BULLETINLocal 728 studio electrical lighting technicians

the only iatse local dedicated to set lighting Full color version available at www.iatse728.org

CharteredMay 15, 1939

Vol. 28; No. 32018

hollywoodC A L I F O R N I A

THE

INSIDE YOUR BULLETIN

Want to Make God Laugh?,Treasurer-Call Steward’s Column, Page 6

Honorary Memberships, Page 7Daily Call Sheet Training, Page 8

Community Outreach

Safeguarding Our Futures,President’s Message, Page 2

Behind the Scenes in Sacramento, Business Representative’s Column, Page 3

Community Outreach, Pages 4 & 5

Local 728 Shines the Spotlight on the IA, Unions and Working in the

Entertainment Industry

by Alan M. Rowe, President

PAGE 2

I.A.T.S.E.Local 728

Hollywood, California

PresidentAlan M. Rowe

Vice PresidentGreg Reeves

Business Rep-SecretaryPatric J. Abaravich

Treasurer-Call StewardPascal M. Guillemard

Executive BoardDessie CoaleMichael Gips

Darryl HerzonRoger L. LattinJason e. Lord

Charles H. McIntyre, IIIIain O’Higgins

Michael Paul OreficeJeremy Schonwald

Laura StewartMartin W. WeeksJason R. Young

Sergeant-At-ArmsRichard McConihay

ParliamentarianPascal M. Guillemard

TrusteesStephanie Choi

Ryan ThomasJeremy SchonwaldRobin Strickland

Safety & TrainingAlan M. Rowe, Director

Shop StewardsCBS - John L. Murray

Fox - Ronald Orefice, IIParamount - Frank Valdez

Sony - John JacobsNBC/Universal - Ted Rapp

Warner Bros. - Chris Hathaway

CLC DelegatesPatric J. Abaravich

Dennis K. GrowPascal M. GuillemardNorman George Lang

S. Cricket PetersGreg ReevesAlan M. Rowe

The BulletinPublisher, Margie Stites

Editor, Alan M. Rowe

Office StaffSean Harkess

Julianna BesseyClaudia Smith

IATSE LOCAL 7281-800-551-21581-818-954-0728

WWW.IATSE728.ORG

Continued on Page 7

There is a lot of anxiety in the labor movement these days. Many work-ers are uncertain about their future

with attacks on the American middle class coming from legislators on the state and federal level as well as the judiciary. The recent hearing at the Supreme Court on the Janus case looks to legitimize free loaders in the Public Sector workplace and allow them to receive the benefits of the union without paying a single penny. Many people fear we are literally seeing the end of the labor movement and a roll-ing back of labor laws to the days before the New Deal. At the last General Executive Board Meeting, International President Loeb stressed importance of contributions to the IATSE’s Political Action Committee fund. The Supreme Court has ruled that money is speech and without it, it will be difficult to be heard over our well-funded opponents who would like to see every worker in America working for slave wages. But there is light in the darkness. Those that expect us to roll over and be thankful that we even have a job don’t realize that they can’t put the genie back in the bottle. Recently, teachers in West Virginia, a state that not long ago adopted laws to hobble labor unions, shut down the state govern-ment in a 9-day strike that resulted in a 5% increase in wages for all state employees. We are seeing the power of the wom-en’s movement through the “Me Too” and “Time’s Up” campaigns. Many people con-tributed to the election of Doug Jones, the first Democratic Senator in Alabama to be elected in over 20 years, and the increase in activism among African-American women. Regardless of your political stripe, there is no doubt that people are rising up to say enough and those foolish enough to ignore the voice of the people do so at their own peril.

In many ways, Local 728 is lucky. We are not yet facing the same pressures as work-ers in other states and industries. Califor-nia is a very pro-worker state and the film industry is strong. But we have not had our head in the sand. Local 728 is actively preparing for any possible future, positive or negative. Our Officers have all availed themselves of training and are implementing policies that safeguard our treasury, support our community, and promote the general wel-fare of our members and our families. We are developing a Volunteer Database to engage our local communities and give opportunities for members to give back; our Scholarship Program is expanding so we can work towards providing assistance to all our children who want to better themselves through college and trade schools; we are actively protecting our craft through participation in Standards Writing such as the National Electrical Code; our Ergonomics Committee is talking with companies that are develop-ing wearable robotic technology that can assist our work; our Negotiating Com-mittee has presented the largest contract ever proposed; Jane Krueger, our Women’s Committee Chair, was invited to be part of a panel for Women in Media; our Trustees attended the first-ever training offered

Safeguarding Our Futures

We recently announced the recipi-ents of the Local 728 Gaffer’s Award. Unfortunately, we failed to correctly

acknowledge Gaffer Ian Kincaid for his work on the film Hateful Eight. We deep-ly regret the error and look forward to presenting Ian with his Gaffer’s Award

in the near future.

