#14 in a Series

The Eastern Breeze

National Agreement is a Watershed Event
for the Eastern Region

by Martin Levenstein, Guild 2nd Vice President

National Editorial Agreement

The Guild has made an agreement in principle with the Association of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) for a national post-production agreement. Terms are still not

When the agreement becomes effective, members will be able to travel and work wherever signatory producers are making films.

finalized, but the general shape of the deal would leave all of our wages and most of our working conditions on the East Coast intact, while merging the health and pension plans. New York members would gain the benefits of the West Coast plans, which provide excellent care and are well funded by contributions made on behalf of thousands of members of all the production locals (not just editorial). New York members would also begin participating in the Individual Account Plan (IAP), an important supplementary retirement plan that creates individual, employer-funded savings accounts for each member.

The deal, which culminates our multi-year merger process, is an addendum to the West Coast Basic Agreement. When the agreement becomes effective, Eastern Region members working on a film which in the past would have been done under the New York Majors Agreement will be working under this new contract. Members from any region will be able to travel and work wherever signatory producers are making films, and welfare and pension benefits will all be paid into the same fund. Eastern Region members who are interested in working outside of the New York City jurisdiction (a 250 mile radius around Columbus Circle) must apply and be accepted on the Contract Services Roster. Contact the New York office for details.

Once a memorandum of agreement is signed, the difficult task of merging the welfare and pension plans begins. Eastern Region plans will be merged into the West Coast plans because they are larger and serve many more members. One of the great benefits of the West Coast welfare plan is that it provides free lifetime health coverage for retirees, as long as the specific requirements of the plan are met. A challenge to the Trustees of both plans will be to maintain the level of benefits for all Eastern Region members in the merged plans.

Before negotiations took place on October 15, Asst. Executive Director Paul Moore held a meeting of the Eastern Region Directors. We discussed the current Majors Agreement, as well as possible AMPTP proposals, and offered our recommendations for Guild negotiating positions. After talks were concluded, we met again to discuss the result. We devoted our December Quarterly Membership Meeting to a discussion of the agreement, and I hope that many who are reading this column were at that meeting. We will continue to keep members informed as the Agreement evolves.

New York Times Television Organizing Target

Guild National Organizer Tris Carpenter is spearheading an effort to have editorial professionals working at New York Times Television protected under a union contract. The company creates reality-style documentary television such as The Science Times for the National Geographic Channel and Code Blue and Maternity Ward for the Learning Channel. The staff is freelance, and typically numbers about 85 editors and assistants, most of whom are not Guild members. A majority has signed representation cards designating the Guild as their bargaining agent and a petition has been filed with the National Labor Relations Board for an election to determine whether the Guild will represent them. This is a very important issue for the Guild. In the 1960s and ’70s, the networks were home to large shops of staff and freelance film editors. As tape replaced film, and digital technology advanced, our members were phased out. Documentary and reality programming is a growing area that the Guild considers a priority. Many of our members work on these shows, often with no benefits or wage protections, and many young editors, non-members, are being exploited. Tris is based in our Los Angeles office, but for the past several months, he has been living and working in New York, focusing on this important task.

Merger Take 2

November 2 marked the three-year anniversary of the merger. During that time, we have grown to respect and work well with our fellow Board members in California, and fears about being “swallowed up” by the West Coast have proven to be unfounded. There is a great desire by everyone, Guild administration, officers and Board members alike, to strengthen the Guild in the Eastern Region. There remain many difficult questions that require thoughtful answers. To guide us, we need your help and knowledge of specific problems and concerns; and we need your patience and support as we try to win back what has been eroded and make further gains.