Local 706 - The Artisan

8 • THE ARTISAN FALL 2021 Growth Equals Strength. "A rising tide lifts all boats"—so embrace our new members! Backstage or on set, this 'new blood' invigo- rates our industry and brings a diversity of skills and abilities, knowledge, and strength to Local 706. Union locals that expand their jurisdiction and membership prosper; locals that do not grow or change with the times will wither, stagnate and die. I see the pleas on Facebook: We need hair stylists next week! Prosthetic make-up artists needed! Help—we need barbers! Eighty percent of our Roster members are already booked; shows need to fill daily-hire calls—and producers are going to fill those calls. We need to be onboard. "But I don't want these newbies to 'walk right in!' I want them to suffer and wait for years— the way I had to!" Really? Is this progress—or is this still 1960 talking? Sad News: The passing of journeyman make-up artist Alan "Al" Fama last month—who served Local 706 as an Assistant Business Representative, then as Business Representative from 1994 to 2000—has affected us all. Everyone who knew Al can attest to his raucous wit, his staunch political views—and his commitment to this Local. Al was the guiding force for our Local after Howard Smit retired, and he was in charge when we sold the house on Chandler and moved into our current home on Hollywood Way. Rest in peace, Brother Fama. Howard Smit (1974-1994) passed in 2009; Henry Vilardo (1959-1974) passed in 2015. Rest in power, our dear departed union Brothers. Theme Park hair stylist Sophia Tan-Nguyen's correct answer Six Feet Under won her two (2) free quarters of dues! If you're confused, please re-read my column in the Summer 2021 issue. Taking a moment to welcome/get to know our new members. Honoring our past by celebrating our diverse & proud future. Being more inclusive and providing equal opportunities for all. Being more involved in our union. It all starts with you. You are the union. Please enjoy your issue of The Artisan. Sincerely and in solidarity, Randy Sayer Valued Sisters, Brothers and kin, Several years ago, I came across an article written by Henry "Hank" Vilardo—our Business Representative from 1959 to 1974. Brother Vilardo was educating our members about the surge of new make-up artists coming into the industry (and into membership) in the late '50s: "It has been 13 years since the Labor Management Relations Act (LMRA), aka Taft-Hartley Act, was passed, and it's not going away—so you can all stop your calls 'to close the doors' and demanding that I stop admit- ting new members into our union. Legally, we cannot keep qualified artists from join- ing—nor would we want to do this. We need these new members to fill calls and build power and esteem within the industry." Wisely writ- ten in 1960, the LMRA is now 75 years old. Otherwise, I could have written this yesterday. Taft-Harley Act (1947): The 1935 National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), aka the Wagner Act, was a boon to labor in the United States. It guaranteed the right of employees to organize into unions, engage in collective bargaining, and participate in job- related actions such as strikes. The NLRA was signed into law by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Just 12 years later, the pendulum swung in the opposite direction with the Labor Management Relations Act prohibiting unions from engaging in some harsh labor practices, such as certain strikes, boycotts, picketing, and "closed shops" (barring or obstructing the right to union mem- bership). It also regulated pensions and prohibited unions from contributing to federal political campaigns—a restriction that remains today. The act allowed states to pass anti-worker "right- to-work" laws (really, these were just an extension of the racist 'Jim Crow laws' of the South). President Harry S. Truman vetoed it, but Congress overrode his veto and the Taft-Hartley Act became law in 1947. Changes in production—or in the wants and needs of producers, requires the unions to adapt too. However, for more than half a century, our members have equated "new members joining" with "losing their job"—except, this fear does not hold water. No jobs were lost when television doubled our ranks in the '50s or the TV commercial classification was added in the '70s. No careers ended when Theater and Pink Contract members came into member- ship in 1989/90, and no one became unemployed when our Theme Park unit joined in 2005—and it won't happen when we rightfully represent make-up lab technicians and wigmakers work- ing in the prosthetic labs. by R S Business Representative, I.A.T.S.E. Local 706 We need these new members to … build power and esteem within the industry. " " LOCAL PERSPECTIVE

• Cover