TEAMSTERS LOCAL 399 QUARTERLY NEWS AUGUST 2017 • ISSUE No 14 TEAMSTERS TEAMSTERS STRENGTH PRIDE LOCAL 399 UNION PROUD! LOCAL 399 UNION STRONG! GREETINGS SISTERS & BROTHERS expect to be at full employment again this year. As I write you, I’m happy to Congressman Schiff also pledged to do everything he can to stop RTW legislation report we are into Group Three Drivers. I’d like to remind our “Black Book” from becoming law. He’s also incredibly supportive of expanding our film industry covered Members that your rates will increase an additional 2 ½% effective July 30, tax credit. Meetings like these with powerful elected officials are important to all 2017. Your IAP rates will increase another ½%. That will bring your IAP percentage our Members and we continue to lobby to better not only our industry-but the labor accrual to 7% an increase of 1% over the life of this contract. Our Location Man- movement as a whole. ager/Assistant rates will also increase by 2 ½% effective July 29, 2017, with an I’d like to discuss a sensitive issue, politics. Obviously, we have Members additional ½% increase to the IAP, bringing your total IAP who support both the Republican and Democratic parties. contributions to 7% as well. All the rates for every clas- Unfortunately, the discourse in our great country has got- sification are posted on our website as well. Please make ten so toxic and divisive-with both sides becoming more certain to review your paychecks to confirm they reflect entrenched in their own points of view. What I believe the increases. needs to happen now more than ever, is for both sides We’ve been busy at Local 399! We are about 90% com- to come together on the issues that bind us all together. plete on the remodel of your Union Hall. We’ve painted This brings me to this great organization, the Teamsters. Ithe building inside and out, replaced all the flooring and We’re all part of the labor movement and I believe that made the front office and callboard more ergonom- we must not allow party differences from getting ically friendly for the staff. If you’re here at the in the way of what benefits us all as Teamsters. Local, please ask to have a look around at all My only interest in everything I do here is the improvements we’ve made. what benefits us all as a group. I will sup- I’d like to thank our Members who port candidates from either party who came out for the May Day Parade. are interested in helping us achieve We marched from McArthur Park what matters most to our families. to City Hall with thousands of work- Issues like pension protection, quality ers from every Union in Los Angeles. We affordable health care and stopping Na- also held our annual Ralph Claire Golf Tour- tional Right to Work legislation dead in its nament and raffle for our Members who really tracks. I’d like you to know that when we post had a great time on the course. We held our third information about these and so many other issues, annual car & motorcycle show at the Los Angeles our focus is on what directly impacts and benefits Trade-Technical College on June 24, 2017. LA Trade you, our Membership. I’m certain that we must stick Tech supports the labor movement by putting on many together and put our differences aside and work together labor studies classes and educating their students in labor where we can-to push the labor movement forward for issues. It was a truly great event! We had picture cars from better wages, working conditions and benefits. Please feel major movies as well as food, music, a beer garden, pet free to contact me if you have any questions, concerns or adoptions and more! We also had many Member’s cars & comments about the direction we’re moving in. You can motorcycles on display for judging. I’d like to thank “Cap- email me at [email protected]. tain” Jack Fisher for creating this event. I’d like to give special thanks to our We have rolled out our online Membership survey. The purpose of the sur- Member, Woody Wood and his wife Donna, for their help and Amy Gorton, vey is to ask you what this Administration is doing right, what we need to Courtney Brignoni and Ernie Barraza for making the event so successful. I’d also improve on to make your lives better. You can take the survey anonymously or like to thank JC 42, other Teamster Locals, the Basic Crafts and everyone who par- not, as you see fit. If you’re not on our email list, and did not recieve a link to our ticipated for supporting this great event for all our Members. survey please email [email protected]. Please take the time to complete the survey We had a great Union meeting in July. Mayor Eric Garcetti came to speak to the so we can improve our service