Label Letter Vol. XXXV, No. 2 Mar-Apr 2010 Union Label & Service Trades Department, AFL-CIO You Wouldn’t Steal a Donut, So Why Would You Steal a Digital Record? fair day’s work for a fair day’s of Professionals, unions in the entertain- wage. Securing that wage for mem- ment industry recently won unanimous bers is the fi rst duty of every union, support from the AFL-CIO Executive Ain manufacturing, construction, Council for a strongly worded resolution transportation, sports, government and to increase public awareness of the scope entertainment. of the problem of intellectual property So, think of George Clooney, Denzel theft. The resolution pledges labor’s sup- Washington, Beyonce, Lady Ga Ga, Peyton port for government policies to counter- Manning, Bono, Bruce Springsteen, Katie act digital piracy and encourages union Couric, or the stunt driver in your favor- members to respect copyright law—and ite action movie as just another dues as a matter of union solidarity—urges payer, just like bus driver, bakery worker, union members to never illegally down- a machinist or a plumber. load or stream pirated content, or pur- Theft isn’t a big problem for bus driv- chase illegal CDs and DVDs. How’s That ‘Buy ers, bakers, machinists or plumbers, but Although the term “show business” con- it is for show business workers. Your jures up images of lavish lifestyles, the real American’ Thing Working favorite movie personalities, singers and work of show business involves millions of Out on Wind Energy? entertainers are losing billions of dol- people who live a middle class existence, lars to thieves—people who steal their with families, kids who need braces, homes “Renewables” are the corner- work—and they’ve asked their unions to and car payments. Typically, show business stone of America’s energy secu- join with the AFL-CIO to try to stop it. people experience intermittent periods of rity policy: primarily solar and wind. Tracking a “fair wage” for entertain- creative work sandwiched between all-too America’s competitors can’t hijack ment industry professionals is not easy. frequent periods of hustling to land the next our wind, right? Well, no. But, you In the case of writers, dancers, actors, job. Regular payments of residuals help need windmills to make electricity entertainers, musicians, and thousands maintain a steady fl ow of income during the from wind. And, who’s cornered the of behind-the-scenes specialists and lean times. market on windmill equipment? technicians—wages come in two phases: As AFTRA National President Roberta As Russ Choma of the Investigative Typically there is an initial payment for Reardon points out: “Ninety percent of Reporting Workshop at American the work upon its completion followed by recording artists’ earnings is directly University’s School of Communications a series of residuals or “royalties” when linked to physical sales and lawful down- points out, even though modern wind the work is later legitimately resold and re- loads, and approximately 50 percent of turbines were invented and perfected used. Residual or royalty payments gener- a television stations’ revenue is ‘down- in America, the economic impact from ate funds for health and pension plans and stream,’ both of which directly contribute the $2 billion in “smart grid” energy other long-term benefi ts. But, that income to our members’ income and benefits. stimulus funds from the federal govern- stream disappears when DVDs and CDs are When someone steals a song or a TV show ment is largely going to companies and counterfeited and sold on the black market. off of the internet, they’re not only stealing Working with the AFL-CIO Department continued on page 4 ▶▶ workers overseas. There are two American com- panies with a considerable market share in windmills: General Electric and Clipper, a subsidiary of United NEWS ON DUES LOCAL & STATE LABEL COUNCILS Technologies. Together, those fi rms account for 30 percent of the world Annual dues for US&STD state and local label councils is $25. Organizations market and nearly half the U.S. seeking to establish a new state or local council must also pay a one-time $25 market. However, GE imports most initiation fee. Send checks to UL&STD, 16372 Collections Center Drive, Chicago, IL components from three of its plants 60693. Contact Secretary-Treasurer Jim Dunn via e-mail: [email protected], or call: in China and is in the process of (615) 834 8590. continued on page 3 (Stimulus for Smart Grid Energy) ▶▶ UNION-MADE Entertainment, Information, Journalism and Sports It’s all available with a union label… AE: Actors’ Equity IBEW: International Brotherhood The union representing live stage actors and of Electrical Workers stage managers, for Broadway shows, touring Radio and television engineers, sound and companies and in theaters across the coun- light technicians and other broadcast per- try. (www.actorsequity.org) sonnel. (ibew.org) AGVA: American Guild of Variety