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Author Topic: Union Projectionists Jonathan Smith Expert Film Handler Posts: 201 From: Youngstown, OH Registered: Jan 2010 posted 07-07-2010 05:12 PM                     It's funny, I assume by "love Rush" you guys mean "Republican." I tended to vote Republican, at least until the last election when the racist/we want the good-ole-days crowd seemed to take the party over (never loved Rush though). I can see it from both sides of the fence as a small business owner. But again, in my Union, the small business guys really have gotten very generous Union concessions; the Union works with them and they made a very fair compromise. Maybe small business owners who are rational, fair human beings will be able to meet their employees half-way without Union representation, but try walking in and getting a raise or overtime from a Walmart Theatre Chain. Heh. Someone on this thread said something about having kids as managers and not even getting to know them the faces kept changing so much. That rings very true. I've heard a lot of "facts" thrown around here about human corruption in the Unions, so I will ask if this differs in any way from the corruption, favoritism, and utter stupidity in this INDUSTRY AS A WHOLE. And I will concede that Unions *should* be held to a higher standard than non-Union shops. As for non-union concessionists getting paid more than union ones, it could be true that that is the case, although I don't think someone should be getting $12/hr. to shovel popcorn unless maybe they live in the heart of Manhattan. I think, honestly, in any situation where similar standard-of-living non-union theatre is paying staff more than a union theatre, it's a PLOY to break the union and then fuck everyone over. I'd much rather work for a theatre where my union rep. can be there when I don't get along with some fat stupid drama queen who has become "booth manager" than deal with her as an "equal" who is employed at-will. Unions, and higher wages also have the amazing ability to GAINFULLY EMPLOY non-hobbyist skilled laborers in this field without them having to rely on their wives (or husbands) to win the bread for the family. It's amazing how much more a 45-year veteran projectionist is able to do with a cranky projector than a 19-y.o. kid who just got promoted from tearing tickets. quote: Sean McKinnon I am going to go take my smoke break now Funny you should talk about half-hour smoke breaks. Never happened here. In fact, that comment about never being allowed out of the booth during your shift rang true here. If you wanted to smoke, you had to smoke IN the booth. God help you if you were downstairs and something happened, too. [I do not condone this practice are introducing any dust into a projeciton room, but that was the way it was probably going all the way back to the early post-nitrate days.]  |  IP: Logged Richard Hamilton Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1341 From: Evansville, Indiana Registered: Jan 2000 posted 07-07-2010 05:19 PM                     quote: Jonathan Smith GAMEFULLY EMPLOY huh????  |  IP: Logged Joe Redifer You need a beating today Posts: 12859 From: Denver, Colorado Registered: May 99 posted 07-07-2010 05:33 PM                        quote: Jonathan Smith It's funny, I assume by "love Rush" you guys mean "Republican." I get it now. He meant Rush the soft, fat guy and not Rush the band. I didn't know Rush the man was still even relevant.  |  IP: Logged Sean McKinnon Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1712 From: Peabody Massachusetts Registered: Sep 2000 posted 07-08-2010 01:10 PM                        In thinking about all of this some things really bug me. I am a democrat from a very blue state I have always believed in the "working man" and believed in fighting for what one thinks is right. On the surface I always thought as a young teen that I was and would always be pro-union. I mean think about it, it sounds great and in the past they did some really great things for the working class of this country. I believe in the general idea of collective bargaining that when people come together they have more power than they do by themselves. What I have a real problem with is what has become of the once proud tradition of unions in this country. Everyday I read in the paper how the MTA union is fighting to keep the most insane work rules when the state of NY is in serious serious trouble. I think if they really cared about the workers they would try to work together with management to help solve this crisis so that more people can keep their jobs in the long run. The idea of having recourse against abusive management is great. The idea that you can have someone on your side if you are being unfairly targeted or singled out is great. However, again, I have seen it perverted. If someone is supposed to be a highly skilled professional and supposed to be worth a wage substantially higher than a non represented worker they should act as such. I understand that everyone has bad days and everyone get's stuck in traffic but when you are more than an hour and a half late for work I don't think one should hide behind their union for their wrong it gives the whole union a bad name. Case in point a projectionist I once had was 1 and 1/2 hours late for work (which we almost had to cancel some shows and would have if another manager had been opening as I was the only one who could run the projectors) and instead of owning up to it refused to even acknowledge my existance or take a copy of his "write-up" because he did not have a union witness. He was asked to call someone to come in as a witness but he would not do it. In the end the write-up still stood but come on he knew he was wrong, he knew he deserved it every single employee in the building including myself would have been treated exactly the same way if they were 1 and 1/2 hours late for work but this person tried to shirk his responsibility by hiding behind the local. It is too bad that something once so great that served such a righteous and important purpose has become what it is today. It makes me sad.  |  IP: Logged Mike Blakesley Film God Posts: 12767 From: Forsyth, Montana Registered: Jun 99 posted 07-08-2010 08:36 PM                        quote: Joe Redifer I didn't know Rush the man was still even relevant. Well -- right or wrong, he probably has more "pull" these days than Rush the band ever did, so maybe he is still relevant.  |  IP: Logged Joe Redifer You need a beating today Posts: 12859 From: Denver, Colorado Registered: May 99 posted 07-09-2010 12:36 AM                        No, he's to extremist. He preaches to the choir. Anyway, this really shouldn't turn into a political discussion. Rush the band is far more entertaining on every level and they can put more butts in seats than the fat, round man can.  |  IP: Logged Richard Hamilton Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1341 From: Evansville, Indiana Registered: Jan 2000 posted 07-09-2010 01:29 AM                     2112  |  IP: Logged Monte L Fullmer Film God Posts: 8367 From: Nampa, Idaho, USA Registered: Nov 2004 posted 07-09-2010 04:33 AM                     Power Windows  |  IP: Logged Lyle Romer Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1400 From: Davie, FL, USA Registered: May 2002 posted 07-09-2010 08:23 AM                     The problem with unions in general isn't the concept of the union and collective bargaining it is the fact that the "union" has become a bloated labor providing entity. For instance, if General Motors factory workers want to collectively bargain, they should form a union and elect representatives from within thier ranks. They should not join the UAW that represents workers from other companies. All the UAW really cares about is getting as many workers unionized and collecting dues. An internal GM union could accomplish the same goals for the workers while significantly cutting down the expense. They can just collect enough dues to pay for attorney's to handle negotiations when necessary. The other problem I have with unions is striking. If you don't like your job/pay/benefits then quit but it is ridiculous to hold a business hostage, force them to lose money and then return to your job. Then you might say "what if evil managment won't agree to a fair contract?" The way to handle that is simply to tell the management that if we don't come to an agreement by a certain date all of us will quit. Then the evil management can either compromise or go out and find employees willing to work for the terms they are prepared to offer. Also, the concept of collective bargaining works much better in jobs where it is very difficult to measure the quality of work. This is not the case with projectionists. If it is possible to assess the quality of an individual's work then why should pay be based on nothing more than service time? Specifically regarding union projectionists, when I worked for GCC in the early 90's they were all union in South Florida. The theater I started at had a great projectionist. Every show was always on time, dirt and scratch free, in perfect focus and properly lit. Then I switched theaters and we had a projectionist that was frequently late, out of focus, wrong lens, right lens with wrong masking, etc. The union didn't have anybody else to send and the real shame is that these two projectionists got paid exactly the same. If there was merit pay the "perfectionist projectionist" as we called him at the first location would have been making twice what he was and the aweful guy at the second location would have gotten minimum wage. When GCC switched to 40 hr per week union and manager/operator the shows at the second location were actually presented better with the managers running the booth.  |  IP: Logged Kenneth Wuepper Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1026 From: Saginaw, MI, USA Registered: Feb 2002 posted 07-09-2010 09:15 AM                     Lyle, "Perfectionist - Projectionist" I really like that! KEN  |  IP: Logged Sam D. Chavez Film God Posts: 2153 From: Martinez, CA USA Registered: Aug 2003 posted 07-09-2010 09:29 AM                       Lyle You are holding union workers to a far higher standard than the managers or owners. Both are humans, warts and all. It's up to management to identify and make a case against an under performing worker. Problem is, it's that human thing again  |  IP: Logged Sean McKinnon Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1712 From: Peabody Massachusetts Registered: Sep 2000 posted 07-09-2010 11:10 AM                        Sam, the problem then becomes having to prove your allegations to the union/NLRB. If I ran a union I would not work so hard to protect the lazy and incompetent and focus my time and energy on the professional and hard working. Unfortunately I have had union reps tell me that they know so and so sucks and that they honestly beleive they did (or didnt do) what they were let go for but that they HAD to challenge it and fight it. In the mean time the poor guy who does his job well is not getting any attention because it is all going to fight for the bad ones. I think if the unions had done a better job of policing themselves and cleaned their own house of lazy and incompetent workers things might have turned out drastically different.  |  IP: Logged Louis Bornwasser Film God Posts: 4441 From: prospect ky usa Registered: Mar 2005 posted 07-09-2010 11:46 AM                        As a (former) Union member, I can assure you that there were at least a few Brothers who we wish we didn't have. The Union CANNOT disclipline its own members from a legal standpoint. Almost daily, there was the fervent hope that management would grow a pair and bring the offender in for a conference and a write up. Three write ups and it becomes hard to defend the miscreant. Louis  |  IP: Logged Sam D. Chavez Film God Posts: 2153 From: Martinez, CA USA Registered: Aug 2003 posted 07-09-2010 11:58 AM                       Amen Louis. Been there, done that, bought the tee shirt. "All failures are management failures". Theatre managers used to be a respected member of the neighborhood, did the rotary, Lion's Club thing and were incentiveized. These were the guys who could discipline the staff if they wished; now the entire staff of a cinema is fodder, chew them in and poop them out. I exaggerate of course, but it's essentially true.  |  IP: Logged Monte L Fullmer Film God Posts: 8367 From: Nampa, Idaho, USA Registered: Nov 2004 posted 07-09-2010 12:50 PM                     Agree. Used to work with a company that would go even farther: slap their hands so many times that they'd became raw with writeups to where the staff didn't care, to where they expected writeups since they knew that the writeups would just pile up and no action would be taken. Managers couldn't discipline - just issue writeups and wait for home office to decide on what to do, if any, with the offender(s) in question. Company believed in being "gentle" to the staff members. "wow, staff members are now in charge of the company..." Goodbye on good presentations. -Monte  |  IP: Logged

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