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798members.com
COMMUNITY BULLETIN BOARD
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- Fewer shows, fewer jobs
Most TV shows couldn't return immediately after the
writers reached a new contract with studios because
of the four- to six-week period it takes for most
shows to complete scripts, rehire crews and prep
locations for shooting. When production did resume,
there were many fewer shows and thus fewer job
opportunities for crew members. The downturn has
been partially offset by a 50% upswing in feature
film production, a possible sign that studios are
ramping up production to complete films before June
30, when the actors contract expires. Studios have
braced for a possible walkout by juggling their
slates so that most films would wrap up by the
contract deadline. But the increase has not been
enough to fill the paucity of jobs. Indeed, an
actors strike would be more debilitating than a
walkout by writers because it would shut down most
production, a nightmare scenario for people such as
Ed Lippman.
"I can't even think what might happen to me if SAG
goes out," says Lippman, a location manager. The
16-year industry veteran has been unemployed since
November, when his last show, the NBC cop drama
"Life," shut down after filming only 11 episodes.
When the strike ended, Lippman figured he would
return to work on "Life," but NBC chose not to
resume filming until June. For the first time in his
career, he wasn't getting any calls for pilot work,
and neither were his colleagues. After maxing out
his credit cards, Lippman, 42, did something he
never imagined he would do: He filed for personal
bankruptcy this month. "It was hard to accept. I
thought, 'How could this happen?' " Lippman said.
Phillip Gordon has been wondering the same thing.
After four months of unemployment, the 38-year-old
prop maker and general foreman returned to work a
week ago, overseeing construction of the set for the
comedy "Mostly Ghostly," an upcoming movie based on
the R.L. Stine book series. The job pays $17 an
hour, well below his usual rate, and requires a
two-hour commute from his home near Palmdale to the
set in Playa Vista. Gordon has little choice. He's
four months behind on his variable-rate mortgage.
His payments ballooned to $3,700 from $2,700 a month
in January, shortly after he lost his job on the set
of the next "Star Trek" movie. To stay afloat, he's
sold off tools at swap meets and mowed his
neighbor's lawn. "I don't know what else to do,"
Gordon said.
Benefits could cease
Many crew members are in a race against the clock to
keep their health insurance. Union rules require
that members work at least 300 hours every six
months to maintain their benefits.After a four-month
hiatus, foley artist Dominique Tabach of Valencia
recently returned to work part-time on the CBS drama
"Numbers." But she has nothing else lined up.Without
additional work, Tabach, 43, is concerned that she
won't accumulate enough hours to keep her union
health insurance beyond September. The insurance
covers Tabach, her 8-year-old daughter and her
husband, a former TV executive who recently lost his
job. "There's just not enough TV work out there,"
Tabach said.
richard.verrier@latimes.com
- Veteran Hair Stylist's 2 Year Old Son
Drowns In Pool Accident
Longtime 798 member Mary
D'Angelo lost her 2 year old son, Wilson Hedrick in a tragic
pool accident last Wednesday (6/18) evening. On behalf of
our members and all of our colleagues who know Mary, I would
like to extend our deepest and heartfelt sympathies to her,
her family and her loved ones during this tragic time. Wilson's funeral is
scheduled for this Tuesday, June 24 in Tennessee. (details
are unknown at this time).
In lieu of flowers, the
family asks for your donation to:
EAST TENNESSEE CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL
WATER SAFETY PROGRAM
P. O. Box 15010
Knoxville, Tennessee 37901-5010
"In Memory of Wilson Hedrick"
CITES FATHER'S ILL
HEALTH AND FRUSTRATION AT CONTINUED REFORMATION EFFORTS AS
REASONS FOR RESIGNATION
HERE IS THE
TEXT OF PRESIDENT NORMAN BRYN'S RESIGNATION LETTER
It is with great regret that I must
announce my resignation from the Presidency of Local 798.
This is a difficult decision which I weighed carefully, and
though it may come as a surprise to many, I believe my
reasons are valid and fair.
Some members with whom I've worked are already aware that my
father is experiencing heart-related health problems
which--at the age of 86--will likely constitute that final
crisis we must all face one day. Though Dad had effective
coronary bypass surgery a year ago and subsequent rehab
therapy, his heart was seriously damaged by a heart attack
he was not even aware of prior to the surgery, resulting in
ongoing arrhythmia which has--in the past few weeks--reduced
him to a homebound invalid. I live just a mile down the
road, and the immediacy of my father's needs has made me his
primary caregiver thus far, though I hope to channel in the
various social services available under Medicare to ease
some of my burden since I must be free to make a living like
everybody else.
