No. It's not the score of a recent football game! It's the difference between the average wage (and cost of benefits) of a UAW-represented auto worker in the U. S., versus the average wage of an auto worker in Mexico!!
One might think that with this kind of wage disparity, all auto manufacturing would head south of the border, and the US auto industry would disappear......Kinda like we heard would happen in the visual effects industry.
But, the US auto industry seems to be making a resurgence.
And, despite predictions that visual effects would all move to India and China and New Zealand and London and Vancouver; employment in Southern California is actually increasing and expanding (at least according to my friend Joe Harkins).
You know, as long as companies in LA remain in business, we might as well ask them not to utilize the Employer of Record, or the 1099. And, since the Affordable Care Act (better known as "Obamacare") will require employers to provide medical coverage; it might make sense for those employers to make peace with IATSE and take advantage of our affordable plans.
All we ask is for a chance to sit down and talk. If the NBA can do it, we can too!!!
Jimmy
vfx@iatse-intl.org
Not sure who Joe Harkins is checkin in with, but SONY, ILM, DD, RH, and most of the major houses are now outsourcing as much work as possible to India, Asia, Canada, Mexico, and a few other places. Actually, some of these places have gotten rid of their roto and tracking departments. Next on the list prev and animation. Some places are now even trying to do lighting and composting as outsource.
ReplyDeleteIf you want to talk to people please start with the studios who have been telling the major houses that they won't award them work unless they outsource the major to other countries so they can get the tax incentives. Also, please ask them to budget appropriately so the VFX houses actually stop losing money or turn a profit of more that 2%. Once you do that, then feel free to talk to the VFX houses about health coverage and OT.
By the way, can you name one major vfx house that you have actually spoken to? No one I know who works at them has any idea about what's going on with IASTE. Talk to any supervisors, leads, or senior artists? This is not a slam in anyway, but it seems to me that if you want the vfx industry to join IASTE, you might want to get those people on board.