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695 Contract vote meeting this Sat


wolfvid

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We all know that there is contradictory language all over the contract. This one will fall in favor of the producer, as always.

Much like a mixer on location on a weekly is "guaranteed" 6 days, therefore justifying no OT until after 54 hours weekly, per the rate card. Yet a later portion of the contract states "for 6th and 7th days not worked..."

The producers combine the two, and work mixers 5 days, paying straight time until 54 hours. That's 11 hours a day of straight time.

It's this "language" which we don't see in the memorandum, which our side misses, and which ends up chipping away at our earnings. Just like this revision will chip away at the earnings of the boom and utility folk.

Robert

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The proposed language you refer to has not changed. All the misinterpretations and reinterpretations have and will always exist. New language that suddenly shows up when the actual contract is printed will be compared word-for-word, as it always is, and challenged where necessary.

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The language requiring a rerate after 2 hours is now gone. I'm just saying I think that's a shame. It is effectively a reduction in wages for a large group of 695 members. Robert

I think the big question here would be "WHY?"

Why in the hell, in these times, would a reduction in wages be tolerated or even on the table?

How does this even get on paper -- 695 Boom and Utilities pay plenty for "representation", don't they ?

Kudos to you for noticing this, but shouldn't someone at your meeting last week (perhaps leadership?) point out such a heinous wrong? Is it buried in there somehow

I think that provision absolutely stinks .....

MF

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Perhaps someone can post a photo of the portion of the memorandum to which we are referring. I am not home.

I think the language is pretty clear.

I am not saying there is a reduction in wages, but it's clear to me that this will lead to a reduction in earnings, particularly for utility folks.

Robert

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British unions have this excellent tactic they use when they don't quite want to strike but do want to get their point across, it's called "work to rule". Everybody does things exactly by the book. It usually slows things down so much that management cave pretty quickly as they have no legal recourse to fire/punish someone who's doing everything they're supposed to do.

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Regarding a higher rate of pay for Boom Operators relative to Utility Sound Techs, I can confirm that this is not a contractual guarantee.

I was working double-up days on a show for Fox a few years ago and had a Utility person put in for the re-rate. Regrettably, she did not inform me that she was doing so; she just filled in the timecard and noted the re-rate in the "Special Instructions" box. There's nothing wrong with applying for the higher classification but I think it a breach of good form to not alert the Mixer so he might know what's going on. The Production Manager called me to ask about the re-rate and, caught unawares, I was at some pains to avoid babbling incoherently. I asked for a little time to research the matter and promised to get back to the U.P.M.

I spoke with the Utility person, ascertained what scene she had boomed and reviewed how long she had boomed and for how many shots. Then, to better familiarize myself with the contract provisions, I called the Local and reviewed the issue with Scott Bernard, the Member Services Coordinator. (I think his official title now is Assistant Business Representative)

At the time Scott told me that the producer was not contractually obligated to pay the Boom Operator a higher salary than the Utility Tech. Paying the Boom Operator at Y-4 rate was entirely a matter of custom and practice, observed by some shows and not by others. If a show were following that practice with their first unit crew there might be some moral leverage to encourage them to extend it to the second unit crew but there was no contractual requirement.

Armed with that knowledge, I returned the UPM's call and explained the situation.Knowing it wasn't a requirement, I proceeded diplomatically and tried to be persuasive rather then make demands. As I recall, her re-rate was accepted and she was paid the higher salary for that day.

David

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Paying Y-4 is not required. "ER", as I recall, paid boom op Y-4 and the utility Y-8, so as to say both guys are paid as a boom operator, one of whom is over scale. This way, the utility never rerated.

But customarily, a boom op is paid Y-4, and utility is rerated to the higher rate when he/she booms.

My point, however, is the new language will draw further attention to the fact that the boom operator is actually Y-8 and is the same as the utility rate. And if production elects to pay the boom operator "over scale" Y-4, the utility can "perform the duty with no increase in pay". The latter will play a greater part on ALL other agreements where there is actually a difference in pay between the two jobs.

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Robert, NOTHING CHANGED regarding Boom and Utility. There is NO new language regarding Boom and Utility. NOTHING is drawing further attention to Boom and Utility. NOTHING has been added, NOTHING has been removed, NOTHING has been altered. If you think it's a problem now... well, that problem's always been there... but in case I haven't mentioned it, NOTHING CHANGED regarding Boom and Utility.

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Incorrect. Current 2009-2012 Basic Agreement, page 54, Section 13: Working in Higher Classification: "The provisions of this paragraph do not apply unless the employee is assigned to work in the higher classification for two (2) hours or more."

