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Re: [ARSCLIST] How many of us in unions? Poor sounding concert halls.
Bob Wasserman wrote:
I was wondering how many of us are in Unions? I'm an IATSE member, but most of my studio work is not through them, most of it being non-profit agency work at below union scale, which is usually OK due the joy of preservation aspect of the work. I do get theatrical and event work through IATSE and then I'm very well taken care of. If I had a more fulltime staff position here, it would probably be through ACSFME. Is it our love for the work or the small size of the business that keeps us from unions?
When I first went to work for Family Theater to edit four productions,
it was under the IATSE through a payroll service, but later when I
started to do archive work for them it was on their payroll which wasn't
covered by the union. Then, it was continuous yearly employment
contrasted to the seasonal aspect of studio work, so at that point, it
was also a better deal to work non-union. Also, I had "semi retired",
so my IA pension had kicked in. In my case, I couldn't/can't complain.
But, if I were to work in "The Industry" again, I'd work union if
possible, since I'd be able to contribute to the funds for future
workers plus have the protection of union rules and make the going rate.
Rod Stephens
I was never in a union however the decline of recording engineers being in unions led to a >50% drop in our average wages. If you calculate inflation in, that figure becomes a drop >of 90%! I don't buy that the union engineers of the 1950s and '60s were overpaid and
the quality of their work certainly speaks for its self.