IATSE leaders says they'll protect health and pension benefits

In a sign that the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees may be headed for a showdown with the major studios, union leaders told members that they would "hold the line" on their health and pension benefits.

Matt Loeb, president of IATSE, and members of the union's West Coast bargaining committee sought to assure the rank and file that they were standing their ground in contract negotiations with the producers that ended on Monday without a deal.

"IATSE is continuing to hold the line on issues that are of importance to the membership -- health benefits, pension benefits and working conditions,'' Loeb and his colleagues said in an email to members distributed this week.

"We anticipate resuming negotiations prior to the expiration of the current agreement,'' the email continued. (The current contract expires July 31 of this year). "We remain committed to a new agreement that protects the needs of the membership and we'll continue to keep you apprised of any developments."

IATSE represents more than 100,000 entertainment industry workers, including camera operators, set decorators, grips and others who work behind the scenes on movies and TV shows.

People close to the negotiations say the sides remain divided over how to close a large deficit in the union's health and pension plans -- projected to be at least $300 million over the next three years -- because of investment losses and rising medical costs. The health and pension plans are funded by residual payments and employer contributions.

RELATED:

It's not a wrap for contract talks between IATSE and producers

Healthcare costs to dominate IATSE, AMPTP talks

Matt Loeb of IATSE charting a more aggressive path

-- Richard Verrier

Photo: Matt Loeb, head of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, at the union's office in Studio City in 2011. Credit: Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times

Healthcare costs to dominate IATSE and AMPTP contract talks

The largest union representing Hollywood's technical workers has begun contract negotiations with the major studios amid concerns that rising healthcare costs could lead to cuts in health and pension benefits for below-the-line crew members.

The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees -- which represents more than 100,000 entertainment industry workers, including cinematographers, set decorators and prop masters -- on Wednesday began negotiating a new contract with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. The current contract expires July 31.

Teamsters Local 399, which represents more than 3,000 drivers , will also take part in the talks as part of a new bargaining alliance with IATSE.

The parties have set aside four weeks of talks, first to hash out agreements with more than a dozen crafts locals that belong to IATSE, then to negotiate the so-called Hollywood Basic Agreement that covers issues affecting all the locals, including health and pension benefits. The latter is expected to dominate the agenda.

Like many other unions, IATSE and the Teamsters face a large deficit in their health and pension plans -- projected to be at least $300 million over the next three years -- because of rising medical costs. The health and pension plans are funded by residual payments and employer contributions.

How to close that gap will be a major focus of the negotiations -- as it was for contract talks with talent unions that received increases in employer contributions to their plans. Union leaders could agree to raise eligibility requirements as they did in back in 2009 -- when they raised to 400 from 300 the mininum number of hours required to work over a six-month period. That change, however, sparked a backlash among some IATSE members.

Union leaders from IATSE and Teamsters have been prepping their members for months that they could be forced to accept some tough changes to their health and pension benefits. "Costs of care and insurance coverage have been going up at an alarming rate for the last decade or more,'' Leo Reed, secretary-treasurer of Teamsters Local 399, said in a message to members posted on the union's website.

RELATED:

IATSE and Teamsters picket producers of '1000 Ways to Die'

Labor dispute erupts on the set of '1000 Ways to Die'

Matt Loeb of IATSE charts a more aggressive path

-- Richard Verrier

Photo: Matt Loeb, head of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, at the union's office on Riverside Drive in Studio City on June 21, 2011. Credit: Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times.

Union rally Monday to protest '1000 Ways to Die' producer

The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees and Teamsters Local 399 will stage a large rally outside the Burbank headquarters of Original Productions on Monday morning in support of crew members from the TV series "1000 Ways to Die."

"This is about healthcare, this is about safety and dignity in the workplace, and it's part of the IA's ongoing campaign to support workers in the all genres of TV,'' said Mike Miller, director of motion pictures and television for IATSE.

The union represents about 30 crew members who were fired from the show on Thursday after attempting to unionize. Launched in 2008, the Spike TV show re-creates unusual ways in which people have died.

Original Productions, which makes a number of reality TV programs, including "Ice Road Truckers," has already hired replacement workers, union officials said.

Representatives of the company were not immediately available for comment.

This marks the second time in a year and half that IATSE has staged a high-profile strike in Hollywood. In late 2010, the union waged a successful walkout against the producers of the reality TV show "The Biggest Loser."

RELATED:

Labor dispute erupts on the set of '1000 Ways to Die'

Matt Loeb of IATSE charts a more aggressive path

'Biggest Loser' labor dispute is settled

— Richard Verrier

Photo: Striking workers from "The Biggest Loser" picket the NBC reality show's set in Calabasas on Nov. 15, 2010, to secure a union contract. IATSE staged that protest and is staging one Monday for "1000 Ways to Die" workers who were fired after attempting to unionize. Credit: Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times. 

 

Matt Loeb of IATSE charts a more aggressive path

 
Members of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees are accustomed to working quietly behind the scenes of movies and TV shows.

