Local 706 - The Artisan

6 • THE ARTISAN FALL 2020 Valued Sisters, Brothers and kin, 'Safety' has been at the forefront of our work this year. Keeping our members safe on the job has always been a priority for the IATSE and Local 706. This year has meant expanding our efforts as work slowly returned to our film & television industry. Starting with my work on the Industry- Wide Labor Management Safety Committee just weeks into the pandemic, "The White Paper" was created—which opened the door for work to resume! Next, I formed our Local 706 COVID-19 Safety Task Force to create our own craft-specific recommenda- tions. These guidelines have now been shared with/adopted by our fellow IATSE locals across the United States and Canada, doing exactly what we intended: protecting our- selves and our fellow artists. Next, I served on International President Loeb's Special Subcommittee in our negotiations, alongside the Directors Guild of America, Screen Actors Guild, Teamsters & Basic Crafts with the AMPTP—an unprecedented four months of talks and discussions, culminating in the creation of the Back-to-Work Agreement. These negotiations solidified our common goal; Labor joins with our employers in this effort, creating a zero-tolerance policy regarding COVID compliance and safety for everyone in the workplace! Poor judgment, lax standards and irresponsible behavior will not be tolerated; we are all responsible to be vigilant and hold each other account- able for our common good. We must take these measures and apply them in our communities, our worksites and within our homes: wear a mask, practice diligent hand washing, avoid touching our face, protect our eyes, keep surfaces clean. Practice these steps, and we survive as a union, an industry, and as a nation. Thanks to our efforts, work has returned to Los Angeles in the areas of film and television. The fourth quarter of 2020 looks to exceed our last pre-COVID quarter in 2019. Work has been plentiful for our trainees and journeyman members, refilling our banks of hours and our checking accounts. Work has also been exasperating, emotional and extremely demanding: the masks and face shields that protect us are also hot, cumbersome, cause glare and make it difficult to see. Eating and drinking on the job have been severely reduced, making long days even more challenging. Many producers have stepped up and have done an excellent job supporting their crews. Other productions have been as problematic as ever ... lime green cloth masks in evi- LOCAL PERSPECTIVE dence. Polly and I have worked months on end without wavering, bringing our mem- bers' concerns to the employers' ears; more work-related issues have been addressed in the last six months than in my previous 13 years working here in our Local 706 office. However, work has not returned to a major area of our entertainment industry: live productions. Theater, musical theater, ballet and opera, live concerts and theme park operations were halted mid-March and have remained shuttered. Disney Theatricals and The Broadway League have announced that no shows shall return before May 31, 2021. Patrice and I are doing everything within our power to secure work and safety protec- tions for our members in these areas when work does return. Our members need their union and have relied on us for educational, financial and emotional support—now, more than ever before. We have man- aged to provide relief for our members in our quarterly dues, while still protecting our health plan benefits, retirement and pension plans whenever possible in the process. However, our Local runs on flat quarterly dues payments. I ask each of you to make your union dues a priority this month, and bring your accounts up to good standing. This will preserve our resources for those members who truly need it … our Sisters and Brothers who have not been as fortunate. Protecting ourselves; protecting each other. It all starts with you. You are the union. Please enjoy your issue of The Artisan. Sincerely and fraternally, Randy Sayer BY RANDY SAYER Business Representative, I.A.T.S.E. Local 706 Our members need their union … now, more than ever before. " "

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