Talking about unionizing…

Union organizers in British Columbia have limitations on the types of activities they can participate in when organizing a union at a workplace. The following is excerpted from the British Columbia Labour Code, Rights, Duties and Unfair Labour Practices:

7. Limitation on Activities of Trade Unions: Except with the employer’s consent, a trade unon or person acting on its behalf must not attempt, at the employer’s place of employment during working hours, to persuade an employee of the employer to join or not join a trade union.

This prevents organizers from contacting you in your workplace on company time whether by email or phone. However, we can talk with your before your work day, on your breaks, at lunch/dinner time and after work hours. You can contact us before your work day, on your breaks, at lunch/dinner time, and after work hours. You can discuss forming a union with your co-workers before your work day begins, during your breaks, at lunch/dinner time, or after work hours. However, you should never use your employers’ equipment for non work related activity; do not use their computers, telephones, printers, etc. to communicate about joining a union unless you have their permission to do so.

8. Right to Communicate: A person has the freedom to express his or her views on any matter, including matters relating to an employer, a trade union or the represenation of employees by a trade union , provided that the person does not use intimidation or coercion.

9. Coercion and intimidation prohibited.

You are free to talk and debate about joining a union with the union organizers and with your co-workers at anytime except for when you are working. Your employer and supervisors must not threaten you with loss of employment, demote you, discipline you, or discriminate against you for discussing, promoting, or joining a union. If you are experiencing intimidation and/or bullying in your work place because you want a union please contact us to discuss, just not during working hours

We will be resuming union information sessions, time and place TBA. Alternatively, if you and your colleagues want to meet during your lunch hour, before or after work, or on the weekend let us know and we can make arrangements. Email vfx@iatse.com or dustyk@iatse.com

Enjoy, you earned it!

Labour/Labor Day: A Day of Rest

Today’s day of rest has been brought to you by the Union Movement. Collective action by workers in both Canada and the US led all provincial and state governments to enact legislation celebrating workers’ contribution to their countries. In Canada the 1872 Typographical Union strike for a maximum 58 hr work week and in the US the 1894 Pullman strike over low wages and 16 hour work days are generally seen as the catalysts leading to the creation of this statutory holiday. In both countries, workers were under pressure to work more, be paid less. In both countries Unions provided workers with the power of collective action to better their socioeconomic conditions.

Happy Labour Day, I hope you are enjoying this earned day of rest.

Canada

“Labour Day has been celebrated on the first Monday in September in Canada since the 1880s. The origins of Labour Day in Canada can be traced back to December 1872 when a parade was staged in support of the Toronto Typographical Union’s strike for a 58-hour work-week.[1] The Toronto Trades Assembly (TTA) called its 27 unions to demonstrate in support of the Typographical Union who had been on strike since March 25.[1] George Brown, Canadian politician and editor of the Toronto Globe hit back at his striking employees, pressing police to charge the Typographical Union with “conspiracy.”[1] Although the laws criminalising union activity were outdated and had already been abolished in Great Britain, they were still on the books in Canada and police arrested 24 leaders of the Typographical Union. Labour leaders decided to call another similar demonstration on September 3 to protest the arrests. Seven unions marched in Ottawa, prompting a promise by Canadian Prime Minister Sir John A. Macdonald to repeal the “barbarous” anti-union laws.[1] Parliament passed the Trade Union Act on June 14 the following year, and soon all unions were demanding a 54-hour work-week”…read more

USA

“Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.” … read more

from SIGGRAPH exhibition floor

Come visit us!

Hello “SIGGRAPHERS”:

The IATSE booth is all set up. Booth number 1014 over on the west side of Exhibition Hall B, across from the washrooms close to Prime Focus’ booth. IATSE representatives Jimmy Goodman (Los Angeles), Julia Neville (Vancouver), Peter DaPrato (Toronto) and myself Dusty Kelly are on hand throughout the next 3 days. Come on by and visit us, we would love to see you.

PS: If you can’t make the exhibition don’t forget about the IATSE 891 hosted BBQ tomorrow night, info below. We will all be there. It is a short walk from Convention Center a block west of the Westin Bayshore.

You are invited

IATSE 891 welcomes SIGGRAPH 2011 and will be hosting a Summer BBQ for VFX artists and technicians. Enjoy good food and music in a relaxed rooftop setting, a short walk from the Trade and Convention Center. IATSE representatives Jimmy Goodman and company will be on hand for your questions. Kindly RSVP vfx@iatse.com to confirm as space is limited. Looking forward to seeing you.

Date: Wednesday August, 10
Time: 7 – 10pm
Place: PAL rooftop

The Dirty Little Secret About Union Dues

When it comes to discussing union dues, I have seen VFXers post the following comments:

“The Union is a business”

“The Union just wants to take your money.”

“The Union does nothing for me”

Nothing could be further from the truth.

IATSE Local 891 provides numerous services at the request of the members. These services are voted on in a democratic process by the general membership of the union. Here’s a sampling of some of the services the members have chosen:

Medical and Dental
Life Insurance
Family Services Employee Assistance
Union Savings
Retirement Savings Plan
Residential Rehabilitation
Professional Upgrading and Training (budgeted at over a $1,000,000)
Meeting Spaces
WCB advocacy

The delivery and administration of these services is not without cost. It requires fulltime paid staff, office equipment and supplies, a building to operate out of, and an IT department to make sure everything runs smoothly.

