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News regarding the DGC moving to a Strike Authorization Vote has shone a light on the current round of bargaining with the AMPTP and has IATSE 891 members looking into our current issues within our bargaining unit. With the DGC having 86.2% of eligible members voting 92.2% in favour of strike, many IATSE 891 members have reached out wondering what is happening in our own negotiations, and how we are being impacted by this drawn out bargaining round.
One of the most discussed topics is that of the Safe Harbour Agreements that are offered to productions when they decide to produce in B.C.. These agreements are signed to protect individual productions from job action (legal strikes or lockouts should negotiations break down) and ensure those productions underway while in negotiations are not subject to that job action. Safe Harbour Agreements were ordered to be offered for each successive round of bargaining in 2008 by the BC Labour Relations Board, at that time, under the B.C. Liberal Government. However, as we are out of contract, and have been for a year, does it stand to reason that IATSE 891 could stop offering Safe Harbour Agreements to productions that are coming to film in B.C.?
While these measures were ordered while under a Liberal Government, we have been in a labour-friendly, union-friendly government since 2017. This means that for 5 years, we could have been lobbying the Provincial NDP Government to lift the required agreements, as well as lobby to remove the No Strike; No Lockout in Part 5 - Strikes, Lockouts and Picketing of the B.C. Labour Code. This has been brought to the attention of the Leadership several times in the past, however has not been acted on, and has only recently begun to be discussed within the union. How does the membership feel knowing that this impasse could have been dealt with, but wasn't addressed?
Infact, there are many things that could be solved in our Master Agreement and bargaining if we worked within our jurisdiction instead of laying these issues at the feet of the employer. Many sticking points in bargaining seem to be around safety, however with WorkSafe BC and the Provincial Government these concerns could be handled within house. This would allow negotiations to focus more on money and getting the membership the best deal each round of bargaining. How much of an impasse are these conversations creating with our employers as opposed to working within our jurisdiction to ensure that workers get to go home safe?
Health and safety issues continue to ensue, workers’ rights are frequently abused and during COVID-19, so has workers’ rights to bodily autonomy and medical confidentiality. Rarely have there been reports of the union standing up for workers when shows change policy midway through filming, nor of the union denouncing the discriminatory procedures put in place by our employers. Many of these practices, such as mandatory vaccinations are not covered in the Return to Work letter around COVID-19 policies - a letter that was not voted on by the membership. Is the membership comfortable continuing to work under a letter that was not voted on or agreed to by the greater membership?
It has come to our attention that there are a few shows (Fall of the House of Usher being one) that are requiring workers to be boosted to maintain their positions on the production. Provinces in Canada and many countries across the world are rescinding their vaccine mandate as the data shows that vaccination does not protect against infection or transmission, and that cases are increased in groups with three doses.
Is the membership comfortable with the continued movement of the goal post when it comes to COVID-19 policies from our employers? The Good Doctor has recently changed their testing procedure to a test that gets a cheek swab that then goes into the nose. Several members have refused this type of test, and lost work. What was wrong with the PCR test and why is the union allowing productions to change policy in the middle of production, at the expense of workers?
There is clearly a complete lack of consistency from show to show and even within the same production company. Is it okay for productions to ask workers to receive a 3rd or 4th booster to be able to work? Workers must be kept safe, but where do we draw the line when it comes to bodily autonomy? If employers started mandating blood or urine testing, would the membership be in agreement? These issues could be discussed with a motion at a General meeting to decide to no longer agree to the Return to Work letter (which expires in 2024), and for the union to stand against the mandates, especially around mandatory vaccination. We especially must not allow these policies to become a part of our Master Agreement.
There have also been many questions lately regarding hiring a negotiator. This was raised to the membership prior to the 2018 contract negotiations and was put to a vote by the membership. Having spoken to members who were at the meeting where this was brought up, it was said that the union had many years of experience with negotiating with our employers, and that to contract a negotiator would be expensive to the membership. Ultimately, the membership voted down the offer to hire a negotiator. Would the members be in a different situation if we had employed a professional to negotiate on our behalf?
