Labor Matters
Compiled by Jeff Burman
Commerce without Conscience
The Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists renewed their charge that the advertising industry is practicing "commerce without conscience" – excessively profiting at the expense of underpaid actors. SAG and AFTRA reject a proposed elimination of the "pay-per-play" residuals arrangement for broadcast TV commercials, and call for the expansion of the
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Charlton Heston, pickets a McDonalds in Studio City, CA. |
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In a 'New York Times' article, the president of the American Association of Advertising Agencies, O. Burtch Drake claimed that, "Business has never been better. It’s as good a year as I can remember." This contradicts industry claims that it can’t afford residual payments for cable TV ads based on the number of times they run (the formula now used for network TV). Industry sources have said up-front network ad sales have risen 10 to 15% above the $7 billion level achieved last year, while cable sales have gone up 31%. The union also seeks jurisdiction over ads targeted for the Internet, and a monitoring system to ensure overall compliance.
The unions also claim that at least 36 major advertising clients, including McDonalds, General Motors, Sprint, Wells Fargo, Levi-Strauss, Greyhound, and PBS, have broken ranks with the advertising industry and are using small companies that have signed interim SAG/AFTRA agreements to secretly shoot selected commercials with union talent. Ira Shepard, chief counsel for the Joint Policy Committee of the advertising industry counters that no Fortune 500 company has signed such an agreement, adding that, "the vast majority of commercials that have been produced since the strike began have been with
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on the picket line. |
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The unions point out that despite claims of strike unity, advertisers still know that they need union talent to make effective commercials and are finding ways to use the actors they want. "I’m sure Coca-Cola will find Pepsi’s decision to start producing union commercials very interesting, just as Virgin Atlantic will no doubt be interested in learning that British Airways has been producing union commercials," said Los Angeles AFTRA local president, Susan Boyd. "In most cases, these shoots are done with the full knowledge and participation of the agencies of record," she added.
"Failure to admit the importance of professional actors," said SAG President William Daniels, "and provide them with the financial means to maintain a middle-class lifestyle, puts profits before people. Without question, the whole world knows the ad industry can economically afford to do the right thing."
For more, see www.sag.org
Me? Management?
Commissioners of the California Industrial Welfare Commission (IWC) redefined state labor law, allowing businesses to reclassify certain workers as managers, thereby denying thousands of non-union workers daily overtime pay. This comes after overtime was cut in 1988 by then-Governor Pete Wilson and restored last year by Assembly Bill 60, with the support of Governor Gray Davis and Assemblyman Wally Knox.
Labor leaders expressed feelings of betrayal, pointing to Davis’ promises of support for this issue during his gubernatorial campaign, and his power to appoint the IWC commissioners. "The action you are taking is hostile to the intent of the legislation, and the promise of the Governor," warned Art Pulaski, executive secretary-treasurer of the California Federation of Labor, who spoke before the Commissioners. Wally Knox, the author of the bill agreed, testifying that AB 60’s definition of managers calls for them to be "primarily engaged" in management.
Please note that this IWC ruling does not directly effect our contract with the AMPTP, but it could be used against us in future contract talks.
For more, see www.calaborfed.org
Nader Wins Union Support
In June, Green Party Presidential candidate, Ralph Nader won the endorsement of the 31,000-member California Nurses Association, and a week later, appeared at a press conference with Teamster President James P. Hoffa, who urged that he be allowed to join candidates Gore and Bush in nationally televised debates this fall.
Nader has long encouraged organized labor to flex its muscles. "Go to the Democrats," suggests Nader, "and say, ‘You cannot win without us. You’ve struck us down on NAFTA, you’ve struck us down on the WTO, you strike us down on trade with China, and you’re going to lose our support. Our steel and auto workers are going to stay home, just like they did in ’94, when the Republicans won the House.’"
Several days later United Auto Workers President Stephen Yokich released a strikingly similar press statement. "We are deeply disappointed that Vice President Gore has failed to speak out [on China]…it’s time to forget about party labels and instead focus on supporting candidates, such as Ralph Nader, who will take a stand on what is right, not what big money dictates."
For more on Nader's campaign, see www.votenader.org
Steelworkers Backed by NLRB
The National Labor Relations Board has charged that a lockout by Kaiser Aluminum against the United Steelworkers of America (USWA) is unlawful. The lockout of 2,900 USWA members began on January 14, 1999. The NLRB also charged Kaiser with unlawfully discriminating against employees to discourage membership in a labor organization, and with failing and refusing to bargain in good faith with the union as required by federal law.
As part of the remedy for Kaiser's unlawful actions, the government will seek full back pay and benefits. David Foster, director of USWA District 11 and the union's chief negotiator with Kaiser, noted that the federal case would proceed despite a tentative agreement between the company and the union, reached days before. The steelworkers struck Kaiser in September of 1998 in response to a substandard contract offer. The eventual lockout four months later effected union members in the states of Louisiana, Ohio and Washington.
For more see www.uswa.org
IUE at GE Posts Victory
Members of the International Union of Electronic Workers voted to accept a tentative contract offer
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IUE President Edward Fire headed up a 14-union Coordinated Bargaining Committee that negotiated the contract. "We congratulate all IUE members for winning these improvements," said Fire. "We intend to maintain the pressure on GE to do what’s right for U.S. workers and their communities by investing in America and keeping good jobs here. We have the tools to do so through the job preservation and creation committees and we plan to make full and extensive use of them."
For more, see www.iue.org
Virtual Picketers at LAX Join Service Employees International
Next time you pass through Los Angeles International Airport, shake hands with your skycap, baggage screener, or baggage-claim checker. These and other airport attendants at LAX have voted overwhelming to join SEIU, Local 1877. These are the same low-wage employees whose abortive Internet picket against their employer, Argenbright Security, was mentioned in this column in the March/April issue. Argenbright contracts with United Airlines, Delta Air Lines other small air carriers.
"This is an incredible breakthrough," said Jono Shaffer, who coordinates LAX organizing efforts for the AFL-CIO. "We’ve been very successful in the food and beverage and retail efforts, where contracts are held directly with the city. But these are contracts between airlines and service providers. We’re hopeful it will signal some victories with other providers." The AFL-CIO’s ‘Respect at LAX’ campaign, launched in 1998, was often intense, involving traffic-halting marches and scores of complaints of unfair labor practices. A host of political and religious leaders interceded. The campaign has now succeeded in extending Los Angeles’ "living wage" ordinance to some 3,000 airport employees, including food service, retail and security personnel.
For more, see www.seiu.org
Jeff Burman is a Guild Board member
representing assistant editors.
He can be reached via email
Reprinted from
The Motion Picture Editors Guild Magazine
Vol. 21, No. 4 - July/August 2000
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