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Local 695 coming through for me...


curleysound

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I'd like to share something I was told by Scott Rudin today. About 3 years ago, I worked on "Dragon Wars" which was my first union feature. It came out recently, and is not doing great in the BO, but the film has been reporting it's budget of $30M for production, and $75M total budget before P&A. When I got the job, UPM Sasha Schneider had us sign a low budget contract, stating that the budget was under $3M, or one tenth of what was really true. We all had our suspicions when we saw the Abrams Tanks rolling into downtown LA, and the 50 foot technocrane next to the 30 foot technocrane, and the spider cam, the 300 soldiers running around with rifles, etc. Well, we called it in, and eventually, we received word that, despite the audit, since the company was Korean, it wasn't in IATSE jurisdiction, and that basically we were out the money. Well, Scott called me today, and said that they have been talking to them the whole time, and have finally convinced them to pony up what they shorted every union member on that show!

I'm thankful that I had the union on my side in this case, because any other situation would have resulted in me just being plain screwed.

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  • 2 months later...

I can assure you that L695 did nothing, because they never do. It was the National IATSE office in LA that did the negotiations I am sure.

Of the approx. 800 $ a year you pay to L 695, approx 250 $ go to Tom Short at the national office and thats  what got the Koreas to pony up.  L695 under the 30 year leadership of Jim Osburn is a dysfunctional mess that does nothing but pay him and his cronies hefty salaries. The sad thing is that the election coming up will re institute the tired bunch that has been there for years. Hopefully Ullanos hands off leadership will not lead us into a nation wide local with rates at Arizonas level. Their hands are off the switches, they don't even know how much money is in their bank accounts or what to do with it. Its a real sorry mess.

We did video on "Bobby" a Tier II low budget TV movie. Rates during shooting were approx half of the basic contract.  When more money was raised to finish the film the whole crew got 2 checks after the end of production all negotiated by the International office of the iA in LA. It did not quite double the salaries. L695 was not involved  or informed.

its a sad mess.... wolf

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Guest afewmoreyears

I get mad at every check I send those folks..... I am so disappointed in the whole thing.... a joke at best....  the most activity I see from any of them is during the elections.....  but it is partially our fault for voting these_ _ _ _ _ _ in office....        Horrible mess....  I did get a Christmas card for my $880.00 though.... at least thats something...

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The weirdest thing is that if you talk to any of the  Board of Director they will tell you individually that Osburn/Alvarez are clinical lunatics who actually hate the membership and live in total isolation from the rest of the labor elite here in Hollywood.

These elected Board members ( and there are 1 or 2 exceptions) live in denial of supporting a dictatorship of bullies.  and even harder to believe is that they are all running again for office and there is no - NO  opposition.  Jeff Wexler and Don Coufal , the last of the older morally upstanding (but totally ineffective) members quit in utter disgust.

L695 lack any activity at all that benefits members. They threaten us with retribution even for a little thing like voting for extended negotiations for or last contract. They hide the fact that a loss by the WGA will cut into our Health and retirement plan by 65%. They silently support Tom Short in his inane attacks on the WGA. They won't even bring bagels to the strikers.

In Burma L695 would get medals for their behavior.

This is no rant, its a sick situation with no signs of improvement for at least 3 years.

out wolf

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The weirdest thing is that if you talk to any of the  Board of Director they will tell you individually that Osburn/Alvarez are clinical lunatics who actually hate the membership and live in total isolation from the rest of the labor elite here in Hollywood.

It is incorrect, Wolf, to include me as a Board Member who characterizes Osburn/Alvarez in the way you describe. Each and every Board member that I know of has their own opinions about Jim Osburn and Elizabeth (and the other Board members as well) but we certainly do not all feel the way you state.

These elected Board members ( and there are 1 or 2 exceptions) live in denial of supporting a dictatorship of bullies.  and even harder to believe is that they are all running again for office and there is no - NO  opposition.  Jeff Wexler and Don Coufal , the last of the older morally upstanding (but totally ineffective) members quit in utter disgust.

This too is incorrect. Don Coufal decided not to run again after serving on the Board for 1 or 2 terms --- he did not "quit in disgust" and neither did I. Most recently, I too have decided to not run again for a Board position having now served for 2 terms.

