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cal and legislative matters. The addition of the Department’s full-time staff has also brought remarkable energy and an innovative spirit to our existing political efforts. Virtually daily, the Department monitors proposed federal and state legislation that would affect the entertainment industry in general and our members in particular. The Department’s capacity to identify and study legislation—whether promising or harmful for the IATSE—is a crucial first step toward helping to shape the economic future for our workers. Whenever there are general elections in the U.S., the Department deploys a coordinated outreach effort through the eleven U.S. IATSE districts and their respective secretaries and chairs. This coordinated effort serves as an important means of disseminating pertinent information to our members so they are aware of political candidates’ platforms and any announced positions that would have consequences for IATSE workers. Beginning with the most recent federal election cycle, the Department also focused heavily on the critical task of new voter registration. The IATSE is proud that many of our members regularly vote in great numbers. However, our research and data has shown that there are still unregistered members across the U.S. The Department’s goal is to progressively grow the number of IATSE members registered to vote during each election cycle. We cannot begin to build support for worker representation, win proworker legislation, or strengthen the IATSE’s voice in matters that affect our members unless all our members are regularly visiting their community polling places. As I reported to you during the 67th Convention, intellectual property and digital theft may gravely threaten the economic wellbeing of thousands of IATSE members. The livelihoods of many of our members hinge on copyrighted movies and television productions. Consequently, digital theft causes immeasurable losses in wages and contributions to our members’ fringe benefit plans. Based on its research, the Political Department reports that the political climate in Washington—largely due to the makeup of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives—is not currently suited to enact legislation regarding digital theft. However, electing candidates in upcoming mid-term elections that would be apt to support intellectual property legislation may change the landscape on this important issue. Meanwhile, the Political Department continues to discuss this matter on periodic visits with lawmakers supportive of our coalition on Capitol Hill. The Department has been instrumental in broadening awareness of this problem and identifying policymaking allies willing to protect IA members. Immigration is another key topic addressed by the Political Department in its ongoing visits with Washington politicians. The IATSE has noticed in recent years an increasing influx of overseas workers coming to the U.S. to perform integral work (or serve in support roles) on film, television or theatrical projects—which often occur within one of the IATSE’s industries. Our U.S. immigration policy allows foreign nationals to obtain visas for those purposes. However, this matter remains important to the Alliance because foreign workers may be exploited to perform jobs that could otherwise be filled by IATSE members. During the last Congress, the IA pushed lawmakers to enact a bipartisan bill that would create greater transparency in the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration’s Service’s visa application process when these foreign nationals seek to enter the country. The Department will continue to urge that this matter be addressed in future legislation. Another matter adversely affecting our members is widespread misclassification of workers as independent contractors. This has been a persistent problem throughout the U.S. and statistics show that millions of workers nationally are habitually misclassified. Misclassification adversely affects workers’ taxes, unemployment insurance, and retirement and health benefits. It further affects the law-abiding businesses that employ our members because they are forced to compete with employers using an illegal form of cost-cutting. State legislatures and agencies have acted to curb this practice in recent years. As of 2016, thirty-five states have implemented anti-misclassification laws, which increased from thirty in 2013. However, steps to combat employer misclassification can be greatly enhanced by support, legislation, enforcement, and regulatory action at the federal level. As a matter of policy, the IATSE Political Department will continue to urge U.S. lawmakers and officials to secure the economic future of our members by combating employee misclassification. In another effort to share the IATSE’s voice with members of the U.S. Congress, since 2015 the International has played a vital role in a Congressional event called “Beyond the Red Carpet.” This annual event on Capitol Hill showcases the 74 OFFICIAL BULLETIN
