Union Work in Hollywood

As a camera assistant and a member of the International Photographer’s Guild, Local 659 of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE), I am both pleased and relieved that the producers and directors have narrowly averted a strike. Having survived both the actor’s and writer’s strikes earlier in this decade, I have come to fear the potential damage of an industry strike.

In this current negotiation period my union and the other craft unions of the IATSE lent our support to the Director’s Guild so that they would have the best chance to obtain a fair contract. We were willing to stay out of work and live on savings at great risk to ourselves and our families. Now that we will soon be working together, I have a simple request to make of the directors, assistant directors, and unit production managers of the DGA. This request is also addressed to the members of the Screen Actors and Writers Guilds.

During the past two years, non-union and “runaway” productions have taken away many IATSE jobs. “Non-union” cynically and ironically has come to mean non-IATSE. Almost all of these projects have been staffed with DGA, SAG, and WGA members who have gladly taken work on projects which exclude union craftpersons.

It is my hope that since the directors and producers have settled their differences, all guilds of the motion picture industry will realize the enormous sacrifice which the members of IATSE were willing to make to show solidarity with all workers in Hollywood. It will be the greatest of shames if after these negotiations the directors, actors, and writers continue to work on and support non-union productions.

It is time for all members of the Hollywood community to respect the importance of unions and turn back the devastating tide of non-union work.

JEFFREY A. GOLDENBERG

Los Angeles