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THE PEG-BOARD -- Information Superhighway Edition -- June 1994
This is a monthly posting of excerpts from THE PEG-BOARD, the newsletter of
the Motion Picture Screen Cartoonists and Affiliated Optical Electronic and
Graphic Arts, Local 839 IATSE. THE PEG-BOARD is also published in printed
format.
Local 839 IATSE is the largest local union of motion picture graphic artists
in the world. We have over 1,500 active members employed in animation and
CGI in Southern California.
In this month's issue:
* Amblimation Talks Stalled
* From the Business Representative, by Steve Hulett
* From the President, by Tom Sito
* Six Phases Of A Project
* Q & A
* Lion King Gets Royal Sendoff
* Animation In The News
* Au Revoir, CBM; Bonne Chance, Amiga
* At the Water-Cooler
* Statistic Of The Month
* Gertie Awards Defeated -- Retraction
* Masthead
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AMBLIMATION TALKS STALLED
In April, Universal approached the Screen Cartoonists about a contract for
their Amblimation feature unit, which Universal informed us was returning
from London sometime this summer. In this first meeting, Universal requested
some concessions from the regular contract, some of which the Cartoonists
tentatively agreed to, some of which they did not.
Communication between this union and Universal has slowed but not broken
off. Universal has maintained over these past few months that it needs
rollbacks in wages for digital ink and paint and a waiver from overtime
requirements for overscale supervisors -- which of course means rollbacks
for most key artists. Our position -- that overtime waivers and wage
rollbacks aren't acceptable -- enjoys "universal" support from current and
former Amblimation artists.
Without the above concessions, Universal says, Amblimation's London facility
will not be relocating on the Universal lot. Our information is that
Amblimation will not be relocating on the Universal lot because MCA wants an
exorbitant rent fee per square foot. Amblimation will, however, be returning
to Los Angeles. Production will take months to begin, so Amblimation may
feel it's in no hurry to conclude a deal.
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FROM THE BUSINESS REPRESENTATIVE
A few weeks ago I was reading Which Side Are You On?, the book by Tom
Geoghegan. In it, he talks about Honda employees in Tennessee who voted
against UAW representation for the Accord factory in which they worked. The
employees rationale was, "Hey, we're already getting wages and benefits
roughly equivalent to UAW employees' wages and benefits, and hey, we don't
have to pay dues. We've got ours."
Geoghegan, being a labor attorney out of Chicago, is not pleased by this.
But, realist that he is, he recognizes that votes against unions are often a
fact of life in the current American landscape.
I live with this reality every day as a Business Rep. Take the Film Roman
election that the Screen Cartoonists lost in the fall of 1990. It still
miffs me. I worked my tail off collecting rep cards, driving around to
people's houses, and 839's Executive Board pushed for an election.
So, the NLRB set up an election. And we got buried. Lost big time. And after
my depression wore off, and I came out of hiding, the story I got from Film
Roman employees over and over was "hey, the company has a pretty good health
plan, they treat their people well, they pay wages at or close to union
rates, lots of people are overscale, so what's the problem?"
So they voted to stay non-union, just like the Honda employees. They had
theirs.
Back in 1990, I tried to explain why this was not a good thing. I stammered
out some pleas for solidarity and protecting wages and working conditions,
the usual union spiel. And nobody much bought it. Particularly nobody at
Film Roman.
But now four-and-a-half years have gone by, and the live-action IA locals
have taken it on the chin with wage rollbacks, and the IA health plan isn't
as good as it was four-and-a-half years ago, and I can see the surrounding
landscape more clearly. And I think I have a more compelling spiel. It goes
like this:
Do you like the $10 co-payments you now make when you go to the doctor's
office? Do you like the $2 or $4 you now pay for prescriptions? Are you
pleased that you now have to apply in writing for dismissal pay rather than
get it automatically? Why do you think your conditions and benefits are
eroding? Sun spots, perhaps? El Ni–o?
