Letter from Tom Walsh

Local 800's President, Tom Walsh, sent this letter to Locals 847 and 790. Interesting that he has invited the "input and participation" of outside Local members but apparently does not feel the need to include rank and file members of Local 800 in the conversation. Enjoy.... (Start Letter)

As your well aware, there has been a lot of information flying around lately related to the IA's directive regarding the forced mergers of Locals 790 and 847into Local 800. Along with legitimate concerns there has been a good deal of misinformation, sufficient to make the current situation highly partisan and hostile. It is my hope that you are of the mind to review all of the relevant information and form an independent opinion of your own.

The challenges associated with this merger are not only about overcoming our collective past practices and disappointments with each other, but it's more about how we will collectively survive and prosper as a singular community of working professionals in the national and global marketplace of today and tomorrow. Our current workplace practices and guidelines are based on obsolete models, ones that were created to service institutions that no longer exist. The procedures and standards that we are still working under were created for the large studio Art Departments, practices that permitted them to efficiently manufacture a large volume of entertainment product.

We are now creating a new paradigm, one that requires the active participation of all those who are engaged in the business of creating design for all forms (film, television, animation, internet, games, theme-park) of narrative entertainment. Whether that person is a Designer/Art Director, Illustrator, Previs Specialists, Set Designer or all of the above, we are all in this together and for the long haul. We must re-build our lines of communication, so that we can re-construct and re-affirm our trust in each other and move forward.

For these reasons we would like to call upon you to serve on a Transitional Advisory Committee which I've outlined below. In many ways it will be the most important service that you can provide to your colleagues and our profession. Norman Newberry and Stephen Berger have agreed to participate in a leadership capacity. With your participation and that of a few more of your peers, we will have the nucleus of a leadership group that will be regarded by all as both nonpartisan and highly committed to finding solutions that are in the best interests of the membership and our profession as a whole.

Please consider this invitation seriously and respond to me ASAP.

All the best, TW

Transitional Advisory Committee: To review, discuss and create substantive recommendations, so as to facilitate the orderly transition of all former members of Local’s 790 and 847, into Local 800. This committee will be charged with identifying in detail all issues of concern and promoting solutions both short and long term in their design. All items relevant to workplace standards, jurisdictional infractions, as-well-as identifying and formulating solutions for future professional procedures and internal working relationships will be on their agenda. Most importantly, this Committee will be charged with the creation of the working foundations for the future Set Designers and Illustrators Craft Councils that will follow. The Committee would consist of 3 groups, one representing Illustrators, one representing Set Designers, and a third representing the Board of Directors of Local 800. Pending Board approval, this Committee would begin its deliberations ASAP.

Tom Walsh

Designer/Art Director

Tre Luna Studio

(818) 406-1559