Leaders of Screen Extras OK Strike; Guild Votes for Teamster Affiliation

Leaders of the Screen Extras Guild announced Friday that for the first time in the union’s 41-year history, its executive board has unanimously authorized a strike against the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. They said picketing may start next week.

Peter Eastman, newly elected president of the guild, the smallest and weakest of the Hollywood unions, also disclosed that the guild’s members had voted overwhelmingly to affiliate with the Teamsters, the nation’s largest union. Just over 90% of the 3,262 members who cast ballots voted in favor of the affiliation. The guild has 6,000 members.

Joseph Kaplon, a lawyer for the guild, said he will meet with Teamsters officials in Honolulu this weekend to seek union sanction for picket lines. Teamsters Local 399, based in North Hollywood, represents studio drivers, and the local’s contract with the producers alliance permits drivers to honor picket lines that have been sanctioned by its parent body, Teamsters Joint Council 42 based in Los Angeles.

Kaplon said he expected strike sanction to be granted. He also said he is confident that the union’s general executive board would approve the guild affiliating with the Teamsters because Teamsters President Jackie Presser has said he favors the move.

Pursued a Link

The guild started pursuing a link with the Teamsters last year after it became clear that the producers wanted major concessions in a new contract. The guild assumes that an alliance with the Teamsters will give it more muscle in dealing with the producers.

The producers say they need to reduce screen extras’ wages in order to compete with non-union film makers who pay extras considerably less.

On Dec. 18, the producers informed the guild that the alliance would unilaterally implement a concessionary contract on Dec. 28 after the union had voted down the proposed contract by a margin of 90% to 10% in a mail ballot. Under the old contract, extras--people who fill out crowd scenes in movie and television shows--were paid $91 a day. Under the provisions implemented by the producers last month, pay was reduced to $68 for eight hours work and $54 for a six-hour day.

Additionally, double-time pay on weekends was eliminated and extras have to work more hours for overtime. The alliance has also reduced the minimum number of guild members who must be hired before non-union extras can be used. Non-union companies pay extras about $35 a day.

No Progress

On Thursday, at the behest of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, the two sides met again in an attempt to resolve their differences, but no progress was made.

Carol Akiyama, senior vice president of the producers alliance, said the union was unwilling to make sufficient concessions for a bargain to be struck. Guild President Eastman said the producers were not entitled to the substantial pay cuts they have demanded.

Akiyama said she was not surprised by the guild’s decision to affiliate with the Teamsters.

“The vote was fully expected, and it will not affect the final offer which we implemented in late December,” she said.

Akiyama said a strike by the screen extras “would indeed be unfortunate, but the choice is theirs.”