Expect more of the same, brothers and sisters. It can get worse. A lot
worse. We have escaped much of the carnage because most animation work is
under union contract, but the live-action IA locals here in town are not so
lucky. They have already taken big hits in wages and working conditions.
Guess why. The majority of product in live-action is done without IA
contracts, so the employees working on the shows take what they can get, and
are (relatively) grateful.
Which means they make less money, work harder and pay for their own health
care. And some of them wonder what the hell happened. Eight months ago a
group of sound technicians were quite happy working non-union. Hey, they
were making union scale, so everything was peachy.
Then one bright day their employer sliced their wages in half, and suddenly
things were not so peachy anymore.
And remember Harts of the West? Before it was organized, some employees
working on the set were making below minimum wage. FEDERAL minimum wage.
Which brings me back to non-union animation, where most artists make close
to union scale (or far above, if you're a key) and who needs to pay dues
anyway? We've got ours.
But take a close look at the non-union shops. The pay for artists in the
lower ranks is below scale. Medical benefits are skimpier. And non-portable.
And you only have to pay half of the premiums, that ain't too bad, is it?
What else? Well, you work there today and leave tomorrow, with some notice
if they feel like it. With none if they don't. But at least they treat you
nice while you're there. Nice doesn't cost them anything.
The above can be our future without any trouble at all. Just ask a sound
technician. Or a camera operator. Or a grip. God did not grant us fully paid
medical benefits, and Bill Clinton doesn't have the Congressional votes to
make medical benefits mandatory. We are on our own. If we think we are
independent gunslingers who make our own deals independent of wage floors or
market realities, we will soon be lost.
And let me give you a little peek at what's going on right now. After we
cartoonists have just beaten back elimination of overtime, and twenty
percent wage rollbacks, and elimination of dismissal pay in contract
negotiations. A large company wants a few little concessions in order to
sign.
Nothing much. No biggies. Just wage rollbacks for technicians of twenty to
forty percent. Just elimination of overtime for "overscale supervisors."
Which should only be what? Fifteen or twenty percent of the work force.
Nothing much. No biggies.
One small problem, though. Everybody else who is an "overscale supervisor"
(read "lead animator," read "key assistants," and on and on) will get it in
the shorts in '96, when the contract is up. Because every other studio will
demand the same.
I don't know how you feel, but I want to stick around in this job a few more
years, representing artists and technicians earning a decent pay check, not
something within hailing distance of the minimum wage. But it won't happen
unless the people who are overscale keys and figure they are untouchable and
sacrosanct for the rest of their natural lives understand that it's in their
interest to protect the wages and working conditions of everybody else.
Those people who are in jobs once held by the overscale keys, many of whom
figure (have I said this already?) they've got theirs, so why worry?
We understood this in the negotiations of '93. I pray God we understand it
in the negotiations of '96, and the next time an election comes up at Film
Roman. Otherwise Mr. Geoghegan's dire predictions will one day become our
reality.
And the refrain of "I got mine" will become "Where did it go?"
-- Steve Hulett
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FROM THE PRESIDENT
You may remember that a month or two ago I wrote a letter to several
non-union producers: Phil Roman, John Kricfalusi, Mary Harrington, Andy
Heyward, Tom Burton, Arlene Klasky, Gabor Csupo, and more recently Don
Bluth.
In the letters I respectfully asked that they attempt a fresh start in
relations with our union and forget past problems. I expressed a willingness
on our part to work with them to allay any economic concerns they may have.
Let bygones be bygones.
And buckaroos, what has been their response so far?
-- Silence.
They wouldn't even bother to call. Even to lift a finger to talk to us. To
try and work something out. Not one single solitary call. And why should
they? They couldn't care less about you, or your livelihood, or your damn
little organization that exists only to hassle them over how they treat you.
Why do they act so coldly? It's obvious. We've given them the power to.
