As IATSE, Teamsters and the Hollywood Basic Crafts prepare for contract negotiations next year, the unions continue to work together to support and provide for their memberships.
Yesterday, at the IATSE West Coast Office in Burbank, union crew-members’ part of the IATSE, Teamsters Local 399, and Hollywood Basic Crafts coordinated a Thanksgiving meal distribution event for their members. Over the course of the day 1,300 union families were served with a Thanksgiving meal and gift card to purchase a protein of choice for the Thanksgiving Holiday.
Assisting for the day were over 200 union crew-members, many of which who also were picking up a meal box to take home to their families.
Prior to the beginning of the distribution, a volunteer meeting was held to set the stage not only for the logistics of the day, but also the importance of solidarity among IATSE, Teamsters and Hollywood Basic Crafts as they all prepare for bargaining in 2024.
“Thank you for volunteering your time to help one another. We do take care of our own and that’s how we survive in situations like this,” said Teamsters Local 399 Principal Officer Lindsay Dougherty. “Walking the picket lines in solidarity and participating in food drives to help one another has only made us stronger. With our contract fight next year, we are going to get every single thing we need to support our members and we won’t back down.”
Since July, Teamsters and IATSE have hosted four food distribution events to support their out-of-work members due to the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes and Industry shutdown.
“We’re setting a standard for the industry, we’re setting a standard for ourselves and we are sending a clear message to our employers — they can’t keep us down when we’re fighting for a fair deal,” said Michael Miller, IATSE Vice President. “It’s our turn next.We are going in aggressive and the employers are not going to be able to hold us back. These kind of events show the solidarity that we have going into next year’s fight.”
These member-led events are made possible by Labor Community Services, who serves as the charitable arm of the Los Angeles Federation of Labor. Labor Community Services has been assisting unemployed and underemployed families with groceries for over six decades, and supporting Hollywood workers has been a key priority over the past year.
With the Christmas Holiday right around the corner, the same unions are in the middle of coordinating a Holiday Toy Drive for their members. Details about that event and how to donate to support can be found here: https://lcs-la.org/lean-in-and-lean-on.
About Teamsters Local 399
Teamsters Local 399 represents 6,400 members in the Motion Picture Industry in California and New Mexico including Drivers, Animal Trainers/Handlers, Wranglers, Dispatchers, DOT Admins, Location Professionals, Casting Professionals, Chef Assistants, Mechanics, Auto Service, Warehouse workers and more. For more information, visit ht399.org.
About Hollywood Basic Crafts:
Hollywood Basic Crafts, comprised of Teamsters Local 399, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 40, Laborers International Union of North America Local 724, United Association Plumbers Local 78 and Operating Plasterers & Cement Masons International Association (OPCMIA) Local 755, collectively represent close to 9,000 members working in the Entertainment Industry. This coalition represents a range of classifications from Drivers, Dispatchers, Electricians, Catering, Laborers, Cement Masons, Plumbers, Animal Trainers /Wranglers and more who all service the Motion Picture and Television Industry.
About Labor Community Services
For over six decades, Labor Community Services (in partnership with Los Angeles County Federation of Labor) has been assisting unemployed and underemployed families with groceries during the year via pantries, the National Association of Letter Carriers Annual Food Drive, and holiday meal distribution. We are committed to improving lives and providing resources and referrals so that we can help union members get ahead. There are families who work 40 hours a week and still struggle. Many are forced to decide between paying rent, purchasing food, or buying medicine for a sick child. We are proud to offer basic services to working women and men who need the most help.