By this time, we could have easily afforded a professional negotiator instead of some of the other recent expenses of the union. Recently, the Business Representative has requested a 1.2 million dollar operation budget for 2022, a leap from previous budgets in this department (usually between $400,000-$500,000). Reasons cited included an increase in travel spending, podcasts, videos and a documentary to be produced. Recent media coming from the office of the Business Representative has mainly been geared towards recruitment of new members, something that does not fall within the purview of the position in the IATSE 891 Constitution and Bylaws. Would this money not be better spent on a professional negotiator?
What should be a concern for the BR is getting a contract for the members, as well as ensuring that more business comes into the city. Lately it seems that the only concern for the union is to attract projects by providing the lowest rates and most difficult conditions for the highly skilled workforce that it represents. More and more shows coming into town are Tier 2, at significantly lower rates, and from large production companies such as Disney, Amazon, Apple and Netflix. Should the Business Representative, whose job it is to bring work, not ensure that he is negotiating top rates for the members that he is elected to represent?
While the membership is working out of contract, unable to access the union hall nor attend meetings in person, at least 2 members of the Leadership went to Puerto Rico to attend the General Executive Board meeting of I.A.T.S.E International in Puerto Rico. Is the membership comfortable with the fact that the Leadership are traveling internationally, and without transparency to the membership, while we have been working out of contract for a year?
Is the membership comfortable with the Leadership and Executive Board making these decisions without transparency to us, the membership? Recent bargaining updates provided by the union have been lackluster, with no information given to the members and even the email from the union in regards to the DGC Strike Vote left more questions than answers. How is the membership expected to address these issues, and more, if they are unaware what is happening within the Local?
Members must continue to stand up for our rights as workers, our privacy rights and rights for our personal time and bodily autonomy. We strongly believe that members should make their own health decisions and maintain their bodily autonomy, that the Leadership should be held accountable to the membership and stand up against the abuses of the employers to ensure that all members have equal opportunity to work, collect a paycheck and go home safely. We need to organize - the only strength we have in the industry is our ability to withhold labour, and hold our employers' feet to the fire.
An understanding of the union and how it functions, grassroots based organizing and communication between members will empower us as members and allow us to see that the union is running in a way that is beneficial to all members and that workers’ rights are being upheld. Please subscribe and share the newsletter to stay up to date with future movements within the Local. We encourage members to attend all meetings that they can, as you, the membership, are the strength in a union.
The tier system that we have set up guarantees lower wages every time a new series, mow or pilot comes to town. You can be making 40.00/hr one year and 35.00/her the next. What other Unions do this? Oh but it brings work to town. So as the cost of living escalates the members or some members work harder for less money. Personally you do work harder on these lower tiers because they have less money and a tighter schedule to shoot.
Who ever wrote this did a fantastic job. These are all real concerns, that need to be addressed. Mostly a negotiator to get this done. Its ridiculous. Phil K needs to do some explaining. All the members who lost jobs should get those lost wages back. Its happening in Richmond by a Union that went after the members lost wages. Our Union needs to start looking after the people that elected them. Every phone call I personally have made over the years continually falls on deaf ears. They have all continued to be paid and none of them have been subjected to the crap that we all have been thru on set. Members have lost their jobs for not being covid compliant? They need to prove and show the science( actual studies) that prove how those members posed a threat to anyone on set. We are ass kissing the studios who ultimately are owned by Blackrock and Vanguard following rules set up by the WEF. A very small percentage of the crooks at the top of the food chain are deciding how the majority of the world lives. This is part of it, are we okay with this? Also Is the membership okay with Phils involvement running in Mission i think as an MLA with the NDP? Members need to be educated on how our Union works or doesn’t.