ve left out some of the identifying information here because I want to give this new union employer the benefit of the doubt. I want to believe that it had planned to sign a union agreement and play by the rules.
That said, some owners don’t want to play by the rules. They’d rather nickel and dime their employees in order to undercut the bids of companies that do play by the rules. And that’s where you come in.
If you know about union shows that are posting in non-union facilities and/or have non-union employees working on them, we need to hear from you. It’s a big town (actually, two big towns) and the staff can’t know everything that’s going on all the time. Our members need to be our eyes and ears. Helping us police this work will make sure that we protect union jobs, and the benefits and wages that go with them. If you’re working somewhere that this is happening, we need to talk to you. If you’re working non-union post and hear that the production was union, we want to know about it. If you have some info that could help us (for example, names of shows and production companies, names of staff, budget numbers, etc.), then please call it in. No information is too insignificant. You never know what might help us pull a company into line.
To that anonymous tipster, I’d like to say a big public “Thank You.” You helped us bring in a new signatory that will pay union wages and benefits to a bunch of sound editorial and re-recording employees. And hopefully, by my re-telling of this story, you’ll inspire others to come forward and help us police this for the benefit of everyone affiliated with the Guild.
Tris Carpenter is the Guild's National Organizer.