Letter From Patric Verrone: Fair Market Value Bill

To My Fellow Members,

With the 2007 negotiation behind us, and writers returning to writing and creating entertainment, I’m pleased to deliver good news in my first post-contract ratification e-mail.

As many of you know, the WGAW is one of the sponsors of a very important bill in the California legislature. The bill, authored by State Senator Sheila Kuehl, is SB 1765, called the “Fair Market Value Bill.” It is designed to end the tenacious practice among Hollywood conglomerates who resell movies and TV shows among sister subsidiaries and, accordingly, diminish the residuals paid to above-the-line talent, moneys payable to profit participants, and benefits paid into below-the-line pension and health plans. The bill requires that these sales be valued at a “fair market” rate, as if they had been made as an arms-length transaction.

On Tuesday, I was joined by eight of our fellow writers (all of whom had been victimized by this practice in the calculation of their residuals on M*A*S*H) in testifying before the state Senate Judiciary Committee in Sacramento. Despite an onslaught of opposition from no fewer than a dozen witnesses representing most of the studios and the Motion Pictures Association, the Committee voted by three to one to pass the bill on to the full State Senate where a vote will likely occur in May. If it passes, the bill will head to the State Assembly for a similar series of votes.

This success was an important step, and we are grateful to the support we received from the Teamsters, the California State Labor Federation, and members of SAG, but there is much work to be done to see this process to a positive conclusion. The studios will be throwing great weight and energies into defeating this bill and we need all the help we can get. Writers who have worked on TV shows and films that have had residuals or profit participation diminished or eliminated thanks to corporate self-dealing should come forward so that we can “put a face” on this issue and continue to impress upon legislators the need to be involved in making Hollywood accounting accountable. 

 

I look forward to writing again soon with more news and ways to capitalize on the unprecedented engagement and activation of our membership.

 

Best,

 

Patric M. Verrone

President, WGAW

Why Is IATSE Negotiating 16 Months Early?

(IATSE begun negotiations with the AMPTP yesterday - 16 months before their contract is up. While IATSE traditionally negotiates early - they've never gone this early. Why do you think they've made this move? To reap the benefits of the gains the DGA and WGA made in their contracts, or to undermine any potential gains SAG may win? Both? Neither? Some other reason? Is there a strategy? If so, what is it?) 

It's looking likely the majors' next deal won't be with SAG and AFTRA but with the International Alliance of Theatrical and  Stage Employees.
The below-the-line union's going in for three days of talks on its Hollywood contract on April 7.
Variety 3/26

The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees will hold early negotiations with the AMPTP on its West Coast contract, starting on April 7.

IATSE, which covers about 25,000 below-the-line employees in 18 locals in the contract, is about halfway through its current contract. That pact, finalized in early 2006, expires in August 2009.

The move comes a day after SAG announced its negotiations on its feature-primetime contract won't start until April at the earliest. The SAG-AFTRA contract expires June 30.

The IATSE is likely aiming to incorporate gains from the DGA and WGA contracts plus last year's West Coast Teamster deal.

Variety 2/29

Workers in Reality Television Take Legal Action To Call For An End To Wage & Hour Abuses

Come to the Press Conference & Join Production Employees Who Call For An END to Illegal Wage & Hour Abuses In Reality TV.

On Tuesday, April 8th, workers in reality television will hold a 30-minute press conference at the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement in Van Nuys, California, where they will file claims including unpaid overtime, failure to provide rest periods, and failure to provide mealtime premiums.  These writers, production assistants, craft service and other workers will call for an end to unlawful abuses committed by law-violating production companies, like FremantleMedia.

They will be joined by representatives from California 40th Assembly District member Lloyd Levine's office, the UCLA Labor Center, the Writers Guild of America West, other Hollywood unions, and more guests to be announced.

Tuesday, April 8th
State of California Building
6150 Van Nuys Blvd, Van Nuys, CA

(Delano Street Entrance Click for map <blocked::http://maps.yahoo.com/#mvt=m&lat=34.181757&lon=-118.448618&mag=3&tt=&tp=1&q1=6150 van nuys blvd, van nuys, ca> )

Meet at the Delano Street Entrance at 10:30 A.M.
Press Conference Begins at 11 A.M.

ACTION: Support Inter-Con Security Officers at Kaiser Hospitals

Who: Inter-Con security officers and their supporters.                   

What:  Rally in support of a 1-day unfair labor practices                             strike by Inter-Con security officers.                   

When:  Noon, April 4.                    

Where:   At the corner of Sunset and Vermont, near the Kaiser Sunset Hospital in Los Angeles.

Since November 2005, security officers at Kaiser Permanente have been working to improve security and working conditions by forming a union with SEIU. They are possibly the only group—direct employees or subcontracted workers—at Kaiser who are being denied the right to form a union and left out of the Kaiser’s historic Labor Management Partnership.

Unfortunately, their hard work and the key role these 1,500 workers play in protecting Kaiser facilities is not respected by Kaiser’s security contractor, Inter-Con Security Systems, Inc. Inter-Con security officers have lower wages, fewer benefits and less of a voice at work than perhaps all other workers employed at Kaiser hospitals and facilities.

Some Inter-Con employees make less than $9.00 per hour. Despite working inside hospitals and other healthcare facilities, none of them have paid sick days.

At every step, Inter-Con has aggressively opposed efforts of security officers to improve their jobs and improve security at Kaiser by forming their union.

Inter-Con has harassed, interrogated, intimidated and threatened security officers for speaking out about working conditions and security concerns at Kaiser in violation of federal labor law.

Inter-Con has also violated state and federal wage and hour laws. In 2007, Inter-Con settled a $4 million dollar lawsuit stemming from charges that Inter-Con forced security officers at Kaiser to work “off-the-clock” without pay.

Despite its worker-friendly reputation, Kaiser has failed to require its contractors to act responsibly. Inter-Con security officers have asked Kaiser time after time to hire a responsible security contractor, but Kaiser thus far has refused to do so. Kaiser has not responded to petitions and has refused to meet with delegations of Inter-Con security officers.

Kaiser recently decided to put its security contract out to bid. Security officers are asking that Kaiser only contract with responsible companies that respect workers’ civil right to form a union.

SEIU local unions, elected officials and community leaders across California are mobilizing in support of Inter-Con security officers.

For more information go to www.standforinterconworkers.org