In a post written years ago about how Production was trying to scam their crew out of paying meal penalties and how one person/department standing up for themselves resulted in benefits for all their colleagues, Anonymous recently left a comment that seemed to totally miss the point of the post:
Wait, you're telling me you make like $600 a day and you get fed breakfast AND lunch and there is craft service table with food on it all day long, and sometimes someone will come around and give you a smoothie. What a great job.
Okay... There are so many things wrong with this comment.
1) I didn't say I make "like $600 a day."
2) I don't make "like $600 a day."
3) We don't always get lunch. (On the show I'm working on now, walk-aways are the norm.)
4) There is craft service, but you know what we don't get?
- Actual breaks (other than lunch).
- "Normal" working hours...
- ... And on that note, what most people would consider a reasonable turnaround time.
- Health insurance, pension, etc.*
- Paid holiday leave.*
- Paid sick leave.*
- A guaranteed paycheck.
- Someone coming around and giving me a smoothie.**
5) And the benefits we DO get? We get because, long history short, our industry (and labor in general) is so fucked up that we were getting screwed left and right so certain rules and laws had to be put in place. Either by state law or union rules that have become the industry standard even if we're not on a union show. So thank you, unions!
I'm not sure if Anonymous is trying to be snarky since I was "bitching" about a job were I "get fed breakfast AND lunch" and/or they just don't understand the complexities of the job we do, but either way, I just wanted to set things straight. While yes, I'll admit, the job does come with some cool perks, those perks also come with a price. After all, nothing is free.
HAPPY LABOR DAY!
*Non-union work.
** Unless someone feels like doing a Jamba Juice run.
3 comments :
Preach it, sister. Amen to Labor Day and the long, hard, occasionally bloody struggle to give working people the right to decent pay, fair treatment, and a safe place to work.
A.J., have you not gone to your union local to be put on the list as a day-player? Build up your hours toward union eligibility? If you never start, you'll never be eligible for the "test". I finally did what everyone told me I should have done so many many years ago, get on the list.
JD - I'm always curious about other unions and their eligibility standards. I know what IA 728 (Studio Electricians, Hollywood) requires, but which union are you referring to and what is "the test"?
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