Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1543164
F. Hudson Miller. 9 S P R I N G Q 1 I S S U E P R E S I D E N T ' S M E S S A G E A FRESH START N ow that last fall's board election is behind us, I am grateful for the op- portunity to lead the Editors Guild for the next three years. I look forward to working with the board of directors and officers, National Executive Director Scott George and the Guild staff, and our rank and file to improve our members' working lives (wages, benefits, and conditions) and to protect our federally guaranteed work- ers' rights. I wish to thank outgoing president Alan Heim for his confident leadership during the past nine years. Alan steered us through the pandemic, strikes, production slow- downs, and natural disasters. He led our groundbreaking 2024 negotiations for the strongest contract in decades, delivering significant wage gains and improved condi- tions for Local 700 members. Personally, I will always be grateful to Alan for being the best mentor I ever had. Alan selflessly invited me into the presi- dential decision-making process, allowing me to participate and learn from his skilled leadership. From my earliest days as vice president, Alan openly demonstrated and shared the skills to lead an organization as important as the Motion Picture Editors Guild. Alan, thank you for being my friend and my teacher. I am honored and enriched by your generosity. On behalf of the membership of the Editors Guild, I must express my heartfelt gratitude to Bill Elias, who is retiring after more than 50 years on the board of directors and served as our sergeant-at-arms for an amazing 33 years. His perfect memory has been an indispensable institutional archive for the board and our staff. At the recent 70th IATSE Quadrennial Convention, Bill received a special commendation in grati- THE GUILD'S NEW PRESIDENT ON THE CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES AHEAD tude for his 50 years of perfect attendance at IA conventions, a remarkable achieve- ment to cap his career as a trade unionist. However, I believe Bill's greatest asset is his devotion and love for this union. Bill, I am proud to call you my brother and my friend. Alan and Bill remind us that as we look toward the future, we must always remem- ber that we stand on the shoulders of those who came before us. Our forebears' hard work and sacrifice established the wages, benefits, job protections, and worker rights that we enjoy to this day. From one-reelers to features, to sound and television, and now gaming and streaming, the business of f ilmed storytelling has always been changing, evolving, and reinventing itself. If we are to survive as a union of workers in this business, it is essential that we ac- knowledge and embrace that change is part of our culture. The Guild is facing its greatest multi- p r o n g e d t h r e a t s i n o u r n i n e - d e c a d e history. Our federal leaders are determined to we a ke n o r d e s t roy A m e r i ca n t ra d e u n i o n s. S t re a m i n g h a s d i s r u p te d o u r traditional distribution models, and the producers have yet to construct reliable replacements. Corporate takeovers and consolidation risk are reducing the num- ber of Hollywood productions. The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence and re m o te te c h n o l o g y m ay b e i m p ro v i n g how we work, but they also threaten to eliminate or export our members' jobs. We are facing unemployment, economic uncertainty, and our members being forced out of the business. Solving this crisis requires that we acknowledge these problems and systemat- ically fight back with ONE unified voice for ALL our members. Organize, Negotiate, Enforce. This is the core of what a trade union does. While maintaining a laser focus on traditional motion picture work, we must also organize other forms of storytelling. Short-form video, verticals, and gaming are examples of potential work for our members. While the IA and the Guild's professional organizers do much of the heavy lifting, each of us has a vital role to play. For example, we must always remember to complete the "I Started a Job" form on the Guild website. Union or non-union, traditional or new format: the more information we provide, the better the Guild can organize work, negotiate, and enforce our contracts. Advocate. As a Guild, and as members, we need to become more vocal. We need to ensure our voices are heard within the Guild, across the broader entertainment community, and beyond. We must advocate P H OT O : D E V E R I L L W E E K E S