But their leader, Matt Loeb, has been shaking things up, putting the entertainment industry's largest union on a more aggressive path since he took the helm of the union nearly three years ago after longtime IATSE President Tom Short resigned.

In one of his first interviews as president, Loeb spoke to The Times about a recent high-profile strike against the producers of the reality TV show "The Biggest Loser," as well as a controversial plan to extend union contracts to visual-effects workers and his efforts to create a more open culture inside the IA, as it is known.

Read the full story in today's Business section: http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-ct-loeb-20110621,0,4617135.story

Photo: Matt Loeb, head of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, at its office on Riverside Drive in Studio City. Credit: Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times

RELATED:

'Biggest Loser' labor dispute is settled

-- Richard Verrier

Wexler wins seat on cinematographers guild board in re-run election

Academy Award-winning cinematographer Haskell Wexler handily won a seat on the board of the International Cinematographers Guild in a new election ordered by federal labor officials.

Wexler won 544 votes, the highest tally among 22 candidates vying for a dozen seats on the guild's board, according to a summary of the results posted on the guild's website Friday night.  

The 89-year-old director of photography known for his work on the 1966 film "Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolf?" was initially disqualified from running for a seat last year because the guild said he had not spent enough time "working in the trade." The rule, adopted in 2009, stipulates that a member must work 120 days under union contracts within the previous three years in order to run for local office.

Wexler and other candidates maintained they were improperly disqualified because they have been critics of the current union's president, Steven Poster, and had complained to the U.S. Department of Labor. The department determinedthat Wexler and another candidate had been improperly disallowed and ordered the guild to hold a new election for cinematographers in the western region.

Wexler said he felt vindicated by the election results. "It's an incredible showing when, not so long ago, they were saying I was not qualified to run for office," he said. "It does mean that people think otherwise. This is an unfair rule that was specifically used to marginalize certain people."

The guild did not issue a statement. "I welcome him [Wexler] to the board, but we've got a lot on our plate,'' Poster said. "Let's get down to work."

RELATED:

Guild to hold new board election after Labor Department says Wexler was unfairly disqualified 

 --Richard Verrier

Photo: Cinematographer Haskell Wexler. Credit: haskellwexler.com

 

Guild to hold new board election after Labor Dept. says Wexler was unfairly disqualifed

Haskell Wexler has won two Academy Awards and was judged by his peers as one of the 10 most influential cinematographers in movie history.

But the 89-year-old director of photography best known for his work on the 1966 film "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" and the 1966 movie "Bound for Glory," was nonetheless disqualified from running for a seat on his own union's national board last year because the guild determined that he had not spent enough time "working at the trade."

Now, the U.S. Department of Labor has determined that the International Cinematographers Guild (Local 600) improperly disqualified Wexler and another candidate, Chuck Ozeas, from running for board seats in a 2010 election. The union and its parent, the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, concluded that the men were not eligible to run because they did meet the terms of a rule the IATSE adopted in 2009, stipulating that a member must work 120 days under union contracts within the previous three years in order to run for local office.

But the Labor Department determined that though the rule itself was reasonable -- other unions have minimum work requirements -- it was unfairly applied in the case of the two candidates because they weren't given enough notice to comply with it, according to a letter the president of the cinematographers guild recently sent to board members. Wexler says he has worked continuously on multiple documentaries in the last several years, but most aren't covered under IATSE contracts.

The board of the cinematographers guild voted Saturday morning to accept the Labor Department's request to rerun an election held in May, allowing Wexler and Ozeas to run as candidates. The election rerun, in which two dozen cinematographers from the Western region will compete for a dozens seats on the national board, will cost the guild about $25,000, according to a motion of the vote obtained by The Times. The motion also said that Wexler had rejected an offer that he be appointed to one of two open alternate seats on the national board. Wexler, a previous board member and officer of the union, said the offer was "insulting."

A longtime critic of the IATSE and opponent of current Local 600 president Steven Poster, Wexler was among a half dozen candidates who complained to the Labor Department about their disqualification from the 2010 election.  "I believe the rule as applied is unfair, illegal and discriminatory, not only to me but to many other members," Wexler wrote in an e-mail sent to members this week.

Poster declined to comment. But in his letter to board members he described the Labor Department's ruling as largely a vindication for the union because the department rejected most of the allegations levelled by the six members and upheld the guild's "working at the trade" rule.

"The DOL has indicated that it finds this IATSE Rule to be reasonable on its face," Poster wrote.

--Richard Verrier

Photo: Cinematographer Haskell Wexler. Credit: haskellwexler.com

RELATED:

Wexler dreams of well-rested film crews

'Biggest Loser' labor dispute is settled

 

Producers and crew members of the reality TV series “The Biggest Loser” have settled a labor dispute, ending a high-profile strike that disrupted production of the NBC reality series.

The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees reached an agreement this weekend with production companies Reveille, 3Ball and 25/7 to end a nearly two-week strike, said two people familiar with the matter who asked not to be identified because they were not authorized to speak about the settlement.