to you. Membership about expanding and increasing our tax incentives. His proposal is to I’d like to congratulate the 10 winners of our annual Leo T. Reed Scholarship fund! increase the credit to $500 million dollars up from the current $330 million today. These deserving children of our Members will be able to pay for some of the needs Local 399 has committed to spend up to $75,000.00 to lobby for the expansion of they’ll face when in college. the tax credit beginning next year along with the coalition of Entertainment Industry On behalf of the staff of Local 399, I’d like to wish you all a very happy and pros- Unions which include the IATSE, DGA and SAG-AFTRA. Mayor Garcetti also perous summer! promised to do everything he can to stop National Right to Work legislation from ever becoming the law. I also had a meeting with Congressman Adam Schiff along Fraternally, Steve Dayan with our JC President Randy Cammack and IBT Vice-President Rick Middleton. TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE 2 PAGE 8 & 9 THE BIZ: Member Spotlight: Local 399 Trustees California Film Commission Report PAGE 10 PAGE 3 Q&A with Secretary-Treasurer Steve Dayan 2017 General Membership Survey The Local 399 Story DVDs Joint Council 7 Memorial Fund Dues Increase October 1st PAGE 11 Labor Day Parade 2017 Retiree Reunion is Just Around the Corner PAGE 4 & 5 PAGE 12 www.ht399.org 3rd Annual Classic Car & Motorcycle Show Events, Announcements, Retirees and Visit your Union website: Union your Visit 246 N PERMIT o PAGE 6 Obituaries Van Nuys, CA Nuys, Van Leo T. Reed Scholarship Winners 91602-1262 PAID North Hollywood, CA Hollywood, North PAGE 7 U.S. POSTAGE U.S. 4747 Vineland Avenue Vineland 4747 Business Agent Wes Ponsford: See Ya on NON-PROFIT ORG. NON-PROFIT Teamsters Local 399 Local Teamsters the Road TEAMSTER RELEVANT INDUSTRY ARTICLES FROM TOP ENTERTAINMENT SOURCES JOINT COUNCIL 7 MEMORIAL FUND We are deeply troubled by the tragedy that took 3 BIG BUDGET FEATURES place on June 14th in San Francisco that claimed the lives of 4 Teamster Local 2785 Members. DUES SET TO INCREASE 2017 At a morning meeting of Package Car Drivers, a $ JOIN CALIFORNIA’S FILM & TV fellow Driver burst in and fatally shot longtime Teamsters Local 2785 Members Wayne Chan, TO 285 PER QUARTER MEMBERSHIP Michael Lefiti and Benson Louie before shoot- ST ing himself. ON OCTOBER 1 2017 We offer our deepest condolences to all who are SURVEY NOW hurting from this awful and senseless act. Be- Per our By-Laws, Members dues are based TAX CREDIT PROGRAM low is a statement from Teamsters Joint Council on 8 times the average hourly rate per quar- ONLINE! 7 in regards to the tragedy and a way that we ter plus an International assessment of an REPORTED BY THE CALIFORNIA FILM COMMISSION can help ease the financial burden for the fami- additional 1/2 hour. Per Article X of our Secretary-Treasurer Steve Dayan and this ad- lies and loved ones left behind. International Constitution, Members of all ministration wants to hear from YOU! We have “We are all left stunned by this senseless act locals are required to pay a minimum of Half of the Projects in the Latest Allocation Round Plan rolled out our online Membership Survey to and especially saddened by the fact that Wayne 2-and-a-half times their hourly rate in the learn from our Members what this Administra- leaves behind his wife Tina, son Kyle and form of monthly dues payments. Filming Outside Los Angeles Production Zone tion is doing right and where we can improve to daughter Kiara; Mike was husband to Danielle On October 1, 2017 we will be increasing better represent our Members. We look forward and father to daughter Mercedes and sons Jere- dues by $2.00 per month, Hollywood California July 24th 2017. to reviewing your feedback and we will do our miah and Malachi; Benson’s wife is Sandy and bringing the new quarterly total to $285.00. best to implement and address your ideas and his daughters Elizabeth and Melony. All are in We will be updating the new dues amount The latest round of feature films added to California’s Film any concerns. need of comfort and support after their husband online on October 1st. If you are current- You can take the survey online at: and father were so brutally taken from them. ly subscribed to our recurring payment plan and Television Tax Credit Program 2.0 demonstrate the http://rvdr.me/2017MemberSurvey In response to many requests we have received, you will be contacted via email to confirm Or email [email protected] for a link to the sur- Local 2785 and Joint Council 7 have established the new amount that will be automatically state’s progress in attracting big-budget projects and vey.