Recently in the negotiations with a large producer, to get the wage cuts he
has demanded he resorted to threatening to go non-union, smugly saying:
"I'll get the artists."
Observe how little they think of you. "We'll get you anyway." It's like the
old joke: "Why does a dog lick its naughty bits? Because it can!"
-- Silence.
I expected Andy Heyward and Mary Harrington to respond that way because they
are executives who could be running a cow insemination plant as much as an
animation studio. When they can't make anymore out of you they'll move on to
something else.
John Kricfalusi, a.k.a. the Great Arteeste, surprised me. He has this
beautifully hand-crafted reputation of the
"Lone-Artist-Struggling-Against-The-System-Counter-Culture-Cool-Hip-Hop-Hero"
wrapped around him like armor. I remember I was one of the first animators
he phoned when Ren & Stimpy started: "Hey Tom! Break your Disney contract
and let's make real animation!" ... Yeah, for minimum wage.
Not even a lousy phone call back from him. You should have seen him snub me
at the Canadian consulate party at Oscar time. He knows what he's doing. He
has become the very thing he affects to despise; he's not an artist anymore,
he's just another boss. Gabor Csupo, Rocko, and all those imitation MTV Dr.
Maartens-and-earring-wearing pseudo-Bohemians in the end are just bosses.
-- Silence. Nada. Zip.
Last year when I got a death threat, among other people I wrote Good Old
Phil Roman, everybody's pal and great humanitarian. I asked him off the
record, artist-to-artist his spin on what happened. Instead of a note or
call from this man who loves his employees so much, I got a fax from his
lawyers telling me to f*&#@ off or they'll sue me for libel. Thanks.
Now after fuming over this column John K., Gabor and Phil will probably
whine about how what they do is "special" and a union would impose a rigid
conformity that would inhibit freedom, etc., etc. Bull. They'll talk up the
family atmosphere of the company and how we're all in it together. Yeah, I
bought that line in my time and guess what? You get laid off anyway.
Remember, this rap when you hear it is an old tactic.
We presently have a total monopoly on quality theatrical animation in this
town. You can't do a good feature without signing a union contract (you can
do a lousy one, but experience shows how far they get). Messrs. Don Bluth
and Gary Goldman are probably calling you already to move to Scottsdale or
Spokane or wherever. Why spoil this good thing for him? He's already showed
how he appreciated the folks on his last productions by leaving them flat.
Assistant animators tell me he owes them $7,000 on average. Are they going
to pay back those missing three weeks' wages with that nice $100 million
they got from Rupert Murdoch? Don and Gary will discover it's not 1983
anymore, and their fiscal reputation has preceded them.
Let me give you some hard facts. After non-union production had eaten away a
huge amount of work from the live-action guys, in the 1993 IATSE
negotiations the producers opened with demands for a 25% pay cut! We in
animation have had such good times that no one would dare ask for that this
time. But that's "This year." What will happen when times are bad? And if
they succeed in lowering union scale wages, what's to stop the non-union
guys from following suit? Why have a non-union artist make more than a union
one?
It's all so obvious.
So, if you give a damn about anything or anybody in this business, please,
please, stop working for these users. Stop freelance timing sheets for them.
Stop animating for them. Stop picking up from them. Quit them now. Don't
wait for the production to end. They can't replace you. No production in
L.A. can get finished without 839 artists.
This town is about to burst from all the work coming in. Why sacrifice your
futures to work for some smiling user? Hulett and I can rant until we turn
blue, but nothing in this town has more power and speaks louder than your
refusal to put your talents at their disposal. Mao said: "Those who resist a
mass movement come to no good end."
And even now, to all those studios who come to talk to us our offer still
stands. We'll bend over backwards to get them under contract for you. Your
refusal to put out for them is our greatest weapon and their worst
nightmare.
If they won't even go through the motions to dignify your desire for
security and equality, screw them. Leave them in the lurch.
