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Author Topic: Union Projectionists Frank Angel Film God Posts: 5305 From: Brooklyn NY USA Registered: Dec 1999 posted 11-07-2003 09:06 PM                        Gee, sounds like business as usual to me. In NY, the head of Local 306 was known to keep a handgun on his desk at union meetings to intimidate the members, especially when, on occasion, some members dared to challenge his leadership. In fact, in what can only be reminiscent of the Wild West, a union member got up during a meeting, pulled a gun and shot him in the eye. And BTW, the stop-whinning-and-accept-the-giveback-because-you-should-be-happy-you've-still-got-a-job philosophy isn't new or even unique. This was the mantra of the president of local 306 for decades as a way to get members to accept reductions in health care, give-backs in wages, work loads, even the exclusion of a spouse in HMO and dental coverage. With a union like that, I think members might have been better off going to management and negotiating their own terms. And the irony of it all -- this is one of the few jobs where the LAW makes contract negotiation so easy that a half-wit could come home with excellent contract results. Why? Because what other job has a law that says there MUST be a licensed projectionist in the booth at all times? Since 99.99% of all licensed projectionists here in NY are union members, that effectively means that if the union decides to go on strike, management (who are primarily all unlicensed) would be legally prevented from running any show. So if the union went on strike, the screens would go dark. With power like that up your sleeve, you would think that there NEVER would have been any givebacks to the theatre owners and that the projectionists' union would be robust and untouchable. This is anything but the present condition. Today the NY union is a wussy, castrated shell of its former self, respected by none (especially its own members) and powerless against whatever theatre owners decide they want. Contract after contract from the 70s to the present, this union -- dispite the powerful licensing laws and building codes that demanded a LICENSED projectionest in every booth at all times --this union got weaker and weaker, screwing members year after year. The only thing that the union put on the negotiation table was the question, "how much do you need us to capitulate?" "How fast to you want us to give into your demands, Mr. Theatre Chain Owner?" In fact, when UA Theatres was pushing to eliminate ALL union projectionists from their booths except for one union projectionist for 24 hrs a week, the union leadership constantly reminded its members of how the union had been locked out in Chicago. "You don't want that to happen to YOU, do you?" could be heard over and over. To me, that can point in only one of two directions; either the union leadership were a bunch of fools and imbeciles, or they were in bed with theatre managment, getting kickbacks from the owners. I have a good idea which one I believe, but I leave it up for whatever shoe you guys think fits more comfortably. Unions. When they were honest and representative, they were great and necessary. But once they became corrupt, you might just as well make your own deal with management; they might prove to be more of an ally. Frank  |  IP: Logged Edward Jurich Master Film Handler Posts: 305 From: Las Vegas USA Registered: Jul 2003 posted 11-07-2003 09:15 PM                     -------------------------------- Four defendants -- including Albin C. Brenkus, 48, business manager of Chicago-based Local 110 of the movie projectionists union -- were arrested early Friday by federal agents. -------------------------------- I remember seeing an old movie on TV once about the projectionists union trying to get into various theaters. I remember this scene where a couple union thugs bust into a projection booth, beat up the non-union operator, pull the feed reel out of the projector, the film breaks and the white screen with the audience looking back at the booth. Todays remake, they bust into the booth, nobody around anywhere, they grab the film to tear it, the film doesn't break but slices off a few fingers, finally they pick up the platter and carry it out the booth where federal agents arrest them for copyright infringment stealing a print. Meantime the audience just sits because they are used to regular breakdowns.  |  IP: Logged Aileen D'Esposito Film Handler Posts: 11 From: Pittsburgh, PA, USA Registered: Oct 2003 posted 11-08-2003 10:03 AM                     I am currently licensed, non-union. In reading this post, i noticed lots of numbers and wages being tossed around, stuff in the upper teens and twenties of dollars/hr. This summer i worked for $5.45/hr....ten hours a day running 11 screens. At that point i didn't really care. Never really gave a second thought to this whole "living" thing. I just loved the work, still do. (i was living at home then though as well) I'm at the point now though, where I'm going to need to start caring about the aforementioned "living." Quite frankly, continuing to be a projectionist is what i'd like to do, and $5.45/hr ain't gonna cut it. I don't need a lot, but even a moron know's that's not enough. What i'm trying to wean from this conversation is whether it is better or not to join the union if i want to make enough to make a career out of this.  |  IP: Logged Steve Kraus Film God Posts: 4094 From: Chicago, IL, USA Registered: May 2000 posted 11-08-2003 11:02 AM                    Unfortunately film projection is no longer a profession upon which you can safely bet your future with hopes of a solid wages, benefits, and job security. Not when the job can and is done, with varying degrees of quality, managers or by young people who are able to work cheaply. But if your heart is truly in the booth there are other opportunities such as doing technician work. Become an information sponge and learn all you can about the equipment you work with, stay on top of developments with digital cinema (sadly, the inevitable future), befriend the tech who services your theatre and learn what you can from him or her, read everything you can on this site. There will be jobs for those qualified but simply stringing film from platter to projector every couple hours just isn't going to translate into a nice house and sending the kids through college.  |  IP: Logged Paul Mayer Oh get out of it Melvin, before it pulls you under! Posts: 3836 From: Albuquerque, NM Registered: Feb 2000 posted 11-08-2003 01:48 PM                        And certainly the IATSE is not the future, especially not in the projection booth. I know of no jurisdiction where the IATSE is gaining influence or ability to establish and maintain prevailing wages and working conditions in this industry. In all cases that I know of, IATSE at best fights a holding action, while slowly losing ground. That has certainly been the case here in Sin City, where since the late '80s Local 720 has steadily lost influence. Today it has less than half of the hotel showrooms, convention areas, AV companies, or motion picture work, virtually none of the hotel lounges or television production work, and absolutely none of the movie theaters under contract. The Local went from having 90% jurisdiction in its geographical area in 1984 to near-bankruptcy and stewardship today, its funds squandered and its elected officers replaced with appointees from the International. From what I've seen, Local 720's negotiating track record mirrors the success rate of the vast majority of the IATSE. Why would anyone want to join such a losing organization in this day and age? If you work in any of these fields outside of LA, NY, or Chicago, you can do better for yourself without the IATSE though that's not saying much. Indeed outside of these locations (and virtually all projection booths in the US), you don't have much of a choice--the IATSE influence has all but disappeared. Take it from this blacklisted (for speaking my mind and backing the wrong business agent candidate in 1994) former 20-year IATSE member and technical instructor, you don't want such losers representing you to your future employers or clients.  |  IP: Logged Dennis M Dow Jr Expert Film Handler Posts: 141 From: Bloomfield NJ USA Registered: Oct 2003 posted 11-08-2003 05:22 PM                       quote: Because what other job has a law that says there MUST be a licensed projectionist in the booth at all times? Wasn't there a change in this law? I thought that was why I had to start dealing with manager/operators in the smaller theaters in NYC. The locals do not have the power they once had(esp 306) and the previous group of leaders found it more profitable to aquiesce to the chains. The international has to share blame as well. They see projectionists as stepchildren that they do not love. They do not give support to the locals in job actions, and when things don't go the way they want from a local they merge it with one more conducive to their goals. This is true in all unions be it IATSE or Teamsters or IBEW.  |  IP: Logged Frank Angel Film God Posts: 5305 From: Brooklyn NY USA Registered: Dec 1999 posted 11-08-2003 09:06 PM                        quote: Wasn't there a change in this law? I thought that was why I had to start dealing with manager/operators in the smaller theaters in NYC. From what I have been told, the chains have applied for and gained variances for some of these regs in a few locations, mostly in new builds, but the laws remain on the books. In any event, even when the chains were fighting to change and eliminate the regs, like when they petitioned the city council to recind the licensing requirement so they could send their managers into the booth, it was almost as if the union didn't notice -- hardly raised an eyebrow over it. I know some here don't agree that there needs to a license to run a booth, but that's not the issue. The issue is that these were regulations that almost guaranteed a postion of legal power for the union, and they basically ignored it. It was in the union's best interest to insure that the chains not win the political battle, but the effort they made to block the attempt was pathetic, and indicative of a succession of blunders that weakened and emasculated the union bringing it to the position it is in now....prone and moaning, "that's right, give it to me." Frank  |  IP: Logged Steve Kraus Film God Posts: 4094 From: Chicago, IL, USA Registered: May 2000 posted 11-08-2003 10:49 PM                    We've talked about this before. Much as I hate the decline in professional standards and that this is barely even a profession anymore I do not believe there is much justification for licensing projectionists. With carbon arcs and nitrate film in the past the safety issues are all but nil and with them went the reasoning for licensing. It is wrong to use the power of law to enforce unionized operation. It's between management, labor, and the customers who will vote at the boxoffice. Government has no role here. Quoting myself from an earlier thread: Concession workers present a greater potential threat to the public health and safety than do booth workers. Besides, a good portion of crappy presentation and damage to film comes not from lack of knowlege but out of laziness and the desire to take every possible shortcut no matter the effect. There's no way to test for that.  |  IP: Logged Jeffry L. Johnson Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 809 From: Cleveland, Ohio, USA Registered: Apr 2000 posted 11-09-2003 10:48 AM                        Indictment  |  IP: Logged Dennis Benjamin Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1445 From: Denton, MD Registered: Feb 2002 posted 11-09-2003 11:16 AM                        POST REMOVED...  |  IP: Logged Manny Knowles "What are these things and WHY are they BLUE???" Posts: 4247 From: Bloomington, IN, USA Registered: Feb 2002 posted 11-09-2003 11:19 AM                     I doubt if I will ever forget the time that our union projectionist refused to take a trailer up to the booth because "I don't touch the film until it's inside the booth." IIRC that guy was earning something like $21/hr with bonuses for a build-up ($55 each) and tear-down ($25 each). Those are US$ and this would have been around 1988. It was a new 4-plex with Xenon and platters.  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 11-09-2003 12:46 PM                     "I do not believe there is much justification for licensing projectionists." _________________________________________________________________ I quite agree with that but Technicans should definately be liscensed!! I've seen so much piss poor work...alot bordering on the dangerous side in the last 20 years. Frank, In Chicago a theatre operator was shut down and ticketed for operating his own theatre back in the mid 80's. This was the Patio Theatre in fact. This owner and his brother had single handedly completely restored this incredible movie palace themselves and it brought back quite a bit of life to the neighborhood. So the owner and many other Chicago theatre owners appear in court for this thing and the owner basically tells the Judge that here's the keys....you now own it....you operate it...I can't afford the licensed union guys as the margin is too slim. So the judge reviewed everything and threw it out of court for some technicality or other. Since then many Chicago houses have gone non union---non licensed...and have put in platters...which were also illegal and probably still are. No one was fined and there has never been another case of The City Of Chicago shutting anyone else down. Don't you think that in the long run this is probably what would happen in N.Y. as well. Mark  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 11-09-2003 07:27 PM                     So one of them was Al Brenkus...anyone know who the other three were? All I can say is that hopefully this is the definate end of Local 110. Mark  |  IP: Logged Martin Brooks Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 900 From: Forest Hills, NY, USA Registered: May 2002 posted 11-09-2003 08:03 PM                        quote: "I do not believe there is much justification for licensing projectionists." Maybe, but if you consider that in NYC, barbers, hair stylists, masseuses, cab drivers, elevator operators and amusement ride operators must be licensed, it doesn't sound like such a bad idea for projectionists to be licensed either, even though it would be hard for a projectionist to do anything that would actually be physically dangerous to the audience. But the license should be open. While it wouldn't guarantee a job, anyone should be able to take the test and if they pass, get a license. As for the union, didn't the membership have to vote on the contract? How did the membership vote for a contract that eliminated their jobs? And as I've stated here before, no professional (and working a booth still requires some skills) should have to work for minimum wage. Minimum wage is not a living wage. We're not supposed to be living in a third world country. 57 cents per screen per hour? How cheap can they get? Dog walkers make more money. How about the projectionist has to get paid a minimum of the equivalent of the selling price of one large tub of popcorn, per screen, per hour. Personally, I think every projectionist in the country who makes less than $15 per hour should walk out for a day (preferably a Saturday). And those who make more should walk out in support. Don't let the theaters get away with this crap!  |  IP: Logged Gerard S. Cohen Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 975 From: Forest Hills, NY, USA Registered: Sep 2001 posted 11-09-2003 11:39 PM                     quote: As for the union, didn't the membership have to vote on the contract? How did the membership vote for a contract that eliminated their jobs? When UA led two other chains in a union-busting refusal to renew contracts, the members wanted to strike but realized they needed a strike fund. The union leaders promised they would receive a one million dollar pledge from the International if the local would match it. The local business "consultant" demanded an additional 1.5% assessmant of wages in additional to previous assessments added to basic union dues--I think it would amount to 5% of wages. The members refused by referendum three times, probably because they didn't trust the union administration in the handling of these funds, and because they were tired of having additional % sliced off their decreasing wages plus other contractual give-backs. The local "consultant" (former business manager for decades, semi-retired but on big salary as consultant, a position he created so he could still run the show) brought in the International President who backed him up in persuading the membership that the only recourse was to forgo striking without the necessary strike fund, and to agree to give up fifteen UA projectionist jobs to gain contract renewal. The members at the meeting agreed, voting something like 123 to 38. quote: In fact, in what can only be reminiscent of the Wild West, a union member got up during a meeting, pulled a gun and shot him in the eye. Not exactly. The business manager was proud of his Fortune Society program, in which he helped released offenders who had served their prison time, to become rehabilitated as trained, licensed union projectionists. When one of these men had a dispute with him an felt he was buing "dissed", he hit the manager in an eye which had previously undergone surgery. The injury resulted in the loss of his eye. The perpetrator was arrested and returned to prison.  |  IP: Logged

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