The parties subsequently released a statement confirming the development. "The agreement is a positive step forward for the crew of the 'Biggest Loser,' especially in the area of health benefits,'' said Mike Miller, vice president of the IA. "We are pleased to see them go back to work."

Lee Rierson, managing director and head of business operations for Reveille said the sides had reached a "fair agreement" while "managing to avoid significant disruption to the production, and are happy to see our entire crew working together again."

About 50 crew members unanimously approved the agreement Monday morning. Under the deal, the crew members on the show will be eligible to count their work hours toward their health insurance benefits, which had been a primary goal of the union. Starting next summer, IATSE members must work 400 hours every six months in order to secure or retain their health insurance coverage. The current minimum is 300 hours.

Crew members walked off the job Nov. 8, saying producers had refused to have their work represented under an IATSE contract. The Directors Guild of America and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists already had contracts covering their workers on the show. 

Production of the series resumed last week when producers recruited replacement workers, but it was disrupted by pickets organized by IATSE at the Calabasas ranch studio where "The Biggest Loser" is produced. Trainers on the show refused to cross picket lines and, with the host, pledged to auction themselves on EBay to raise money for the strikers.

The breakthrough occurred this weekend after marathon talks between producers and Matt Loeb, the head of IATSE. The union represents about 35,000 technical and crafts workers employed in the film and TV industry.

-- Richard Verrier

For the record: this post was updated at 3:30 p.m. to include a statement from IATSE.

Photo: Striking "Biggest Loser" production workers picket the NBC reality show's set at King Gillette Ranch in Calabasas on Nov. 15. Credit: Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times

Talks resume in standoff between IATSE and "Biggest Loser" producers

The union representing striking workers on "The Biggest Loser" and the show's producers resumed talks Friday in an effort to end a bitter labor dispute that has disrupted production on the reality series, according to people close to the discussions.

Matt Loeb, head of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, flew in from New York to meet with representatives of the show's producers on Friday after joining workers on the picket line outside the Calabasas Ranch where "The Biggest Loser" is filmed.

IATSE mounted a strike against the NBC reality TV series last week after about 50 crew members walked off the job, saying producers rebuffed their efforts to gain union representation and benefits.

Producers attempted to resume production of the series this week, hiring replacement workers, but were met with protests organized by IATSE. The show's two main trainers have refused to cross the picket line and, along with the host, are auctioning themselves off on EBay to raise money for strikers.

The sides had engaged in brief discussions earlier last week before IATSE began its strike

NBC and the producers -- Reveille, 3Ball and 24/7 -- delined to comment, as did IATSE.

-- Richard Verrier

State labor federation joins protest over "Biggest Loser"

The labor fight over "The Biggest Loser" is going statewide.

The California Labor Federation on Thursday declared its support for the strike waged by the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees against the NBC reality television series “The Biggest Loser” and its production entities, Reveille Productions, 25/7 Productions and 3 Ball Productions.

The labor federation probably will urge its members to join picket lines that have been erected outside the Calabasas ranch where "The Biggest Loser" is taped. Crew members walked off the job last week in a dispute over union representation and benefits.

“A television show is only as good as its production crew,” said Art Pulaski, Executive Secretary-Treasurer of the California Labor Federation. “The striking crew members on ‘The Biggest Loser’ put their heart and soul into creating a quality show each and every week.... The 2.1 million members of the California Labor Federation stand in solidarity with the striking members of the production crew in their fight to secure a decent wage with good benefits.”

The action follows a similar statement of support earlier this week from the L.A. County Labor Federation.

-- Richard Verrier

 

Host and trainers on NBC's 'The Biggest Loser' auction themselves on EBay to help strikers

In a show of solidarity with crew members on strike, the host and two trainers on the NBC show "The Biggest Loser" are auctioning themselves off on EBay to raise money for strikers.

Alison Sweeney, host of the NBC reality show, is auctioning off lunch dates with herself, and trainers Jillian Michaels and Bob Harper are auctioning workout sessions. The auctions will go on for the next three days.

The current bid for lunch with Sweeney is at $1,000. A session with Bob Harper was going for $1,050 on Tuesday afternoon. Each winner is on the hook for travel costs to Los Angeles.

About 50 of the show's crew members walked out last week, which brought production to a halt. The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees is striking against the popular NBC series after they failed to secure union representation and health and pension benefits, and has held rallies to protest the decision by producers of "The Biggest Loser" to bring in replacement workers to resume production on the show.

Sweeney, who has a no-strike clause in her contract, has expressed support for the workers who walked out.

The striking workers got a further boost on Tuesday when the LA County Federation of Labor, which represents more than 800,000 workers in the county, threw its support behind the strike.

“We intend to mobilize our vast membership and our resources to help bring a fair settlement to this dispute with ‘The Biggest Loser,’” said Maria Elena Durazo, the leader of the LA County Federation of Labor.  “The producers of this show want to make their own workers ‘the biggest losers’ and the labor movement in LA is not going to let that happen."

NBC and the show's producers, Reveille, 3Ball and 25/7 have declined to comment on the dispute.

-- Joe Flint