When they call, give 'em silence.
-- Tom Sito
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Seen on a supervisor's bulletin board:
SIX PHASES OF A PROJECT
1. Enthusiasm
2. Disillusionment
3. Panic
4. Search for the Guilty
5. Punishment of the Innocent
6. Praise and Honors for the Non-Participants
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Q & A
Q: I've heard that dismissal pay is no longer paid automatically by my
employer. Am I still entitled to it? How do I get it?
A: You're absolutely correct in that dismissal pay (otherwise known as
severance pay) is no longer paid automatically. It must be requested in
writing ninety days after your final employment with the studio.
We have started sending reminders to members ninety days after their layoff.
However, these notices are only as accurate as the information we get from
the employers. Don't wait for the reminder notice -- mark your calendar so
that you remember to request this pay.
Q: Where are the new contract books?
A: At long, long, long last, we're pleased to report that as this issue goes
to press, the contract book has finally been sent to the printers. We hope
to have it mailed out to members within a month or so.
Q: What union rep can I talk to if I'm having some problem? Do we have shop
stewards?
A: The best way to get any and all contract or union-related questions
answered, promptly and definitively, is to call the union office at (818)
766-7151. Although Local 839 does not have paid shop stewards, we do have
representatives at most studios -- these citizens are called Executive Board
members, and they are happy to help you any way they can. Board members at
the various studios are listed above.
Please remember that Board members are not paid shop stewards. They will be
glad to answer your questions during their breaks, but please try to avoid
disturbing them during their work times.
Q: If I work out of the studio, am I working as a freelance employee or as
an independent contractor?
A: Read this carefully, as it can get complicated. If you are working out of
studio, but working under a supervisor who gives you direction and asks for
changes to your work, you are most likely an employee, and not a bona fide
independent subcontractor. How can you tell? 1) By asking. 2) By looking at
your check. If the check has deductions taken out (Federal taxes, state
taxes, SDI, etc.) you are a freelance employee, and should be invoicing your
employer on an hourly basis.
The IRS has strict rules for interpreting who is or is not a bona fide
independent contractor. Among the determining factors: 1) They supply their
own materials, work space, and equipment. 2) They are working independently
of supervision. 3) They do no revisions to the work, merely pick it up and
drop it off. 4) They are paid by a check with no deductions and they get a
1099 form at the end of the year.
Q: What are the MPSC rules regarding credit on TV episodes? It seems that
any producer or story editor can give or take credit as his or her
conscience dictates. I have been excluded from the writing credit on
episodes that had only one or two line changes, and I've seen my name alone
on the credit when every single line of mine was excised.
A: The contract rules are simple: "Screen credit shall be required to be
given ... to the classifications of animation, story, background and layout
in theatrical pictures and in television pictures of one-half hour or longer
network shows which are now non-segments. Credits shall be given on a per
picture or show basis for work performed." So, if any writer wanted to
challenge a producer or story editor who was giving or taking credits, there
is a splendid chance that an arbitration could be won.
Some years ago an animation writer grieved his omission from the screen
credits of a major feature, and won his case in arbitration. More recently
an animator was going to be cut out of a screen credit on another feature.
One phone call from the union office rectified the situation, because the
studio was smart enough to know they would lose in arbitration. Knowing the
rules, union members have to possess enough gumption to kick and scream when
their rights are being trampled.
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"LION KING" GETS ROYAL SENDOFF
"Beauty" busted at Tonys
The Disney feature folks kicked up their heels on June 11 to celebrate the
wrap of The Lion King. An estimated two thousand people piled into the El
Capitan and Mann's Chinese Theaters to watch the film, preceded by a fun
little short film directed by ROB MINKOFF and ROGER ALLERS, featuring most
of us in our natural habitats.