Bud, I've checked the Contract and you are correct... the 2-hour re-rate is there and it was there and it will be there. Nothing changed.

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+1 for Crew's comment.

We are not the problem, but whipping boy for an industry that has completely lost it's ability to function in the current marketplace. The system is broken, and even if we worked for free, it's not going to fix it. (It's interesting to note, however, that while various media outlets have lost market share, the revenue of many of the parent companies continues it's upward trend).

--S

snip>>>>The AMPTP has their own problems. They have lost the ability to create a quality product that people want. They are loosing their market share. Labor is not the problem, rather it is a bloated management that cost all the $$$ to make an infiriour product. Reminds me of GM before the crash.

CrewC

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Don't know what Wolf's whining about but for those people who are, in fact, Local 695 members, you already received your ballot and ballot recommendation in the mail. You can learn about the negotiations and the contract proposals here... http://www.695.com/html/2012contract.php. All 695 members... please send in your postage paid ballot before July 2nd. Vote or shut up.

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techla06 found the article from new york times regarding big profits of CBS and other media companies. Read about the startling 80% increase in profits below. The producers are doing very good, they are just greedy and will always try to gouge us and fill their pockets while not providing enough to the worker.

CBS, Ahead of Upfronts, Has Strong 1st Quarter

By BRIAN STELTER

Published: May 1, 2012

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/02/business/media/cbs-reports-strong-first-quarter.html

New revenue from syndication, online streaming services and subscription fees helped the CBS Corporation to report an 80 percent increase in profits on Tuesday, its strongest such first-quarter gains since it was spun off from Viacom six years ago.

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The company's net earnings for the quarter were $363 million, or 54 cents a share, up from $202 million, or 29 cents a share, in the same quarter a year ago. Wall Street analysts had predicted earnings of 44 cents a share. "They are clocking it in every category," said David W. Miller, a managing director covering media and entertainment at the investment bank Caris & Company, calling the CBS earnings "outstanding."

Leslie Moonves, the CBS chief executive, said the first-quarter earnings foreshadowed a "record 2012" for the broadcaster, which is preparing to present its 2012-13 network television schedule to advertisers. The presentation on May 14 will kick off a period of so-called upfront advertising sales.

"We led the upfront last year, and we guarantee we will lead it again this year," Mr. Moonves said on a conference call with investors.

The company is benefiting from the CBS network's long-standing status as the most-watched among total viewers in the United States. CBS has fewer holes to fill on its television schedule than its competitors do, "meaning that we'll be much more selective than our competitors will have to be," Mr. Moonves said Tuesday.

Heading into the upfront period, "we're feeling a lot of strength from the ad market," he added.

But Mr. Moonves and other CBS executives pointed out that the company — traditionally the most reliant on ad revenue of any of the major media companies — is continuing to come up with more nonad revenue.

Of CBS Corporation's $3.92 billion in total revenue in the first quarter, 39 percent originated from nonadvertising sources, according to the company, up from 35 percent in the first quarter of 2011.

"Syndication, retrans and online streaming are having a huge impact on our numbers and are not directly tied to the economy," Mr. Moonves said, abbreviating the word retransmission, which refers to fees paid by distributors and affiliates for the rights to CBS programming. "Many of these revenue sources did not even exist just a few short years ago," he noted.

A 12 percent gain in total revenue for the quarter — from $3.51 billion in the same quarter last year — was attributed in part to digital licensing deals. CBS already licenses some of its old shows to Netflix and Amazon's streaming services, and it is in talks with other such online video distributors.

In the conference call, Mr. Moonves seemed to let slip the name of at least one of them, Intel, which has reportedly been in negotiations with channel owners about selling a virtual cable subscription via the Internet. CBS, he said, was talking to "the Intels of the world" as well as existing cable operators like Comcast. New digital deals will be made "over the next number of months," he said.

CBS revenue also grew thanks to traditional syndication deals, including a new one with the AMC network for "CSI: Miami," and increases in subscriptions to Showtime Networks, its pay cable arm.

Its local broadcasting businesses were flat for the quarter. Joseph Ianniello, the CBS chief financial officer, said at the company's television and radio stations, local ad sales outpaced national ad sales, which is significant because local businesses can be a "leading indicator" of an economic rebound.

The automotive and retail sectors were the bright spots for local ad sales.

Speaking to investors on Tuesday, Mr. Moonves also singled out the company's news division, CBS News, for praise. The "CBS Evening News," which has languished in third place among the network newscasts for years, is the only one of the three to be up year-over-year, he said.

------------- end

-------------------- note he was selling the network at the time... still

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from the video board with an excellent link

On Jun 22, 2012, at 9:42 AM, "nebtek02" <gnebeker@nebtek.com> wrote:

This quote from Chester L. Karrass has sold untold millions of copies of his book and filled his seminars.

