Petition to Local 800

During a weekend meeting of Local 800 members (some active on this site, some not) the issue/concern was raised of the IATSE International's track record, in legal situations such as this, of stalling and prolonging court cases (that they can not easily win) as a matter of strategy. The longer issues are held before the court the greater the financial burden on the Internationals opponent and the greater their chances of winning if by no other means then by bankrupting their opponent. Of course, this strategy also costs the International as well. Valid concern was raised that the International might pressure the leadership of Local 800 to join the current legal action and help defray the cost of defense. Since our beloved Board of Directors has a tendency to take action without the input or knowledge of the membership, it was decided to make a preemptive move. The following petition went out yesterday (Monday, August 18th) to as many members of Local 800 (Scenic, Title & Graphic Artists and Art Directors) as we could find contact information for. There were close to 100 signatures within the first six hours and we are hoping for more before the Special Meeting of Local 800's Board of Directors that has been called for tomorrow night (Wednesday, August 20th).

Click here to SIGN THE PETITION

Petition instructing Local 800 Board of Directors

to refrain from joining into existing legal actions.

Note: A special meeting of the Local 800 Board of Directors has been called for 7:00pm Wednesday, August 20^th, 2008 at the Local office. We hope to present this petition at that meeting. Please read and sign without delay.

Background Information:

On June 26^th, 2008 IATSE Local 790 (Illustrators and Matte Artists) and IATSE Local 847 (Set Designers and Model Makers) filed suit in Federal District Court against the INTERNATIONAL ALLIANCE OF THEATRICAL STAGE EMPLOYEES, MOVING PICTURE TECHNICIANS, ARTISTS AND ALLIED CRAFTS OF THE UNITED STATES, ITS TERRITORIES AND CANADA, AFL-CIO, CLC (IATSE International) to prevent being forcibly merged into IATSE Local 800. - [Case # CV08-04133 R (PJWx)]

On July 2^nd, 2008 IATSE Local 790 and IATSE Local 847 filed an unfair labor practices charge against the IATSE International with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). - [Case # 31-CB-12393]

In each of these legal actions IATSE Local 790 and IATSE Local 847 are listed as "plaintiffs" and IATSE International is listed as the solitary "defendant." IATSE Local 800 currently has no involvement in either case.

As these actions work their way through the Federal Court and the NLRB the cost of legal defense is the sole responsibility of the IATSE International. It is very likely that the IATSE International will soon ask Local 800 to join the law suit on the side of the "defendant" in order to help defray the growing legal expense in defending these cases. In joining the legal actions currently underway Local 800 has nothing additional to gain (that will not already come out of the existing actions) but our leadership will end up spending tens of thousands of dollars of the Local's funds simply to help the IATSE International defray its legal costs. That is tens of thousands of dollars that belong to the members of Local 800! In all likelihood this will not be put to a vote of the general membership and will only go through approval by the Board of Directors.

By signing this petition you are being asked neither to condemn nor condone the issue of "merger" or the actions of the IATSE International. You are simply instructing the Board of Directors to stay out of a fight which belongs to the IATSE International, not Local 800, and to refrain from wasting our hard earned dues money in the process.

Petition:

"We, the undersigned members of Local 800, hereby direct our President and members of our Board of Directors to refrain from joining into any and all legal action currently pending in Federal Court or before the National Labor Relations Board between IATSE Local 790 and IATSE Local 847 ("plaintiffs") and INTERNATIONAL ALLIANCE OF THEATRICAL STAGE EMPLOYEES, MOVING PICTURE TECHNICIANS, ARTISTS AND ALLIED CRAFTS OF THE UNITED STATES, ITS TERRITORIES AND CANADA, AFL-CIO, CLC ("defendant").

Joining into such action would expose Local 800 and its members to unnecessary financial cost while in no way benefiting Local 800 or its members in any manner that could not be achieved were the IATSE International to remain the sole defendant.

In addition to the financial burden that would be placed on Local 800 and all of its members by joining the legal proceedings, consideration must also be given to the effect such action would have on the relationships of our Art Direction/Production Design members with the members of Local 790 and Local 847 in the workplace. IATSE Local 790 and IATSE Local 847 did not file suit against Local 800. By joining into these legal proceedings unprovoked we would risk further antagonizing the very people we hope to embrace into our Local, and whom we depend on to complete our work every day.

For the above reasons, the President and Board of Directors of Local 800 must not join the IATSE International as "defendants" in the issues before the Federal Court or the NLRB."

Click here to SIGN THE PETITION