March 17, 2020
Dear California Congressional Delegation:
We are writing to you on behalf of the over 45,000 members of the California IATSE Council (CIC) who live and work in the entertainment industry in our State. We realize that this is a time of great economic upheaval that is impacting every industry and business—and thus their workers—in California.
We hope the needs of all of us can be met. However, we want to make you aware of the unique situation entertainment industry workers face because of the way work is obtained in our business. Our members often work for many different employers on many different productions over the course of a year.
Since we do not fit into traditional work definitions, rules designed specifically for the single employer, or even multi-employer, work in the construction industry, are very likely to exclude our members. We ask you to ensure our members are included, and do not “fall through the cracks”, when the third coronavirus emergency package comes before you shortly. Our industry is critical to the economy of the State of California as well as to this great Nation, supporting 892,000 direct jobs and $16.3 billion in exports in 2019 alone.
Specifically, the unique, mostly freelance nature of the film and television industry means that many of the women and men who make it run work only sporadically. Our members may work on only one episode of a series or prepare for a film for a year or more. They may not work every day or even every month. There may be an extended period between paying jobs. Our members count on the income from each production they work on to ensure that they can take care of their families and qualify to participate in our health and pension plans. When that film, episode, live performance, or other broadcast is canceled due to the coronavirus, our members need interim financial support just like every other hard-working American.
That is why we propose a special Emergency Coronavirus Economic Support Benefit geared to include our members who have a completed contract or a bona fide, good faith offer to work, and the production has been postponed or canceled due to the coronavirus. This would be a benefit similar to the Emergency Paid Leave benefit in Division D of HR 6201, but available to those who cannot work due to a production shut down, rather than due to illness, quarantine, or family caregiving needs. At this point, virtually all productions in the United States has shut down or will do so by the end of the week. An emergency benefit for our members will help keep them afloat when they cannot work due to no fault of their own—and when they do not otherwise qualify for any other form of emergency assistance.
Film and Television production has been is synonymous with California—known to billions around the world as the home of the motion picture industry—since it settled here over 100 years ago. We employ hundreds of thousands of people and support a vast network that also includes thousands of large and small businesses across the state who depend on our industry as well. In 2018, key film and TV companies paid over $11 billion to more than 52,000 businesses.
We are one of the few industries in the U.S. that can boast a trade surplus. But right now, we are completely shuttered and our workers are unprotected. When the coronavirus emergency ends, we want our members to be on the front lines of restoring California’s economic strength. We look to you to help us do that.
Sincerely,
Thom Davis
President, California IATSE Council
Business Manager
Motion Picture Studio Grips, Crafts Service & First Aid, IATSE Local 80
Anthony Pawluc
Sec-Treasurer
Affiliated Property Craftspersons, IATSE Local 44
Carlos Cota
International Trustee & International Representative
Stage Hands, IATSE Local 122 San Diego
Chuck Parker
National Executive Director
Art Directors Guild, IATSE Local 800
David Swope
Business Representative
Motion Picture Costumers, IATSE Local 705
dooner
Associate National Exec. Director, IATSE Local 800
Art Directors Guild
Doug Boney
Business Representative, IATSE Local 884
Motion Picture Studio Teachers & Welfare Workers, IATSE Local 884
Jason Elias
Business Representative
Script Supervisors/Continuity, Coordinators, Accountants & Allied Production Specialists Guild, IATSE Local 871
Jim Beaumonte
President
IATSE Local 16 San Francisco
Joanne Desmond
Assistant Business Agent
IATSE Local 16 San Francisco
Michael F. Miller, Jr.
International Vice President, IATSE
Director of the Motion Picture & Television Dept., IATSE
Patric Abaravich
Business Representative-Sec
Studio Electrical Lighting Technicians, IATSE Local 728
Rachael Stanley
Business Representative
Costume Designers Guild, IATSE Local 892
Randy Sayer
Business Representative
Hair & Make-Up Artists, IATSE Local 706
Rebecca Rhine
National Executive Director
International Cinematographers Guild, IATSE Local 600
Richard Disbrow
Business Representative
Stage Hands, IATSE Local 122 San Diego
Robert Denne
Business Representative
Motion Picture Set Painters & Sign Writers , IATSE Local 729
Ron Garcia
International Representative
IATSE
Sam Bowers
Business Representative
IATSE Local 504 Orange County
Scott Bernard
Business Representative
Production Sound/Video & Projection Engineers, IATSE Local 695
Sergio Medina
Business Representative
Treasurers & Ticket Sellers, IATSE Local 857
Steve Kaplan
Business Representative
The Animation Guild, IATSE Local 839
Steve Lutge
Business Representative
Stage Hands, IATSE Local 16 San Diego
Tobey Bays
Business Representative
Affiliated Property Craftsperson, IATSE Local 44
CC: California Congressional Delegation