L695 lack any activity at all that benefits members. They threaten us with retribution even for a little thing like voting for extended negotiations for or last contract. They hide the fact that a loss by the WGA will cut into our Health and retirement plan by 65%. They silently support Tom Short in his inane attacks on the WGA. They won't even bring bagels to the strikers.

The above statements are also incorrect. Most all of the Board members including Osburn have openly supported the Writers' strike and have made us all fully aware how residuals and the other issues at stake affect our future. It is absolutely true that Tom Short is completely opposed to the Writers and WILL apply pressure to anyone in the I.A. leadership at the Local level who seems to be supporting the strike. Our leadership, at the local level, must be very careful to not endanger our Local by publicly encouraging ANY sort of labor struggle that has not been officially sanctioned by the International.

This is no rant, its a sick situation with no signs of improvement for at least 3 years.

I would think that this understanding of the chronic sick situation in our Local might have prompted those, like Wolf, to run for office. Some of the energy that goes into these rants could possibly be harnessed to actually benefit our members instead of just fanning the flames of discontent.

Regards,  Jeff Wexler

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I get mad at every check I send those folks..... I am so disappointed in the whole thing.... a joke at best....   the most activity I see from any of them is during the elections.....  but it is partially our fault for voting these_ _ _ _ _ _ in office....        Horrible mess....   I did get a Christmas card for my $880.00 though.... at least thats something...

No one forced you to join the union. If you feel you are not getting your monies worth, then quit. Or, possibly if you think you could turn some of your disappointment into positive action, improving the functioning of our union, you could consider getting more involved. Maybe you and Wolf can get together and really make a change... 

Regards,  Jeff Wexler

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Guest afewmoreyears

Jeff,

  don't take it so personal.... 

  You seem to react to everything like we're commenting on your family....  These are just opinions...  ease up...

If I could quit, I would.... I was FORCED in in the first place.

A few more years..... get it....?  Then I'm out of here for good....  I have no time or patience for dealing with the people in this industry for much longer....  I'm about done.... as soon as I can get out, I promise... I will...  Besides, I live too far even if I wanted to involve myself more.....  I personally get very little out of the whole union thing, and I doubt the pension will be there in the end....  I'm hopeful, but thats about it...

Again, 

Have a great weekend. 

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  don't take it so personal.... 

It's a good thing to have a vigorous expressions of opinion and I wouldn't want to discourage that. Still, in fairness to Jeff, Wolf did reference him and his long-time boom operator, Don Coufal, by name. He referred to them as "totally ineffective" and asserted, without any corroboration, that they quit the E-board "in utter disgust."

I can't imagine how Jeff could avoid taking it personally. Wolf and Jeff are old friends and collaborators on the Local 695 education committee so I expect they will make amends. But don't expect someone to react to being characterized as a no-good-scoundrel-snake-in-the-grass as just a friendly suggestion.

David Waelder

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Guest afewmoreyears

David,

  I was not talking about Wolf,  I was talking about me.....  Sorry for the confusion....  I never meant any disrespect to Mr. Wexler,  although he seems to always take it with me for some reason.....  Have I made a few negative posts in the past about things,  yes....  but I never mean to give Mr Wexler a direct hard time.....  I just state my feelings and opinions here,  I'll say it again....  Only my opinions.... Really,  they mean nothing....  This is a forum for opinions both positive and negative....  I just speak my thoughts....  Take 'em or leave 'em... 

I have never called Mr Wexler Ignorant....  but......  he has said that about me....  No matter...  I can take it....  I'm a lot tougher than that.....    I'm sure he's a nice guy....  Never met him...  Only want a nice relationship, and to enjoy this great forum of his.

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Wow, this got heated quickly... If there is to be any kind of positive action, we should break it all down to the bare ingredients. Pro's and Cons of the present situation, and where to take it from there. I imagine a lot of your initial reaction to that idea is to say "It all stinks!" But a logical discussion here of what actually needs to change, what bylaws, what fundamental points of view, what operational procedures can change to make a positive shift in getting some power through solidarity, getting some kind of resolution that works in our favor. This is the basis of the union. If we show our ability to stand together for something we all basically agree on, then we can actually do something. It's when we all start nit picking, name calling, and saying coulda-shoulda-woulda that the idea sharing breaks down. I know it's easy to be an internet tough guy (In general, not pointing at anyone), but it really only leads to people not wanting to share their thoughts, as they will only be lambasted for a simple oversight, or difference of opinion. There will be differences of opinion, but the truth of the matter is that we're all here for the same thing. We want a regular day of work, get paid what we're worth, and be able to retire some day with a dollar to two to spare, am I wrong?