It would be easy and convenient to justify my resignation
from our Executive Board with the fact of my father's
illness, but it is part of a larger picture. Though I
have played some part in the revival of Local 798 since I
joined the REFORM Movement in 2004, the climate at
our office is such that I feel my accomplishments lie behind
me--not ahead--and I am no longer making a real DIFFERENCE anymore. When the
Concerned Members of
Local 798 was formed in 2004, we set goals to effect LASTING changes designed to prevent further
corruption--the kind we'd all been familiar with long BEFORE the
Callaghan Real Estate Scandal finally
provided the springboard to kick Vincent Callaghan out,
break up the cronyism of his Executive Board, and restore
democratic procedures set down in union constitutions--even
one as badly mangled as ours. THAT was an uphill
battle which HAD to be won, and it was worth every
effort made by all concerned. However, THE JOB IS NOT
OVER, and there are those who are resistant to seeing it
all the way through in the manner originally conceived by
the Concerned Members Reform Movement.
A key factor
is the (still undone) reformation of our OFFICE, with
allocation of funds and personnel the crux of the issue.
Since--after nearly three years-- some do not wish to
proceed (for admittedly complex and compelling reasons) with
what I still consider to be essential reforms, I can no
longer justify my time and effort since it appears our
original reform program has reached a plateau and is no
longer moving forward. Without that forward movement, I
can't justify to myself the TIME and effort required
from me for union affairs--which will inevitably encroach on
my moral responsibility to my father during the final months
of his life.
Mind you, I was prepared to stretch myself and TRY to
remain on as President at least until the end of the present
term, but recent discussions related to further progress at
Local 798 have reinforced my conclusion that I am simply
wasting my time. I have also noticed that attendance at
General Membership Meetings has fallen off sharply in recent
times--that all too dangerous COMPLACENCY we've seen
before which actually enabled Vincent Callaghan and his
cronies to corrupt Local 798 as deeply as they did, with our
union STILL footing the bill to clean up after them.
Complacency and indifference are the two greatest enemies
of democratic procedure, so I hope my resignation at
least sparks enough controversy to jump-start our membership
once more.
I am also fully aware that some of "the bad guys"
will see my resignation as a rallying point and use it as a
weapon to discredit your remaining E-Board and launch
themselves (or their surrogate henchmen) back into office
after the General Election this Fall. You members should not
allow these opportunists to bamboozle you or read anything
unstated into my resignation; I leave office fully confident
in the integrity of those left behind and the first hand
knowledge that any errors in judgment were made honestly by
all nine of us in a democratic fashion...I STAND BY THAT.
One of these "errors in judgment" is the collective events
which have left our union STILL without that long promised
website. I remind everybody that member Jack Engel's
unofficial website, www.798members.com is still up and
running and--yes--STILL providing valuable union information
and the 798members Forum where I will be posting my views
along with anybody else who is interested. If you haven't
been there, TRY IT-- this website was instrumental in getting
the TRUTH out to the Membership in 2004 and surely will be
again come election time.
If asked, I WILL make myself available--unofficially--to
our next President and the rest of the Executive Board for
service to our local if time permits. And, should my
father pass sooner than later, I would at least consider a
seat on a future E-Board if in fact there is again forward
movement regarding our stalled Reforms. Also, there is much
committee work to be done, and it is possible I may still be
of use in those areas. I intend to keep my hand in as
best I can under the circumstances, and am sincere in my
hope that the Membership will press both present and future
Executive Boards to continue the Reforms which are
absolutely vital to prevent Local 798 from ultimately
falling back into the swamp of predators, nepotism, and
personal agendas.
Sincerely,
Norman Bryn
A NOTE FROM YOUR
EDITOR...
I know I speak for all
of my Local 798 brothers and sisters when I say that all of our
our good wishes and prayers are extended to Brother Bryn, his
father and the rest of the Bryn family during their
difficult time.
The tireless efforts of
Brother Bryn in regards to the reformation of our local and
the establishment
of a transparent management and administration was a key factor of
the Concerned Members initial success. The membership
owes Brother Bryn a debt of gratitude for his exhaustive service on our
Executive Board, serving as both our local's vice-president
and president and his voluntary and unselfish efforts to continue
the work the Concerned Members started in 2004 along with
always placing the best interests of the membership ahead of
any other agenda.
- Jack Engel, Editor
& Webmaster 798members.com
