Latest news with #Local52
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
New York IATSE Local Accused of Nepotism in Class Action Lawsuit
The largest crew union in New York was hit with a class action lawsuit on Tuesday, alleging that it has excluded hundreds of film and TV workers while reserving jobs for insiders. Ronald Bishop, an electrical technician, alleges that it took him 12 years to gain admission to IATSE Local 52. He was repeatedly informed that he had failed the union entrance exam, which the suit alleges was a 'sham.' He continued to work on shows including 'Blue Bloods' and 'Daredevil' as an 'applicant.' He was excluded from supervisory roles and watched other, less experienced workers get promoted ahead of him, the lawsuit states. Even after he qualified for the pension plan in 2018, he was still denied union membership for another six years, according to the suit. 'During this period, Local 52 arbitrarily admitted hundreds of other individuals on the basis of nepotism and friendship, ahead of Mr. Bishop and putative class members,' the lawsuit states. 'These restrictions caused Mr. Bishop financial harm and emotional distress for the years he was improperly blocked from union membership.' IATSE declined to comment. IATSE Local 52 was previously investigated by the New York State Attorney General's office, which concluded in 2014 that the admissions process was plagued by nepotism, which disproportionately excluded Black and Latino applicants. The union agreed to a settlement in which it paid a $475,000 fine and was subject to outside monitoring for three years. It did not admit wrongdoing. Local 52 agreed to another settlement in 2022, pledging not to illegally 'bump' non-members off of production jobs in favor of cardholders. Bishop's class action lawsuit alleges that the union continues to exclude workers from membership even though they qualify for the health plan, which should make them automatically eligible. The suit also alleges that supervisory members still control who works and who doesn't, and follow 'unwritten rules' that favor cardholders. 'Cardholders can bump, or replace, noncardholders from productions when cardholders need work,' the suit alleges. Bishop, who is Black, filed an individual discrimination suit against Local 52 and several studios, including Netflix, Amazon, HBO, and CBS, in September 2024. His attorney, Fred Charles, dismissed that suit and refiled a class action under federal labor law, after hearing about others of all races who were excluded from membership. Best of Variety 'Harry Potter' TV Show Cast Guide: Who's Who in Hogwarts? New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week Emmy Predictions: Talk/Scripted Variety Series - The Variety Categories Are Still a Mess; Netflix, Dropout, and 'Hot Ones' Stir Up Buzz
Express Tribune
17-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Did Baker throw a 'hissy fit' on the set of 'Anora'?
A day after Anora dominated the Oscars, an anonymous social media post threatened to disrupt its Cinderella indie-film narrative. On Crew Stories, a popular industry message board, an unnamed critic alleged that director Sean Baker avoided working with the major crew union IATSE during part of the film's 2023 production. The post claimed that by staying non-union, the production cut costs at the expense of crew members' ability to accrue union benefits. When the crew successfully unionised mid-shoot, Baker allegedly reacted poorly, throwing a "hissy fit" and becoming distant toward the crew. While anonymous online critiques of celebrated films are common, this one gained traction, prompting discussion about what really happened. Some crew members, including Anora's prop master, a grip, and a best boy grip, publicly defended the production. The Hollywood Reporter reached out to dozens of people involved with the film, and though only a few spoke, they described a fairly standard transition - known as a "flip" - from a non-union to a union production. A late-stage unionisation For reasons unknown, IATSE did not step in early in Anora's production. The union reportedly intervened just days before the New York portion of the film's two-month shoot wrapped, shortly before the production moved to Nevada. Given Baker's reputation in indie filmmaking - his prior films Tangerine, The Florida Project, and Red Rocket garnered awards attention - some industry insiders found it surprising that IATSE hadn't stepped in sooner. Of those films, only The Florida Project had been made under an IATSE contract. It remains unclear who reported Anora to IATSE, alerting Local 52 (a branch of the United Association) that the non-union shoot could have been eligible for a Low Budget Theatrical Agreement, which would have required the production to contribute to union health and pension benefits. The film's producers declined to comment. A push to unionise? Two Anora crew members told THR that the flip came as a surprise to nearly everyone on set. According to one, "99.9 per cent of us had no idea." Wages were already close to union scale, and working conditions were described as standard for a non-union indie shot in New York. The biggest complaint? Catering. "We were shooting in Brighton Beach, so we just ran out for great Russian food. It was awesome," another crew member recalled. A third crew member described Anora's working conditions as "nothing out of the ordinary" beyond a few long days. Public defenders of the film, including prop master Kendra Eaves, best boy grip Gabriel Armstrong, and grip Rachel Parrella, insisted they were paid fairly. "I got paid fairly and was never lied to about the budget," Eaves wrote on Instagram. Parrella added, "[Baker] paid us the right wage from the start." Once IATSE was notified, Local 52 circulated a unionisation vote, which passed overwhelmingly. Union representatives arrived on set while Anora was filming at a private airfield in Amityville, Long Island. The set briefly shut down as negotiations took place. Sean Baker's response While the social media post painted Baker as irate, crew members who spoke to the publication described a different scene. According to one, Baker reportedly addressed the crew, expressing appreciation and getting visibly emotional. "He was almost crying - not sobbing, but certainly beyond misty," the crew member said. They recalled no "hissy fit." A contract agreement was reached on March 15. From a practical standpoint, the flip meant the production now contributed to union benefit plans, and for non-union crew, it could serve as an entry point into Local 52. But the attempt to initially avoid an IATSE contract wasn't unusual for an indie project. Industry insiders noted that many $6 million films budget for a potential flip but start non-union to stretch resources.