During the pre-film speeches, JEFFREY KATZENBERG brought up lyricist TIM
RICE with the announcement that Queen Elizabeth II had just made him Sir Tim
Rice. Not to be outdone, Jeffrey, Rob and Roger made him kneel on a plastic
milk carton while DON HAHN dubbed him again with a prop Excalibur. "Respect
at last!", Sir Tim exclaimed.
Then after the film, all the company betook themselves to a distant castle
in Pasadena (with a woeful lack of Port-o-Potties) and partied heartily with
great potage and merriment into the night. Fare thee well Lion King, as ye
enter the lists of summer box-office battle! ...
The next evening, MICHAEL EISNER and award co-nominee LINDA WOOLVERTON were
spotted in the audience at the Gershwin Theater in NYC, awaiting the fate of
Beauty and the Beast at this year's Tony Awards. Of its nine nominations,
Disney's first Broadway venture snagged a lone Tony for costume design ...
If these reviews are any indication, Disney can expect a little more respect
for The Lion King ...
"The biggest roar at the summer box-office may well come from Buena Vista's
magnificent feature The Lion King. Graced with heart, humor and
boundless energy ... a certain blockbuster and a future classic,
The Lion King is a scrumptiously delightful moviegoing experience."
-- Hollywood Reporter
"Set off by some of the richest imagery the studio's animators have
produced, and held together by a timeless coming-of-age tale, The
Lion King marks a dazzling -- and unexpectedly daring -- addition
to the Disney canon. There's little doubt that this film ... will
draw huge, sonorous crowds this summer and beyond." -- Daily
Variety
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ANIMATION IN THE NEWS
Disney's Return of Jafar is now at 7 million plus cassettes sold -- making
it, after less than a month of release, one of the 10 best-selling video
releases of all time.
Universal/Amblin/Hanna-Barbera's live action from cartoon opus The
Flintstones too in a whopping $62.5 million after nine days of release.
And speaking of cartoons into live action, Marvel's Biker Mice From Mars
(produced by once and future Executive Board member Tom Tataranowicz) has
been snapped up by the Ruddy/Morgan Organization for a theatrical long-form.
David Chan, producer of the three Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles features, has
been signed to assist with production.
In the Top Ten Video Sales list (Hollywood Reporter, June 8) The Return of
Jafar is #2, Batman: Mask of the Phantasm is #3, The Fox and the Hound is #6
and Aladdin is #9. Is there anybody out there who still wonders why more
animation is now in production than ever before?
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AU REVOIR, CBM; BONNE CHANCE, AMIGA
Despite an article in the Los Angeles Times declaring the demise of
COMMODORE INTERNATIONAL, our informed sources tell us the makers of the
Amiga computer are alive and kicking. Although Commodore's American branch,
Commodore Business Machines, has been liquidated, the European-based parent
company is still with us. Rumors are that a large Korean-based manufacturer
of TVs and computer monitors may take over marketing of the Amiga in the
U.S.
When it was first introduced, the Amiga had the most powerful graphics and
sound capabilities of any personal computer. In tandem with NewTek's Video
Toaster card, the Amiga became the machine of choice for professional
animation and film/video graphics.
However, the Amiga's somewhat clunky operating system and low-resolution
interface, combined with Commodore's bizarre marketing strategies and
unstable management, hobbled the machine's sales outside of the
once-relatively-limited graphics market. In hardware and software, the
Macintosh and IBM platforms have matched and in some areas begun to overtake
the Amiga technology.
In spite of (maybe even because of) CBM's demise, the Amiga remains an
excellent buy. We understand that Amiga owners will still be able to get
their computers serviced. The future of Amiga in the increasingly
competitive high-end graphics market remains to be seen.
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AT THE WATER-COOLER
Local 839 members turned out en masse to surprise DOUG MCCARTHY and LINDA
REDONDO with a thank-you party for their terrific job of representing Warner
Bros. employees during the contract negotiations. ALAN BURNETT, ALFRED
GIMENO, NICK HOLLANDER, TOM RAY, ERIC RADOMSKI and GREG REYNA were also
thanked for their part in the final sessions. A thousand pardons to CAROLYN
GUSKE who was mistakenly left off the list of participants ...