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curley is right of course and totally naive. ( So was I till I went to 2 BOD meetings) [ they will kiss you on the lips and stab you in the back at the same time]

Here my personal opinion:

The IA is a dictatorship, always been, of course  there are select efforts to change this even at the level of the national conventions/paid vacations. Tom Short himself prints threatening leaflets, the local forces elected treasurers who want to look at the books out of the industry and rest of the elected Board of Directors (BOD) of L695 does not stand up for those officers.  Those are just a few samples of the crass goings on.

The list is endless and starts with daily ignoring of phone calls up to pretenses of ignorance and passes thru levels of insults and threats even at the local level for basic things like  asking for simple information. Ever call and try to find out rates for some weird production tier??    The list of names of people who have been threatened and verbally assaulted by Osburne is pretty long and include half the (masochistic?) BOD. The elected board of directors (BOD) has been called rubberstampers and that’s a compliment.

as to Jeffs comments:

"No one forced you to join the union. “

what a stupid thing to say....

that’s just not true - if you want to work  on decent productions you have to be a union member -- wake up Jeff

"If you feel you are not getting your monies worth, then quit. “

also not a  choice, all good productions are union, and conditions are better there than in the non-union world. Only a few "established" folks manage to get better than union deals today. Highly respected mixers like Jeff used to get 10-20% OVER SCALE IN THE 80'S AND 90'S REGULARLY, not anymore. Do any mixers get a rental that allows them to pay for the new gear every year??? Do video guys???  --- L695 does not command respect for the skills it provides to the industry….  How to do that? A concerted expensive PR campaign… will it happen under Osburne?? Hell NO!  does camera do it ?? Hell yes all the time. And they don’t even read a light meter anymore.

"Or, possibly if you think you could turn some of your disappointment into positive action, improving the functioning of our union, you could consider getting more involved. “

sounds nice... now Jeff tell us where anybody on just our local BOD has made any kind of improvements. Anything – really….???  When asking J. Osburne or the office cronies one is usually told that JO can not talk about the arbitrations he has won. Ruling in secret??  sounds medieval to me.  WGA discussion at a closed meeting? Yea… but what else?  Did any group of concered mixers get guidance how to support the WGA?  Hell NO.

"Maybe you and Wolf can get together and really make a change...

As all of you know I tried  and I actually ran a very successful education program for the summer of 2006. Jeff was the moral guide in that. We did not commercialize the local, we did not sell the local address list like Osburne does, we put on 25 great events in which 250 people participated. Of course this has to be an ongoing effort as the technology progresses. Not so. Osburne killed it and nothing has happened since. ( the few events under Laurence [ a great guy by the way] were initiated by outsiders (Coffey).

A personal case: The Board of directors under the leadership of Ullano did not want to pay me for my 12 month effort, so I quit. 11 months latter Osburne found it in his black heart to send me a check for $ 4000.00. Now his heart is just a fading grey color.

what to do:

Our local constitution is undemocratic at the core. Too much power is concentrated in the hands of one paid BA.  Elected board members who can not participate must be able to appoint voting substitutes (proxies). BOD positions who resign must be reelected not appointed by the inner cabal. T Shorts  dictatorial control of our local constitution must be ended, there has to be local autonomy.  If people sense they have no power they will not participate. Duhhhhh…..

new members need labor education not a lunatic lecture by Alvarez. New members need a socialization period and process. We have no apprenticeship but a fast track alternative has to be designed.

policing of sets (visits by the local staff) must be widened from the TV shows on the lots.

There has to be an independent newsletter to involve members. The Website is nice, buts it’s the same old official line being hammered – BORING!!!  So far Osburn has been censoring any attempts at this. Ask Waelder – he put in a lot of work only to be suppressed by the bureaucratic run around and again no support from the BOD. Right Jeff???