motion picture and television industry. Our participation has significantly helped to introduce members of Congress to the vast number of workers employed in various crafts within the industry. Each year, the IA has demonstrated the work of its talented members. In 2015 we showcased IATSE editors, in 2016 cinematographers, and most recently, in 2017 hair and makeup artists. As I reported to Convention delegates four years ago, we have progressively broadened the scope of our activism—including the IATSE’s activism in electoral politics. Since then, we have continually encouraged members to contribute their time and energy to the electoral process. Voter mobilization efforts, door-knocking, phone banking and other supportive operations are critically vital to political campaigns. We have achieved greater participation through the Political Department’s mobilization of IATSE members willing to staff campaign efforts. The International has sponsored members who were enlisted to work with the AFL-CIO in various states during recent election cycles. Between 2012 and 2016 the number of members who have come forward to do so nearly doubled. Numerous IATSE local unions have similarly sponsored their members to work on electoral campaigns. The contributions of these staffers along with the boots-onthe-ground efforts of active IATSE volunteers around the country (running phone banks and knocking on doors in their communities) have had a lasting impact. In the run-up to the 2016 U.S. presidential election the Political Department’s staff traveled to key battleground locations in Philadelphia, Las Vegas, and Orlando. In Philadelphia, the International coordinated its efforts with Local 8’s. As a result, the IATSE had a vibrant and effective team of political activists on the ground in Philadelphia. In Las Vegas, Local 720’s successful phone bank made over 1,100 calls to IATSE members reminding them to vote and encouraging support for the IATSE and AFL-CIO endorsed candidates. In Orlando, a joint Florida phone bank with Locals 631 and 834 reached over 700 IATSE members. In all three states, our members were ready and willing to work with their IATSE brothers and sisters during the elections. Although the 2016 U.S. outcomes were not what we expected or hoped, I believe the effort of countless IATSE volunteers made our political program an accomplishment. There are many lawmakers now in office who received IATSE support. Without our political activity, we may have seen the election of fewer proworker candidates. As a separate matter, (as also discussed elsewhere in this report) for the fifth consecutive U.S. election cycle (beginning in 2000) production staff responsible for the presidential and vice-presidential debates were covered by the terms of an IATSE collective bargaining agreement. And the International successfully negotiated agreements covering campaign event work on Hilary Clinton’s election campaign as well as Bernie Sanders’ primary campaign. These agreements proved to be remarkably beneficial for our members, generating a multitude of work hours along the campaign trail. The contracts afforded our members work at vast numbers of campaign stops by the candidates and their respective teams. We will continue to pursue similar contacts with U.S. campaign candidates in the future. Outside of electoral seasons, communication with our members on political matters is another critical component of our political program. The Political and Legislative Department works with the Communications Department to distribute digital messages through the IATSE website, Twitter, Facebook, and other social media outlets. Over the past four years we have deployed an extraordinary number of correspondences so that members can be knowledgeable about the political and legislative landscape. Often our communications alert members to call their members of Congress as legislation affecting our industry arises. To bolster our political communications, the Political Department has also endeavored to establish a local union coordinator in each IATSE Local in the United States. Over the past four years, Locals have become more engaged than ever before and the number of locals with such a position has grown. However, I urge the Delegates to this Convention to explore this initiative with the Political Department so we may continue to educate our members about the issues and candidates with whom the IATSE should be aligned. In Canada, the last four years have presented a range of distinct political realities for working people. For the first two years following the IATSE’s 67th Convention, labour was fighting for its very existence with a federal Conservative government, which had become increasingly antagonistic to the labour movement and the working men and women we represent. During this period, the IATSE became a more engaged and active member of the THIRD QUARTER 2017 75
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Stand Up, Fight Back! The Stand Up,
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EXECUTIVE OFFICERS Matthew D. Loeb
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OFFICIAL NOTICE This is to advise t
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INTERNATIONAL ALLIANCE OF THEATRICA
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Sarah Payne sang the anthems of the
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AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka Ka
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INTERNATIONAL PRESIDENT LOEB PRESEN
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SERGEANT-AT-ARMS AND PAGES Ben Adam
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Actions of the Convention AMENDMENT
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Actions of the Convention CONVENTIO
Page 23 and 24: that we must do all within our powe
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Page 29 and 30: his tenure, he served the Internati
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Page 33 and 34: were achieved through the solidarit
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Page 39 and 40: for the 2016 work period contributi
Page 41 and 42: vider. The MPI Health Plans have ex
Page 43 and 44: agreement. It provides a mechanism
Page 45 and 46: concluded. Between November 2015 an
Page 47 and 48: cludes standard provisions such as
Page 49 and 50: Local 105 as the bargaining agent f
Page 51 and 52: successor negotiations with its oth
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Page 57 and 58: provide safety and skills training
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Page 61 and 62: members, and the labor movement at
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