The Location Managers Guild International (LMGI) is the largest organization of Location Managers and Location Scouts in the motion picture, television, commercial and print production industries. Their membership plays a vital role in the creativ
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58 • LMGI COMPASS | Winter 2019 Mexico Location professionals in Mexico are not covered by unions. As expert Mexican location manager Horacio Rodriguez, LMGI says, it's unfortunate. "My feeling is that if it continues this way, it may be better for the producers, but some of us are still fighting to get benefits." Until this happens, Rodriguez and his location team are part of a loose "colectivo," which he explains, "is not a union exactly but, through them, some benefits were negotiated with the producers and finally, we get medical insurance, overtime and car allowance. But sadly, this is not for everyone." On the other side, top producer Anna Roth wishes they had a union to provide parity. Roth remarks, "I can't figure out the correct salary for them. After paying one amount per week to my last location manager, I called a new one for a small project and he asked for four times that rate." United Kingdom (UK) BECTU is the UK union for all freelance crew working in the film industry. However, it is in somewhat of an advisory posi- tion, since prime minister Margaret Thatcher did away with unions several decades ago. "It is not mandatory to be part of the union here, but about half of the industry are members," according to Georgette Turner, LMGI, chairman for the location managers branch of BECTU. "There are still some productions here that offer low rates of pay, nonpaid overtime and late payment. The union is fantastic in supporting crew members and intervening when things become difficult. Each department has a BECTU rate card which acts as a guideline and really helps when negotiat- ing rates. The union is also there to intervene with any work practices that are unorthodox or Human Resources related." Providing a Plaorm for Solidarity and Support While the Location Managers Guild International is not a union, we offer ways for members of different unions to link together. With close to 500 members around the world, the LMGI is the bond that brings international location profes- sionals together. Our members are like building blocks. As membership continues to grow, we gain strength, knowledge and determination from our unity. BECTU location managers branch chairman Georgette Turner in Leading Lady Parts Photo courtesy of Georgette Turner/LMGI Some People Just Don't Like Unions Around 1980, I worked as a location manager at Warner Bros. It was a nonunion job and I wanted to organize the studio. There were four location managers working there at the time. In order to proceed, the majority had to sign that they wanted the Teamsters to represent them. Three of us jumped at it. The fourth manager said, "I have no use for unions. I can take care of myself." Then he said that he would join over his dead body. Three of us made the majority so I went with the union to Warner Bros. Labor Relations Department, where we point- ed out that a Teamster picket line around the studio would seriously disrupt production and there were only four work- ers involved. They said come back tomorrow. The next day, the studio agreed to sign the agreement and we had ben- efits. A few years passed and the location manager who would not sign at Warner Bros. found me. He took my hand and kept pumping it, thanking me for his union membership. Medical insurance and benefits changed his life and he was profoundly grateful. Sometimes things work out. Photo courtesy of Horacio Rodriguez/LMGI As part of an extraordinary policy, the DGC allows open move- ment between job category positions. As Victoria Harding, now Associate Executive Director of DGC Ontario, writes: "One of the features of being a member of the DGC is complete mobility between positions. If you are a member, you can be hired in any of our categories. If you are a location manager or an editor who wants to direct, your membership allows you to be hired out of category if someone is willing to take a chance on you. Additionally, we do not limit our members to their home jurisdiction. You can work in any jurisdiction if they rep- resent the job you are doing. The only restriction is if another union has jurisdiction over the job in a particular council." Horacio Rodriguez (right) with Tilda Swinton on the set of Julia in Tijuana