by Tris Carpenter, National Organizer

Reality television and video post production companies are two of the Editors Guild’s most important organizing priorities, and we’ve scored some important successes in both areas recently. We’ve also begun to make some inroads in Chicago’s post production scene. Here’s an update on where we stand in these critical areas.

Schmoozing it up at Chicago's Schmoozefest, L-R: Brenda Sexton, Illinois Film Office, Dean Simmon, Local 600, Jason Rosin, Chicago Business Representative for Local 600, unidentified woman, Tris Carpenter, J. Paul Oddo, Business Representative for Local 476, Robert Leach, publisher of Screen Magazine, and Andy Larson from the Chicago office of the Editors Guild.

Reality Television

One of the main reasons to organize reality television is that members working on these shows could use our help to get better wages and health and pension contributions. The bigger picture, however, is that unorganized work is a drag on the rates that union work can generate. Having this work organized will benefit all our members because it will give us greater bargaining power when it comes time to negotiate with the producers.

While the theory makes sense, in practice it has been tough to persuade crews to support reality television organizing. A great deal of coordination is necessary because more than a dozen craft locals need to get crew lists and not only contact their members who work on these shows, but also persuade the non-members that going union is worth the struggle. Once the majority of the crew has signed Authorization Cards that give the IATSE permission to represent them, the union contacts the producer and asks them to sign a union contract. If the producers refuse, then the crew needs to exert some leverage, usually in the form of a strike, until the producers make a deal.

Any organizer has to address the usual fear people have of challenging authority and rocking the boat, but the IATSE has faced an additional hurdle in that no notable reality shows have been union. The argument has been, “Since I only work in reality television, what happens if I leave this show? How do I continue to receive benefits?”

This situation has now changed because the IATSE has coordinated some excellent campaigns this past summer. IATSE International Representatives Steve Aredas and Lyle Trachtenberg have done an outstanding job bringing in a couple of very big shows, including Joel Silver’s Next Action Star and Performing As…, a new project from reality’s 800-pound gorilla, the production company Endemol. But the biggest prize by far is the signing of CBS’s Big Brother. The show made some solid gains in terms of pay and benefit contributions this season, but the major improvements will come during next season when post will be entirely under the Videotape Supplement to the Basic Agreement.

From our own staff, Arsenia Reilly organized the post-production staff at Granada Factual, a reality/documentary arm of British television giant Granada. This New York operation is closely affiliated with New York Times Television, which came under contract with us last year. Negotiations are underway as of this writing. This campaign was an important one for us due to the proximity of Granada to NYT-TV, and the fact that many people cross back and forth between the two companies.

Video Post Production

Another point of interest for the Guild is organizing video post houses. In this area, much of the telecine work is currently being done non-union and needs to be organized so that the coming changes in this technology do not go completely by the wayside for us.

We recently made another important step by organizing Burbank’s Westwind Studios in August. Instead of a contentious fight, the employer agreed to a “card check” to verify that the Guild represented a majority of the employees. In this process, a third-party neutral, usually an arbitrator, makes a confidential verification of the signatures on the Authorization Cards signed by the employees. If the arbitrator finds that a majority of the crew signed cards, then he or she “certifies” that the union does indeed represent the crew. In this case, the arbitrator certified that the union did indeed have a large majority of the 16-person crew signed. The owners already have an agreement for their sound house, Westwind Media, and negotiations for the video post operation began in early September.

Chicago

Field Representative/Organizer Andy Larson has been working to spread the word in Chicago about the benefits of belonging to the union. He and I attended the annual “Schmoozefest,” a major event for the motion picture industry in that city. Hosted by Screen Magazine, the area’s most comprehensive trade paper, the event draws over 800 people every August. We had a number of valuable conversations with editors and other post production professionals. The hope is that these conversations will eventually lead to organizing campaigns in the city’s post industry.

Andy has also been working with other IATSE locals to help organize some of the television production that has recently moved into town. In addition, he has participated in the Illinois Production Alliance, a group who helped persuade the legislature and governor in Illinois to pass some major incentives for production companies to shoot in the Chicago area. The main goal for the Guild in Chicago has been to be active and to be seen, and that should turn into some organizing opportunities before long.

Other Initiatives

Organizing is hard work, but it remains the lifeblood of our organization. We always have several campaigns in the works. Some can be talked about publicly, but some are better nurtured in private. All of us, members and staff alike, have a responsibility to work together in order to succeed. We are always looking for additional targets. If you’re interested in helping to bring union wages and benefits to your non-union job, just give us a call or fax us a crew list.