OUR APOLOGIES

PAGE 3

UnionSpotlight

DeceasedBrother Greg A. Langham, 65 years old, a member since June 26, 1976, passed away March 25, 2018.

by Patric J. Abaravich, Business Representative-SecretaryNew MembersCongratulations to the fol-lowing new members who were sworn in on March 10, 2018: Jacob Abrams, Maria Edu-arda Alguin Simoes, Travis Andrews, Arthur A. Aragon, Michael D. Booth, Christian Cazor, Carter Lee Garrett, Andrew W. Gonzales, Aaron Kish, Eric Lemus, Luis Manzo, Jr., Lee Narby, Alexandro Oje-da, Aaron Paustian, Ryan Rod-gers, Richard Silva, Spencer Smith, Joshua Christopher Walter and Brandon Niguel Wilson; on March 20, 2018; Korey VanHuis; on March 22, 2018; Dale Pray and Julian Quinonez; and on March 28, 2018, Daniel Witczak.

UNION SPOTLIGHTContinued on Page 7

NOTICE OF APPLICATIONThe full list of individuals making application in the union can be found on the

Local 728 website.

Behind the Scenes in Sacramento

Hollywood BA’s head to the state capitol to get next round of tax incentives through committee hearings

GeneralMeMbership

MeetinGwill be held on

July 14, 20189:00 a.M. sharp

iatse local 7281001 w. MaGnolia blvd.

burbankplease brinG your

union card

There’s a lot of power when you look someone in the eye, shake their hand and personally ask them –

or thank them – for their support. That one-on-one interaction helped us get SB 1839 to the governor’s desk in 2014 and business back to Hollywood. Not resting on our laurels, I recently had the privilege of representing all of us again in the hallways of the state capitol when I joined several business agents and L.A. labor officials on a critical trip to Sacra-mento. In this round, we were pushing through committee SB 951, the Califor-nia Film and Television Production Jobs Act sponsored by State Senator Holly Mitchell, and AB 1734, the California Film and Television Job Retention and Promotion Act sponsored by Assembly member Ian Calderon. These senate and assembly bills are the latest version of the tax incentive program AB 1839 that was passed in 2014. Both of the new bills make needed improvements to strengthen the current legislation which expires on Dec. 31, 2019. Because productions work far in advance and need time to finalize Cali-fornia locations, financing, studio space, etc., we want to get the bill passed, signed and ready to go seamlessly into effect on January 1, 2020. Additionally, we are lobbying the ap-propriate committees in both chambers to increase the current $330 million in tax incentives to a greater amount. The California Film Commission oversees the tax incentive program and chooses which motion picture and television productions are eligible. Pro-ductions are largely chosen based on the number of below-the-line jobs they will

produce, rather than being selected by a lottery system. Unlike other states, our tax program is limited to the film crew and does not partly reimburse the wages of writers, directors or the actors. It’s important to stress that since day one the tax program has been successful. At first it attracted television shows and mid-range feature films, but now more and more big-budget productions like Disney’s “Captain Marvel” and Para-mount’s “Transformers” are coming back to Hollywood. While we feel confident that these bills in both the assembly and senate will suc-cessfully make it through the legislative process and the governor will sign them, we can’t take their passage for granted. I really need everyone’s help and support to push these bills over the finish line. Part of our campaign is to show videos of members thanking legislators for AB 1839. All I need are short, 1 to 3 minute iPhone or Android videos of you and crew discussing the upswing of produc-tion in town. It would also be great to get some crew comments from any of the 13 shows that have relocated back to L.A. (FX’s “Legion,” HBO’s “Ballers” and Fox’s “Lucifer”) due to the tax incentives. This is a big ask but it’s very import-ant. It’s one thing for me to go to Sacra-mento with other BA’s and local labor leaders to plead our case. However, it’s more impactful for the legislators to hear directly from you, explaining just how much these tax incentives have positively affected you and your family. Please take the minute or so to hit record and tell your story. Once you’re finished, send the video to me at pja@iatse728.org.

PAGE 4

On Thursday, January 25th, the long-awaited IATSE Community Outreach Event in conjunction with Assemblymember Adrin Nazarian took place

at Los Angeles Valley College. Fourteen months in the making! And it was certainly worth the wait. With nearly 300 RSVPs, we were pleased with the 166 students and community members who came out to Monarch Hall to hear numerous IA officers and members-at-large share our experiences of how we broke into the film and televi-sion industry.

