Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/756468
74 CINEMONTAGE / Q4 2016 74 CINEMONTAGE / Q4 2016 born and continues to evolve around the world." The Board was ready for the changes. Kutak said, "My ideas must have had a fair amount of support from the Board or they wouldn't have hired me." In order to familiarize himself with Guild membership, Kutak had conversations with a number of members. Among the editors with whom he spoke, he credits Carol Littleton, ACE, with helping to shape his views on providing access to union membership for all qualified editorial employees. As a result of those discussions, Littleton decided to run for president. Within the next three years, Kutak brought financial stability to the Guild. In 1989, the year after Littleton was elected president, the roster rules were changed to allow access to all qualified editorial employees. With the restrictions eliminated, the Local was free to bolster its efforts to organize non-union shows and bring more members into the Guild. These fundamental changes and the expansion of organizing soon made it possible for the union to address jurisdictional issues between the various IA locals working in television, video and film. Kutak sought to continue to unify, as well as to enlarge and consolidate the union. At the same time, he wanted to prepare the Local's growing membership for the burgeoning technological revolution. Reflecting on these events, the departing Executive Director commented, "People were president at the right time. Carol was committed to bringing a younger generation of editors in and changing the culture of the organization. I think of Donn Cambern as the Sun King; he was so statesmanlike. He could move us slowly toward the series of mergers that transformed the Guild into a national local." In 1995, the Board of Directors approved the reapportionment of its seats to better represent the numbers of members in the different classifications. This set the stage for Kutak and Cambern, with the cooperation of IA President Tom Short, to move the Guild to national stature and broader post- production representation. Even though the IA did not actively participate in the negotiations, the merger of LA Local 776 and NY Local 771 to create national Local 700 proceeded with its approval. This occurred after Local 780 — the local that held editorial jurisdiction in the middle of the country — ceded that jurisdiction to the newly created local. Prior to the merger, the IA assigned Local 776 to take in the post-production sound members of Local 695. Subsequently, the re-recording mixers of NY Local 52 ceded their re-recording jurisdiction to the newly-formed national Guild. Local 854, the Story Analysts, approached the Local about merging as well. In the process, the local became an organization encompassing virtually all post-production personnel and artisans of story structure, both pre- and post-production. Ron Kutak with Carol Littleton, Guild President, 1988-91. Right: Ron Kutak at IA Convention. Below: From left, Lisa Zeno Churgin, Guild President, 2002-10, Vice President Dede Allen and Ron Kutak.