PRESIDENT'S REPORT
It's Okay to Buck the System
by Lisa Zeno Churgin
 Lisa Zeno Churgin |
Hello, fellow members. I’m sure you would all like to extend a heartfelt welcome to our new magazine editor, Tomm Carroll. I think he did a wonderful job with his first issue (November-December 2004) and I look forward to seeing what he will do with our publication in the future. And remember, as he stated in his inaugural message, this is the membership’s magazine, so your comments, criticism, and kudos are not only welcome, but encouraged.
I ran unopposed for President so I will have the honor of serving you another three years. I hope that in this ever-stressful work environment, we will continue to make further strides.
One of the problem areas that we are working on is that of unpaid overtime. I hope everyone had a chance to read our own West Coast Field Representative Catherine Cusimano’s excellent article on this subject in the previous issue of Editors Guild Magazine––especially those editors and assistants who are working in television, where this problem is most prevalent. I do understand the fear that if you buck the system there are 10 people right behind you ready to step into your place. I’d like to relate a couple of stories that pertain to this.
A former assistant of mine (now graduated to editor) had an experience in which he had to come up against a producer directly. The editor had left the project due to a previous commitment and the assistant was promoted to editor but without pay. “Can’t afford it,” he was told by the producer. So he called me, and I called the Editors Guild.
The Guild made it clear to him that he had to decide whether to let the union talk to the producer about his matter. It seemed that there could be con-sequences, but the assistant took the risk. The producer was called and once he realized that it was a union agreement, the assistant was upgraded with the appropriate pay and without anger. The producer had tried to get away with something but he didn’t blame the new editor for standing up for his rights, and their working relationship remained friendly.
The other incident involved a very intelligent letter I received from a member that criticized the on-call rate for editors. Now I feel the on-call rate is a disservice to editors. If reduced down to an hourly rate, it is well below what we should be paid. In addition, the disparity between the guaranteed hours for editors and assistants adds to the problem of overtime abuses. The letter was three pages long and signed, “Anonymous.”
This made me very sad. Here was someone writing about a very important matter
to a fellow editor who agrees whole-heartedly (and even if I didn’t,
so what?), but the letter writer, I can only assume, was afraid to sign the
letter. I can only hope that by working together, we can overcome our fears.
Let’s keep trying, and try even harder in the new year.
Lisa Zeno Churgin, a Picture Editor member, was just re-elected to her second term as President of the Motion Picture Editors Guild.