It is somewhat of an understatement to say that the global economic
times in which we live are difficult and challenging. We are witnessing
major companies laying off thousands of workers and reports of a continual
rise in unemployment. Our pension funds have suffered, and we
have been facing a health care crisis for some time.
As we endure these trials I ask that we stand together, assist one another
and, if necessary, take advantage of the many resources available to us in the
entertainment industry and as union members. Some of the programs offering
union member assistance are: the Motion Picture and Television Fund
which maintains an entertainment industry presence and offers health care
clinics, child care and social services; the AFL-CIO’s Union Plus Benefits
offers credit counseling, insurance, financial hardship assistance, scholarships,
and online tax preparation services, among its many benefits. The
Actors Fund, in both the United States and Canada, offers invaluable programs
such as social services and financial assistance, as well as housing and
health care assistance. In Canada, we have the Union Savings Programs
offering assistance with insurance, real estate and other helpful services.
There are links to these and a number of other organizations on the IATSE
Web site (www.iatse-intl.org). They are there for you.
Even though the United States now has a more labor-friendly administration
in Washington, President Obama warned us that we would continue to
face challenging times. I am confident that in time we will reap the benefits of
changes to come. In the meantime, we look to the future with hope that
employment opportunities will increase as some of the challenges in our
industry settle down.
Our local unions must represent their memberships, not only at the negotiating
table, but in communicating with them to be sure they are availing themselves
of the assistance they may need and helping them obtain it if need be.
We must reach out to our brothers and sisters, from local to local and member
to member, in an effort to help protect ourselves and each other.
Perhaps the silver lining in these trying times is that they serve to bring us
closer together, to become more aware and active in protecting our mutual
interests. We are lucky that we entered the economic crisis with a foundation
of support, our union, when so many must go it alone. I implore each of you
to help your sisters and brothers in some way. There are a great many things
each of us can do to make it a little easier to weather this storm. We have survived
difficult times before and we will face more in the future, but united we
are better equipped to do so. We must never lose sight of the fact that it is the
solidarity of IATSE membership that is the foundation for this endurance.