As you know, we all like to tell stories. And in spite of going 30 minutes over our scheduled presentation limit, not a single attendee left!

Community OutreachLocal 728 Shines the Spotlight on the IA, Unions and

Working in the Entertainment Industry at apacked valley college event featuring guest speaker

California Assemblymember Adrin Nazarianby Local 728 Vice President Greg Reeves

The IA Panel included Local 728 Vice President Greg Reeves (above

and far left); Laurence Abrams, Education and Communications Director & Recording Secretary

for Local 695; Local 728 Business Representative Patric Abaravich;

Local 871 President Dawn Gilliam, Lydia Grabowski-Bauer, Local 892 and 705, and Lesli Lytle, Local 44

and 871.

PAGE 5

Community Outreach

After a brief introduction, I introduced our delega-tion that included:

Laurence Abrams, Education and Communications Director & Recording Secretary for Local 695; Business Representative Patric Abaravich, Local 728; President Dawn Gilliam of Local 871; Lydia Grabowski-Bauer, Local 892 and 705, and Lesli Lytle, Local 44 and 871.

Brother Abrams gave a brief version of the IA Road Show recalling the history of Unionism. After this, del-egates presented their history in the business. Each one of them gave a rousing, personal, and at times heartfelt exploration of their path to their chosen craft. As if that wasn’t enough, each then stayed into the evening until the last constituent left, answering ques-tions and giving out cards. This “one-on-one” time is critical to finding the answers to how to get a break in this town, and also served to form lasting, positive impressions of our Unions, and the Union movement

as a whole. I was deeply moved and impressed by my Brothers and Sisters. They showed up. I commend them all for their service. Needless to say, the Assemblymember would like to make this a reg-ular event. And so would we. In fact, so as not to seem that the IA is partisan or favors a single politician, I have reached out to Assemblymember Holly Mitchell in South L.A. as well as to Santa Clarita Councilmember Cameron Smyth to organize similar events. Hollywood continues to at-tract the hearts and minds of the young & creative youths in our community. I intend to make sure those hearts and minds have a great first impression of Unions, and especially the IA. I’m pleased to say that only $400 of the member-ship-approved budget was spent, most of it on Rosie shirts that were given to the IA member-speakers as a thank you, and to Assemb. Nazarian, his Chief of Staff, and Field Rep. Angie Aramayo who all believe in our cause, and are committed to supporting us in the state capitol.

Assemblymember Adrin Nazarian

Local 728 Business Representative Patric Abaravich

PAGE 6

Continued on Page 8

by Pascal Guillemard, Treasurer-Call Steward

Continued on the next page

Local 728 was

Any Local 728 member representing an employer by filling calls or who is in need of assistance with such, must contact the Local office during business hours, 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Monday through Friday by calling 818-954-0728, texting to 818-438-0728 or emailing tcs@iatse728.org. If you urgently need to fill a call out-side of regular business hours, you must contact the Call Steward at 818-438-0728. Members seeking weekend work should notify the Call Steward on Friday during business hours. Anyone who hires off roster or hires any member who is not current with their dues may have charges filed against them and are subject to assessment penalties.

ImportantInformation

Regarding Hiring

Life has many twists and turns. We like to think that we are the masters of our destiny, but ultimately the

powers of the universe shape our present and future. We cannot necessarily plan on when it’s our time to leave this life. One thing’s for sure, we leave behind loved ones. Our Local has long held that our surviving family members should receive a benefit that would allow them to move forward after our passing, handle our im-mediate financial affairs, tie up loose ends. Each year we’ve voted to purchase what is one of the most generous group life in-surance policies held by any IATSE Local. But there is a caveat; you must be in good standing at the time of your passing for the policy to pay out to your designated beneficiary(s). An age-old axiom in our world is “if you’re not a half an hour early to work, you’re late.” Most of us abide by this and yet some of us feel that it’s ok to pay our dues a few days after the due date or when we start working again. This is not the case. Dues are due on or before the first day of a new quarter. This coupled with the knowledge regarding life insurance policy payouts and the fact that we all agreed to pay our dues on time should be more than enough reason to make sure that we take care of getting our payment into the Local no later than the first day of the new quarter.Calling in your shows. As a Local 728 ACLT you are required to call in your show & crew to the Call Steward when you assume the position of ACLT, whether the production is union or non-union. You can do so by calling or emailing

(tcs@iatse728.org). We need to know the name of the show, who’s on your crew, start date, wrap date, payroll company, rate of pay scale for set lighting and rigging technicians. If you are going to be working on stage, the studio location and stage information. This is critical information and aids tre-mendously if there is an issue on set that needs to be addressed by our officers.