Union social events need to be regular, Osburne killed the 75 th anniversary celebration that was planned by a member. There have to be annual "parties" like at all the other locals. We have to join the other locals in screening programs. Even the CAS manages that.  A lone Mac in the basement of the L695 office does not make a socially coherent group. But thanks Jeff for getting that much done – now where are the introductory classes for non computer literates???? Editorial manages this, has for years… not us.

a professional Executive Director under control of the BOD has to be hired. He would be able to communicate and write readable letters. Osburnes position has to be reduced to a one day a week consultant. He knows a lot but is not passing it on to the next generation, he is well over his prime by now. His knees will tell you that.

Finances have to be transparent. There is no reason to have huge cash balances (1.5 million) sloshing around the 695 treasury. It’s lawyer bait, or the BOD will give it to Osburne as a golden parachute to get his ass out of there.

There is a serious problem though in that members are not involved. And what this will lead to is either a total demise of the local ( could it get worse??) or a outburst of the lunatic fringe like we had in the 90's  when The international send a convicted child molester to run the local. Yes he was a very nice guy, but died mysteriously in some remote Motel room. Folks ion the know use this as a threat against member involvement…

You can see there is a lot of history that has to be discarded, and it takes effort and time. I am actually in favor of paying an elected president and treasurer, so that there is more hands on management by members. ( who has the time otherwise, we are all under pressure from higher mortgages) . Monthly BOD meetings are nice but not enough to control a small powerhungry cabal of bullies running our local now.

None of this is new to folks who visit the BOD meeting occasionally, even Ullano will intellectually agree to most of this - he just wont lift a finger, nor can he, he has to support a family. The trouble is we let ourselves be ruled by a dictatorship and don't have to.

There is no way to change our local unless Osburne/Ullano/Alvarez get voted out. That will not happen for 3 years.

lots more to say, and lots of conditions need improving.... but there is no hope with the current bunch of rubberstampers, look at the last 3 years.... - -  yea yea there are exceptions to all of this…. And its just one personal opinion….

sorry  --- I suspect most folks are bored by all this an leave it alone.

and if not they are certainly living in fear of the revenge of Osburne. He can get you fired, and makes that very clear especially to up and coming mixers. He actually has a program of idiotic interference on sets were there is nothing wrong just to let mixers know his power. He has not realized that the majority of members are video guys.

Ahhh hell.. it cant get much worse…

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As I sit here in my living room reading this thread, I'm reminded of a book I read in college -- Colin Turnbull's The Mountain People...  It's a pretty short read (about 300 pgs. for those of you interested enough) but it's an anthropological account of how a drought effected a group of otherwise civil-minded tribes in Ethiopia (if I remember correctly.) 

My point (and Turnbull's as well) is that when times get tough there seems to be an innate propensity for humans (on any level) to sort of circle the wagons and embrace conflict - even within otherwise amicable circles (down to the immediate family in the case of Turnbull's account.)

I'm no expert... and having only recently joined the IA in the NW (local 488) as a result of working on a show that turned (Home of the Brave) ...and having mixed feelings about it myself, I can't help but feel a bit disillusioned about what it means to be a Union Sound Mixer.  I've always wanted to wear that badge -- ever since I worked as an intern on Benny and Joon.  I see the big dogs (many of you regular posters on this forum) and look at your IMDb pages and the caliber of shows on which you work and think, "Man, I can't wait to rise to that level -- I can't wait to be 'that guy'..."  There's an air of prestige that you carry because of the work you do -- regardless of the politics and underhanded backstabbing and slithering that no-doubt occurs -- within any governing body.

I guess my point is that (especially in these times, during this season) we should try to do everything we can to lift each other up and honor the good in one another.  It is easy to point fingers, but when the dust settles, we still work in the greatest industry on Earth.  Shouldn't we try to keep in mind how many people on the face of this planet look at what we do with absolute wonderment and envy.  These are dark times for many of us -- but the sun will re-appear... and hopefully we'll all still be friends, yes?

Happy non-secular holiday season  : )

--tt

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Hey Taylormadeaudio, IMHO your POV will take you far in this world. Stay positive, live on love street, and don't succumb to the temptation of the negative. This is a good industry full of fine people. Enjoy it for what it can be. Good times come and good times go, just like bad times. They are our times, enjoy them while we can. As someone once said, "Whats so funny about peace love and understanding"?  I think it was Rich Van Dyke. Or maybe Elvis Costello. Peace out from Orange County.

CrewC

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