Artists NABET: National Association of Represents performers in variety shows, Broadcast Employees and Technicians including Las Vegas shows, magicians, circus performers and performers in theme parks. (A Sector of Communications Workers of America) AFTRA: Members of the American Broadcasting personnel who photograph, Federation of Television and Radio Artists fi lm, record, distribute, telecast, transmit The actors and actresses in television enter- for network, cable, public television stations tainment, the disc jockeys and other voices and independent studios nationwide. NABET on your radio, the journalists who present your technicians work in studios and in the fi eld television news, weather and sports. They as vital links in the broadcast chain. make commercials, documentaries, narrate (www.nabetcwa.org) sporting events, appear on cable and digital video and audio presentations. They’re union WGAE: Writer’s Guild of America East members and proud of it. (www.aftra.org) Write stage and screen plays and creative works for the entertainment industry, includ- AFM: American Federation of ing new media (digital presentations). Musicians (www.wgaeast.org) Represents the full range of musical artist- ry—orchestras, bands, individuals, vocalists, back up singers and studio musicians. Every Don’t forget sports… major music star is a member of the AFM. NFLPA: National Football League Concert orchestras in many U.S. cities are Players Association & the Federation represented by AFM. (www.afm.org) of Professional Athletes IATSE: International Alliance of Theatrical Represents NFL players and other profes- sional athletes. Stage Employes, Moving Picture Technicians, Artists and Allied Crafts Arts, entertainment and sports industries employ From lighting experts and stage hands, craft- millions of union members, from catering and ser- persons, artisans—animators, cartoonists, vice personnel who serve refreshments to ushers, custodial and grounds workers in stadiums and illustrators, camera operators, makeup art- arenas to performers in places such as Disney World ists—IATSE members do the heavy lifting and and Disneyland. Next time you attend an event, tip create the illusions that bring an entertain- your hat when you see the union button and let those ment experience to life. (www.iatse-intl.org) workers know you appreciate what they do. You will fi nd many of these listings on the Union Label Website www.unionlabel.org 2 LABEL LETTER MARCH-APRIL 2010 $2 Billion in Stimulus for Smart Grid Energy Mostly Goes to Help Foreign Companies (Cont. from page 1) Gerard to NRC: opening another in Vietnam. It does operate turbine plants in Greenville, SC, Use U.S. Steel for Pensacola, FL and Tehachapi, CA. Clipper has a plant in Cedar Rapids, Nuclear Plants IA, but also imports components from Germany, the Netherlands and Brazil. teelworkers President Leo Gerard Ironically, two foreign owned compa- says, “wait just a darn minute!” nies—Gamesa of Spain, and Vestas of Denmark—are producing the most “All S If the federal government is going American” wind turbines on the market to guarantee $8.3 billion in loans to today, according to the AU project. build two new nuclear plants in Georgia, As Choma points out in a thorough- shouldn’t somebody in the U.S. be making ly researched piece appearing on the the parts for those reactors? Workshop’s website, Gamesa is the only Gerard made the comments in a letter to company producing all three key wind- the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, point- mill components in the U.S.—turbines, blades and towers. ing out that issues of safety, quality and Vestas has a blade factory in Colorado economics are at stake. and is in the process of opening up fi nancing by the Jonesboro CityC CouncilC Westinghouse designed the central new facilities for blades and towers. and several million dollars worth of site components of the proposed plants, Ultimately, the company projects a U.S. improvements. specifying that construction of the reac- employment of some 2,300 workers. Siemens Energy (Germany) installed tor vessels and steam generators can 79 turbines under the grant program. only be obtained from steel mills in Here’s what the AU investigative team This German conglomerate, which makes Japan and South Korea. found: everything from telephones to trains to Acciona, (Spain) which installed 136 ultrasound machines, has a blade fac- The Georgia plants are to be licensed turbines under the grant program, has a tory in Fort Madison, Iowa. Siemens was to the Southern Company, which hopes turbine assembly facility in West Branch, lured to Fort Madison by about $5 mil- to start building by the end of next year. Iowa. Lured to Iowa with $4.8 million in lion in incentives and the facility employs At least 20 percent of the $12 billion incentives, the Spanish company opened about 260 workers. Siemens received price tag for the plants would be spent its only U.S.