I hope It makes you stop and think..Are we getting what we deserve? Have we left too much on the table?

I am sorry for the long post but this is very important. Please take time to read the linked article.

Anyone who has every made offer and counter offer on a house or legal settlement knows this one. It gets uncomfortable, it gets emotional and sometimes you just want to walk away and say take it!! I am tired of lawyers and the drama. But if you keep your head and your cool you can get a better deal in the end.

I my view we are not getting what we deserve to say the least and our leadership has done a poor job of negotiating on our behalf. But it's not their fault. Negotiating is really hard especially if you are trying to please everybody. If they knew the people they have to answer to were going to "ream them out" when they got out of the negotiation they would be tougher negotiators. But why should they bother? When they sold us out last time and the time we just ratified the contract. After all it is easier to not rock the boat right? We all turned our backs on our brothers that are not working continually by ratifying the last horrible contract that upped the health insurance hours from 300 hour to 400 hours!! The result is that there are now more of our brothers and their families who are without health insurance right now because we failed to stand together and say NO!. Why should we care? At least the lines are not so long for us in our doctors offices right? After all we get work all the time, 400 hours is really not so bad of a deal for us.

But the plan is broke! Give me a break!! The whole thing is mismanaged and corrupt. It's our Union!! We need to fire these guys who have just done such a poor job of management!

Our Health plan that you are sopposed to be managing is broke? Really Your FIRED!!

Why? For not fighting for a NATIONAL Union to protect all film workers. (see beolw)

Then there is the Fear Factor!! Oh my! I might not get another job. I better just agree to a lower rate, lower rental, lower benefits. Rolling over and handing more to the fat cats has never served the working class. NEVER. They line their pockets and squeeze us farther and turn up the fear. Now Greg has not had a job for a while and saying yes to the last contract is looking like not such a good idea could he fail to reach 400 hours?. So who cares if our leadership gives up more ground each year in their failed attempts to negotiate. So now economic turmoil and fear whipped by the same fat cats bears down on us and we are worried about how to make our Mortgage payment, kids tuition payments, provide health care for our families. So the thought goes.. we better just take this lousy deal and get back to work.

Oh My all the jobs are out of state! It will only get worse unless we act! What did you expect? NOBODY worried about the other states. At least 695 rates are still OK! So who cares if the non-Maryland Area standards agreement sells out all those in the middle of the US, NEW YORK and LOS ANGELES are the movie capitals right? Well I have news for you. The Number one issue in Film funding is what state or county will give me the most subsidy to make my film there!. This is not going to change! We are becoming migrant film workers. Sure California can try to compete but with the financial mess they are in I don't see them being successful even if Sacramento had a sudden love affair with Hollywood.

The area standards agreement is the single most harmful agreement to our industry as a whole and we have stood by and acted like it only effects other peoples jobs. It has taken our jobs! It was the great producer's coop. It was made with all the weaker smaller stage hand and studio mechanics locals. Jobs are all interchangeable, Wages are low but it gave those unions a hugh influx of cash and simultaneously cost us and weakened our health plans. But the workers in those states got screwed and so did we! $27 and change an hour for video assist in those states while the camera guys nationally get the full rates!!!

WE SHOULD BE OUTRAGED!

READ THIS!!

http://web.me.com/jwsound/Site/i.a.history.html

This just may be the time to save our jobs by organizing!! This is what Unions are supposed to do! I have said repeatedly that Video Assist belongs in 600 not because I want to be in that local per se but because they have a national local! We can never address runaway production from such a weak bargaining position PERIOD.

The days of the Hollywood locals should be numbered and National locals should be formed from them. We ned to band together and organize with our brothers from another state to improve conditions for all. We can no longer afford to watch our jobs lost to runaway production. This industry is changed forever. It will never be the way it was cause the cat is out of the bag and the jobs are all over the country. And I suspect that more and more will be Migrant film workers.

If we say yes to a bad deal will we be better off in 6 months with only a 2% raise (which IS a pay cut when inflation is factored in)? Not to mention the Implementation of Monthly fees for our Health Plan, Extending the Studio Zone, No improved working conditions and No New Media Agreement?

We need to VOTE NO! Tell them to go back and re-negoiate. Tell them the loosing more in each round is not OK by us!

IMPORTANT!! A NO vote is not a vote to strike. It is just telling them we deserve better and we expect you to do a better job of negotiating!

Then Demand action. If we kick it down the road it will get worse. If your going to vote yes then you may want to get some goats.

In Solidarity,

Gaylen

Local 695

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