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were lost due to a payroll change, and<br />
increase wages in crafts where pay was<br />
below comparable industry rates. In<br />
January <strong>2018</strong>, after two unsuccessful attempts<br />
to ratify proposed contracts, an<br />
overwhelming majority of the workers<br />
voted to authorize a strike. With no new<br />
progress on an acceptable contract, the<br />
union went on strike during the second<br />
weekend of January. Crew members at<br />
various Golf Channel tournaments did<br />
not report. The company continued talks<br />
as the strike continued into a second<br />
week. The workers remained strong and<br />
ultimately the company offered a settlement<br />
proposal, which the workforce ratified<br />
by a large margin. The new contract,<br />
which became effective January 24, <strong>2018</strong><br />
includes thirty-seven percent increases<br />
in health contributions retroactive to<br />
June 2017, one-time bonus payments to<br />
mitigate additional health costs, restored<br />
overtime payments, a cash ratification<br />
bonus, wage increases for the next two<br />
years, and additional wage gains in the<br />
first year ranging from five to ten percent<br />
for individuals in certain classifications<br />
that were paid below industry norms.<br />
This could not have been achieved, this<br />
good outcome, without the employees<br />
standing together to build a solid union<br />
in their workplace.<br />
Department Director England noted<br />
that other AFL-CIO broadcast unions<br />
supported our efforts during the strike.<br />
She thanked President Loeb, the <strong>IATSE</strong>’s<br />
broadcast members, the West Coast<br />
Office, Locals 80, 122, 600, 695, 700, and<br />
800. All provided valuable support and assisted<br />
with picketing activities in California.<br />
She also thanked Local 665 in Hawaii,<br />
which provided much-needed support<br />
on two different Hawaiian Islands for<br />
the duration of the strike. The workers at<br />
Golf Channel have a more secure future<br />
because of these efforts.<br />
President Loeb thanked those reporting.<br />
This company has not acted with cooperation<br />
and fairness and its past decisions<br />
will continue to affect its reputation<br />
in the future. This was a job well done<br />
and the technicians at Golf Channel will<br />
continue to receive our support and the<br />
protections of an <strong>IATSE</strong> contract.<br />
GRIEVANCE SETTLEMENTS<br />
& WALSH/DI TOLLA/SPIVAK<br />
FOUNDATION SETTLEMENTS<br />
Paul Moore, Local 700 Eastern Executive<br />
Director appeared before the Board<br />
to report upon the beneficial outcomes<br />
of recent successful grievance settlements.<br />
Brother Moore reported that in late 2016<br />
he was reading an entry in the <strong>IATSE</strong>’s<br />
Official Bulletin concerning the Walsh/<br />
Di Tolla/Spivak Foundation. Around<br />
that time, he was also processing a grievance<br />
involving a claim that a signatory<br />
employer failed to cover certain work<br />
within Local 700’s jurisdiction. Under<br />
the circumstances, there was no obvious<br />
individual recipient for wage and benefit<br />
reimbursements or a similar monetary<br />
award. He suggested that the employer<br />
settle the matter by making a compensatory<br />
payment to the Foundation. The<br />
employer agreed and two days later, he<br />
had a check payable to the Foundation for<br />
the amount requested. In October 2016, a<br />
similar grievance arose and was resolved<br />
in the same way. Since then, Brother<br />
Moore continued to grieve circumstances<br />
involving production companies that did<br />
not cover people within Local 700’s jurisdiction.<br />
He has maintained his push for<br />
settlements, short of arbitration, which<br />
should serve as an influential deterrent<br />
against this conduct. He noted that to<br />
date, settlements totaling approximately<br />
$90,000 have been contributed to the<br />
Walsh/Di Tolla/Spivak Foundation. Typically,<br />
settlement monies are paid from<br />
employers’ payroll deposits. Brother<br />
Moore thanked Jennifer Triplett at the<br />
<strong>IATSE</strong> General Office for her assistance in<br />
pursuing these funds, which will benefit<br />
the members of the Alliance.<br />
President Loeb remarked that this is<br />
a suitable and appropriate way of settling<br />
grievances where no identifiable recipient<br />
would receive the benefit of a compensatory<br />
award. It is critical that we continue<br />
to ensure that employers comply with<br />
their collective bargaining obligations.<br />
These settlements will have wide-ranging<br />
impacts. He reminds members that<br />
the International has its own charity, the<br />
Walsh/Di Tolla/Spivak Foundation; Thus,<br />
if members wish to make chartiable donations<br />
they may contribute to the Walsh/<br />
Di Tolla/Spivak Foundation, which will<br />
have added funds to support IA members<br />
and their families in a variety of ways. He<br />
commended Brother Moore for his exemplary<br />
work, which the <strong>IATSE</strong>’s members<br />
will certainly appreciate.<br />
<strong>IATSE</strong> STAGECRAFT<br />
DEPARTMENT<br />
International Vice Presidents Daniel<br />
Di Tolla, Michael J. Barnes, John M. Lewis<br />
and James J. Claffey, Jr., International<br />
Trustee Patricia A. White, Co-Director<br />
of Stagecraft Anthony DePaulo, Assistant<br />
Director of Stagecraft D. Joseph Hartnett<br />
and Representatives Peter Marley,<br />
Christopher “Radar” Bateman and Stasia<br />
Savage updated the Board on the activi-<br />
FIRST QUARTER <strong>2018</strong> 23
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