NOR'EASTER
Post Work on the Upswing in Gotham
by Martin Levenstein
"There is more work in New York now than anytime in the four years since I've been at the Guild," Paul Moore, our Assistant Executive Director for the Eastern Region, mentioned to me during a recent meeting—and my ears perked up.
"What kind of work is this? Features? Reality shows? Docs? Are they union or non-union? Can we speculate why? Moore replied that he was referring to work under signed agreements only and, in early October, asked Annie Ballard, our Field Representative, to compile a list of productions that were currently posting in New York. Ballard e-mailed me a list showing 65 features, documentaries and episodic TV shows (not including reality) editing in Summer-Fall 2005. All but three are posting in New York City, with two in Philadelphia and one in Baltimore. Each of these shows is working under union agreements.
Katherine Oliver, Commissioner of the Mayor's Office of Film, Theatre and Broadcasting in a recent posting on www.nyc.gov/film, stated, "Thanks to the 'Made in NY' incentive program, which includes a 15 percent tax credit and free advertising for qualified productions, as well as vendor discounts and a world-class concierge service, New York City has attracted more than $500 million in new production business since January." According to Oliver's office, these productions will employ 6,000 New Yorkers.
Moore led Local 700 in its vigorous lobbying for this incentive program and has strongly supported Oliver and her office in their commitment to bring more production and post-production work to New York City. Bloomberg signed the "Made In NY" incentive program into law this past January.
According to Moore, other factors besides the "Made In NY" program have contributed to the upswing in film production, leading to more post-production jobs. The strength of foreign currency against the US dollar has encouraged more productions to stay here. Plus, the IATSE has made a strong effort with its low-budget agreements, and dozens of companies have now signed to term agreements. And, says Moore, "Probably the number one factor is simply more money from investors."
What You Can Do
If you are among the fortunate to be working, please remember that the union contract is there to protect you. Please report any violations of the contract to the Guild office. If you have questions or feel the agreement is being abused, call Moore or Ballard at 212-302-0700. They will answer your questions and ensure that the contract is being administered.
Always personally fill out your time cards and account for all of the overtime worked. Keep a copy of the timecard as a personal record. Overtime hours add up, not only in salary but also in hours credited to your benefit accounts. When you get your yearly record of credited hours from the Plans, reconcile your records against theirs to ensure accuracy. Younger members often do not think about retirement, but when a member retires, those additional pension hours translate into welcome dollars.
There have to be many non-union jobs out there also. This is a tremendous opportunity for us to organize new shows and attract new members. If you are working on a non-union job or know someone who is, I encourage you to call Jesus Sanchez, the Eastern Region Organizer. Organizing shows and providing agreements under which our members can work is what Local 700 is all about. We are experiencing success organizing Reality TV productions (see "Getting Organized"). You must help the local's staff to accomplish this. It's to your benefit and the benefit of all your fellow members.
Also, I encourage everyone to report employment. Voluntary reporting helps define a picture of the work in town; it also provides a contact person for our staff should questions arise concerning the administration of a signatory agreement. Without voluntary reporting, the union cannot get an accurate count of how many members are working and which jobs could be organizing targets.
If you are not fortunate enough to be working, put your name on the Availability List. If a producer calls the Guild looking for someone in your category, they will be given your name as a member available for work. Also, take advantage of our training programs. We have courses in Final Cut Pro, ProTools and Avid Express. Members who have extensive experience using these tools on the job teach these courses. Members are notified about upcoming workshops and schedules by e-mail, so be sure the Guild has your current e-mail address.