The operating revenue required for these expenditures is generated by the collection of dues from the members. The constitution of the local states,

(a) In addition to annual dues, members working under a Collective Agreement to which the Local is a party shall pay working dues calculated at a rate as set from time to time by the Executive Committee and ratified by the Membership.

That’s right, the members of the union decide on how much they contribute. The dues are tax deductible; you are entitled to write off the total amount collected by your union on your taxes.

There are two types of dues IATSE 891 members contribute. One is the annual dues and the other is what is commonly known as “dues check off” or the “working dues assessment.”

The annual dues of $320 have not been raised in over 20 years and if a member pays prior to March 31, the amount is reduced to $288. That’s less than 80 cents a day!

The annual dues monies are re-distributed to numerous organizations that 891 is a member of:

The British Columbia Council of Film Unions (negotiates the master agreement)
The Motion Picture Production Industry Association (lobbies for tax incentives)
BC Federation of Labour (advocates for worker rights and fair labour laws)
IATSE (advocates nationally and internationally for IATSE members)
The Actors’ Fund of Canada (provides emergency financial assistance)

The working dues assessments fund the union office. 2% is deducted off members’ wages by the payroll companies and remitted to the union. The union does not collect working dues unless the member is working under a union collective agreement.

Now let’s look at a member who has made $60,000 in the year, and see how much dues they would have paid versus the value of the services they received.

2% dues check off plus the annual dues paid before March 31, equals $1,488 dollars. Their T4s/receipts will indicate this deductible amount for tax purposes.

If the member worked for example on “Caesar: Rise of the Apes” and “Wimpy the Kid” their employers would have contributed $3,600 to the member’s retirement plan. I think I could stop here because already the member is ahead of the game but let’s continue. If they are on the health benefits plan the value of those benefits is an additional $3,600. Wow this is beginning to add up fast in the union member’s favour. The Medical Services Plan savings alone are worth $648/individual or $1,296 per family and the members’ individual life insurance policy costs $200 per year.

Add in training and all the other services and you can readily see the member is receiving a valuable return on their contribution.

How can you be sure of the veracity of these statements? Unlike privately held companies, the union’s books are open for inspection by the membership. Each year a certified general accountant audits all the unions transactions and prepares the financial statements which are mailed to every member. An annual budget itemizing salaries, office expenditures, training costs, etc is submitted to the membership to be voted on. There are multiple rigorous checks and balances in place to ensure transparency.

IATSE Local 891 is a democratic collective of members. The members determine how much their dues are, the members of determine the services they want.

It’s a good deal, union members dues at work helping union members.

Calculating Overtime

We sent out a wage benefit survey recently, the confidential information will assist the IATSE 891 VFX department sub-committee in the upcoming Master Agreement negotiations. While reviewing the responses, I noticed that those who indicated they are working under Side Letter No. 12 reported that they do not get paid overtime until after 12 hours worked. This is erroneous.

Let me explain:

The wages identified under the Side Letter No. 12 are inclusive of overtime. This means you are paid for 14 pay hours if you worked the entire 12 hour day or 70 pay hours if you worked 60 hours in the week.

How do we get to 14 hours? The 12 hour day is broken into 8 hours at straight time and 4 hours of overtime. Those four hours are paid at the going overtime rate of time and a half equaling 6 straight time hours. Add 8 and 6 you arrive at 14 straight time hours.

Now if you actually worked 13 hours per day you would take your weekly rate and divide that number by 70, the number of straight time pay hours in a 60 hr work week. Then this number is doubled to give you the hourly rate for hours worked past 12. For example:

$1600 for a 60 hour work week (5 x 12) is equivalent to 70 pay hours, $1600 divided by 70 = $22.86 per hour. If you worked 65 hours you will be paid an additional $228.60 for the five extra hours. This is your hourly rate doubled for the five additional hours.

Your minimum daily or weekly rate under the side letter is inclusive of overtime.
Remember the week rate or day rate are guaranteed pay whether you work, 8 hours, 10 hours, or 12 hours.

This is dry stuff, and is not really easily understood, that’s why contracts and collective agreements end up being misinterpreted. Somehow the boss likes it like that which makes getting clear language such a struggle. If we had easily understood language a few labour relations and HR folks would be out of a job, and there would be less billable hours for the lawyers too.

Here’s more on overtime.

The VFX sub-committee will be meeting again this weekend, dates have been set aside for formal bargaining to commence in October.

SIGGRAPH 2011 is fast approaching. I will be at the IATSE booth in the exhibition hall. Come and meet IATSE’s Jimmy Goodman from Los Angeles, Peter Daprato from Toronto, and Julia Neville from Vancouver.

If you are in Vancouver and are not able to make it down to the Trade and Convention Center, IATSE 891 will be hosting a summer BBQ with live music, Wednesday, August 8, and Jimmy, Peter and Julia will be there too. Details to come.