Lively Q&A Session
At Special Meeting

IATSE General Secretary-Treasurer and current co-trustee of local 695 Mike Proscia with former 695 president Jim Saunders at the December meeting.

About 300 members of sound local 695 turned out for the December 3rd meeting at the Sportsmen's Lodge. They, along with about 800 others, had been informed by the IATSE that all post-production sound workers and studio projectionists were now to be in the Editors Guild. While some of their members were angry about the break up of their local, the majority seemed to support the IATSE President's decision as the best way to confront the changes in technology.

After an hour of food and schmoozing Editors Guild President Donn Cambern welcomed our soon-to-be-new members and introduced the many 776 board members in attendance. He then turned over the meeting to Ron Kutak who painted a positive picture of a future without the jurisdictional disputes of the past and a Los Angeles where anyone working in post-production will be a member of 776 and get union wages and benefits.

What followed was a lively question and answer period. Some people brought up issues of past internal problems within 695 and its relationship with the International. Ron admitted he knew very little about those issues and urged people to put them behind them and move on.

Nick Moenssens, Michele Wolfe and Guild Board member Sharon Smith-Holley.

The son of former 695 business agent Jack Coffey brought greetings from his father and spoke of the high regard he had for Ron. "He'll fight for you" he told the audience. Former 695 president Jim Saunders spoke eloquently about how we were all going to be part of the same family and urged people to put their fear of the unknown aside. Ron stressed that where differences still do exist, "we're going to figure out the problems together, without the politics, and work them out." He promised that nothing that effects 695 members, vis a vis their working conditions, wages etc. would change while the current contract is in place.

In answer to anxious questioners he assured that picture editors would not be taking mixers' jobs and that the projectionists' death benefit fund will remain intact and separate from the Guild's general fund. He admitted that he couldn't answer some questions there on the spot but he assured the audience that our office staff would know the ins and outs of their contract very soon and would well represent them.

Wolf Pinkstaff urged his fellow 695 members to become involved in the local and not leave it up to others. He stressed that members who understand the technological changes should run for the board and be supported.