The IATSE will be holding informational meetings again in Vancouver:
The Shebeen (back of the Irish Heather)
MARCH 13, 2011, NOON.,
212 Carrall Street,Vancouver
and Burbank:
Sunday March 13 at 1:00 pm
Don’t forget this is Daylight Savings Time. Check it out and be sure to email me or comment below with your thoughts.
IA Organizer/Lawyer Jimmy Goodman also answered some of Dave Rands questions:
Congratulations on your interview, and thanks for the kind words!!
One question you asked me regarding the organizational structure of the union deserves our immediate attention:
Many of the people I meet are currently or have previously been members of one or more locals of the IATSE, including Locals 16, 44, 600, 700, 800, and 839.Their concern is that, if their employer were to sign an agreement with the IATSE (ie the International), would they have to pay another initiation fee?
The answer to that is NO. The IA will waive initiation fees for all affected artists, for the foreseeable future while we recruit new members and get agreements in place around the industry.
The second question is’ into what local will I be placed?, and which local will be responsible for administering the new Visual Effects contract?
Answer: It is the IA’s current expectation and intention that we will be forming a brand-new entity; either as a new local union or as a “division” of the International, to which all Visual Effects Artists will belong. If you’re already a member of a local, you’ll automatically be deemed a member of this new entity. If you haven’t previously been a member, you’ll not pay any initiation fee, and you’ll become a member when the contract with your employer takes effect. The intent is to take advantage of the breadth of experience acquired by all of the Motion Picture pre-production, production, post production and CGI locals.
All of us at the IA (including, for example, the Animation Guild), are working together for a common goal; to give Visual Effects Artists the same rights and benefits as are currently enjoyed by thousands of workers who work under the umbrella of the IATSE Basic Agreement. We look forward to expanding our membership to incorporate this rapidly expanding segment of our industry.
And, PS: don’t forget our picnic, this Sunday, at Johnny Carson Park in Burbank at 1;00PM. And that’s Daylight Savings Time!!!!
Jimmy Goodman
VFX Soldier 
A picnic? Is there going to be a march as well or should we wait until next Labor day like they did for The Hobbit?
“The bourgeoisie, by the rapid improvement of all instruments of production, by the immensely facilitated means of communication, draws all, even the most barbarian, nations into civilisation. The cheap prices of commodities are the heavy artillery with which it forces the barbarians’ intensely obstinate hatred of foreigners to capitulate. It compels all nations, on pain of extinction, to adopt the bourgeois mode of production; it compels them to introduce what it calls civilisation into their midst, ie, to become bourgeois themselves. In one word, it creates a world after its own image.
When I first received an invitation to take part in activities for World Social Forum, which took place in Couva and across the world on January 26, I was a little sceptical. I saw it as an anti-globalisation movement and I am still trying to work out in my mind exactly what globalisation means for societies like ours; whether it is a beneficial or harmful force overall.”
http://www.newsday.co.tt/commentary/0,73018.html
Karl Marx had written about many of the changes that characterise the era in which we live over 150 years ago; a prophet of globalisation according to some. I would have thought that Marx, the father of communism, would have been opposed to the global free market and the perpetuation of capitalism that go hand in hand with globalisation as we know it. Surprisingly, though, Marx thought the process of globalisation was “inevitable and desirable”. Friedman quotes Harvard political theorist Michael J Sandel:
“Marx considered it inevitable that capital would have its way — inevitable and desirable. Because once capitalism destroyed all national and religious allegiances, Marx thought, it would lay bare the stark struggle between capital and labour. Forced to compete in a global race to the bottom, the workers of the world would unite in a global revolution to end oppression. Deprived of consoling distractions such as patriotism and religion, they would see their exploitation clearly and rise up to end it.”
I posted on the JGoodman specific post here, but I still want to know how this is going to help unemployed workers? I know how IATSE can benefit from people getting steady income regardless of how they get it, but how difficult is it going to be to become a member or be introduced to work/employers that are union exclusive? In my opinion if someone has a four year degree or is already or have already worked in the industry they shouldn’t have to have anyone vouch for them as their commitment of money and/or time entitles them to have an open and unencumbered shot at ANY position they can qualify for whether they are a union member or not to begin with.
The bad thing about some unions is that once companies go union exclusive it’s then a requirement to have someone that’s already a union member vouch for you in order for you to even apply for a job since the employer ONLY hires union workers. That’s a loophole that NEEDS to be closed for people that have invested in education or time in the industry.
Hi thanks for your question. What’s the source of this information? Is there any IA contracts that you know of that do this?
The sources in two cases were persons met in industry relevant environments. One was in a mixed undergrad./grad. film class at University and a person at a local community film organization meeting. In both cases the people went missing the week later and thereafter. It was clear to me that a conversation or two from people with degrees or finishing degrees or non-union experience alluding to the possibility of being vouched for made them uncomfortable, but at that point the cat was out of the bag.
As far as specifics on which union local they were from and under what contracts I couldn’t really say as they didn’t make themselves available long enough for me to find out. Could they have been talking out of their asses…maybe, but to what end would be my question? How would they even know about any of the practices or policies. Whatever the case if you’re saying that’s NOT the case then I can begin to re-investigate again.
Outside of that I still have to say I’m a little suspicious just because LATE is the hour in which IATSE has chosen to appear and with no concrete plan, as far as I know, to stem the massive exodus of what’s left of the VFX industry to other countries.
“In both cases the people went missing the week later and thereafter” “Could they have been talking out of their asses…maybe”
No. You are talking out of your ass.
Whatever…I’m glad you foster such an open forum for discussion. (NOT)
I foster open discussion of FACTS. If you come on my blog claiming people were kidnapped by the union and falsely claiming they will enact hiring halls, you will not be taken seriously.