New Media Productions. If you are offered employment on a New Media production, be aware that you may not receive pension benefits. Depending on the budget, some low scale New Media shows do not have to pay into your pension benefits. This may be something that you want to take into consideration should you contemplate working on a New Media job long term. Ask the employer at the time of hire. They are supposed to know this information. If they don’t, call and ask for the Business Representative. This may be an indication of other problems that could crop up and we should be alerted. Loan-outs, S-Corps. Because of the new federal tax laws, many members are considering working as loan-outs under an S-Corp. Loan-outs were popular in the 1980’s & 90’s until the IRS went after employers for abusing its use. Before you consider incorporation, see your tax professional. Work out a 2-3 year forecast of what the financial picture would look like if you continued working as a regular employee or if you worked as a loan-out. Be aware that as a loan-out, you are responsible for paying your own bene-fits. You’ll likely have to employ a payroll

service. Also, the principles in a corporation will have a very difficult time acquiring workers comp insurance coverage. It is very expensive if you can find the insur-ance. As a loan-out, the company that pays your company is not liable to pay you workers comp should you become injured on the job. Lastly, as your own employer, you are responsible for paying all of your social security taxes, both those that are deduct-ed from your paycheck and those paid by the employer. Workers Comp. If you are injured on the job, call the Local. We have valuable advice and re-sources that you should need to be aware of including contacting a good personal

--Woody Allen

“If you want to make God laugh, tell him about your Plans.”

PAGE 7

Pascal

Continued from the previous pageTreasurer-Call Steward’s Column

Local 728 was

injury attorney. If you were injured on the job, it is possible that you could benefit from a personal injury attorney in addition to workers comp. You could potentially collect a substantial personal injury settlement in addition to your workers comp insurance.

Safety Pass income. Income from Safety Pass is paid on a 1099. Be sure to file this with your annual tax returns.

1099 compensation. If you work a job and are paid on a 1099, you are not cov-ered under the employer’s workers comp insurance plan. Sometimes, life can be complicated.

Your Local stands with you in support of you and your family. Take advantage of the opportunities that being a Local 728 member has to offer.

Cheers,

Honorary MembershipsParker and Mills Receive

by the IATSE; our Constitution and By-Laws Committee is updating our C&BLs, and of course Local 728 members have long had the benefit of our Life Insurance Policy and Training Program. Speaking of training, we have received our funding for the 2018/2019 Skills Training year and we have many new classes in addition to our established core curriculum. Among other classes, we are developing two LED-based classes with Local 600 along with 4 Lighting Workshops. Other classes include an Adv. Power for Rigging Gaffers class, new Vectorworks Labs, a class in Battery Technology, and a new drafting platform, LX Beams. Members are encouraged to check out the schedule of spring classes which have an emphasis on Electrical Skills and Soldering/LEDs. I also want to thank all of the members who attended our seminar on Tax Law Changes in late April. We had a good turnout for this informative seminar. Finally, I’d like to congratulate Local 728 Member and In-structor Chris Cotone who passed the ETCP Exam in Febru-ary. Chris has applied to be an ETCP Recognized Trainer.

President’s ColumnContinued from Page 2

At the March General Membership Meeting Ron Dahlquist (L) joined Local 728 officers including President Alan Rowe (R) in presenting Honorary Memberships to Larry Parker and Wally Mills. The memberships were awarded to the gentleman by the Local in appreciation for their distinguished service and lifelong contributions enchancing the craft of set lighting, and for their work supporting and educating IATSE Local 728 members and the entertainment industry. Sadly, several weeks after this photo was taken Wally Mills passed away.

I.A.T.S.E. Local 7281001 W. Magnolia Blvd.

Burbank, California 91506

Studio Electrical Lighting Technicians

Visit Your Local at

www.iatse728.org

NONPROFITUS POSTAGE

PAIDHUNT. BCH CA

PERMIT #438

MPTF “Daily Call Sheet” Training

The Daily Call Sheet is combating this epidemic of chronic loneliness with volunteers taking a few moments out of their day for a phone call with an isolated industry member, some of whom are our

brothers and sisters. In order to sign up, you must attend a 90-minute

training. Usually this training is during the week at the MPTF Woodland Hills facility,  but by special arrangement with the Local, the MPTF is bringing

the training to us.

Come join us for this important community

outreach event!

MPTF “Daily Call Sheet” TrainingIATSE Local 728

Saturday, May 26th 10am-12pm

Social isolation is a growing epidemic.

Register online at iatse728.org