Four more engagements to report at Rich Entertainment, the "Love Boat" of
animation studios: KAREN HIGGINS to marry RICK FARMILOE on July 9; HEIDI
JANSSEN to wed ROBERT DAVEN on August 20; SCOTT SACKETT and SHERYL SARDINA
due to hitch on October 1; and RON FRIEDMAN to wed LORI MOORE on November
19. It must be something in the water ...
JESSIE PALUBESKI and husband Jerry are celebrating the arrival of their
grandchild, Davis Riley Palubeski, on May 15, weighing in at 6 pounds 7
ounces ...
Welcome back to L. A. for Amblimation producer STEVE HICKNER ...
The 1994 SCREEN CARTOONISTS GOLF TOURNAMENT was held May 21 in Indian Wells.
The weather was great and all golfers teed off in a "shotgun" start at 7:30
am. Most studios in town were represented by at least a few golfers. All the
tournament's sponsors, including Local 839, were recognized with signs on
the various tees.
Congratulations to all the winners, especially BARRY BLAYLOCK of Warner
Bros. for Men's Low Gross, and CATHERINE PAROTINO of Rich Animation for
Women's Low Gross. A survey was held, and the Central Coast area was chosen
for next year's tournament. If you have not been on the mailing list for the
tournament info, contact Lyn Mantta at (818) 766-7151.
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STATISTIC OF THE MONTH
Total number of magazine articles about the Flintstones feature.......538,617
Total number of magazine articles about the Flintstones feature
that mention MIKE MALTESE .....................0 (not counting this one)
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GERTIE AWARDS DEFEATED
At the Membership meeting on May31, the proposal to establish the Gertie
Awards that was detailed in the May Peg-Board was voted down.
Retraction
The May Peg-Board stated that a vote was to be taken at the May membership
meeting on a $35,000 appropriation for the Gertie Awards (see above). In
fact, there was no intention to propose a budget for the Gertie Awards at
the May meeting.
The Editorial Board regrets the error.
LOCAL 839 EDITORIAL BOARD
Steve Hulett * Jeff Massie * Tom Sito
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MOTION PICTURE SCREEN CARTOONISTS
AND AFFILIATED OPTICAL ELECTRONIC AND GRAPHIC ARTS,
LOCAL 839 IATSE
4729 Lankershim Boulevard, North Hollywood, CA 91602-1864
phone (818) 766-7151 * fax (818) 506-4805
E-mail inquiries: mps...@netcom.com
PRESIDENT -- Tom Sito
BUSINESS REPRESENTATIVE -- Steve Hulett
VICE-PRESIDENT -- George Sukara
RECORDING SECRETARY -- Jeff Massie
SERGEANT-AT-ARMS -- David Teague
PEG-BOARD EDITOR -- Jeff Massie
EXECUTIVE BOARD
Viki Anderson * Bronwen Barry * Sheila Brown * Jan Browning * James Davis
Craig Littell-Herrick * Tom Ray * Pat Sito * Ann Sullivan * Stephan Zupkas
TRUSTEES -- Pat Sito * Ann Sullivan * Stephan Zupkas
Contents (c) 1994 by MPSC Local 839 IATSE. All rights reserved. Publications
of bona fide labor organizations may reprint articles from this newsletter
so long as attribution is given. Permission is also given to distribute this
newsletter electronically so long as the ENTIRE contents are distributed,
including this notice.
--
_______________________________________________________________________________
Motion Picture Screen Cartoonists and 4729 Lankershim Blvd.
Affiliated Optical Electronic and North Hollywood, CA 91602-1864
Graphic Arts, Local 839 IATSE phone (818) 766-7151 * fax (818) 506-4805
E-mail: mps...@netcom.com
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