(originally posted Sunday, April 19, 2009)
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Its been a long time since I've had an "animation industry" post. I've been so busy with the politics of present I've literally had TOO much to comment on and too little time to do it. It's proven hard to keep up with the incompetence of the boy wonder obama, that I just have not been able to carve out the needed time to post an 'industry' post.
So being that I haven't had an industry post in quite a while, I thought I'd comment on this little nugget from the past.
"The Union"
Specifically the animation guild, Local 839. First let me preface my comment on this possible two part post, by saying that I am not anti union. Not at all.
In its most ideal form, the union is a beeeeeeeeeee-autiful thing. The organization that looks out for the little guy. Fights for the oppressed worker! Attempts to level the playing field! Dons its armor, shield and sword to do battle with the mean, big, old animation studios!!
Our hero's.
But in the real world....when you are confronted with the realization the the Disney studios is not the magical place where you could walk in off the street and see employees playing in a makeshift 'fireman' jazz band, or where everyone walks around whistling zipadee doo da out of there nether crevasses....You also come to realize that the union is..in a nutshell...a racket.
Now, are there are good things about the union?
Of course.
But one thing I found out early was the union is only as powerful or as effective as the times that they are in.
Back when I was starting in the animation world, it was BOOM TIME! Every one was working! Every one was having fantastic times! We was rollin' baby!
The union touted success after success. And some of it rightly so! It was a form of 'sellers market' in animation. I remember being really stoked to have this union. I thought "Man! They are really REALLY on top of this stuff!" I remember really being glad that Tom Sito was at the helm.
But, looking back..that had more to do with the times and less to do with the union or with Tom.
Now let me say..I'm not anti Tom Sito. Far from it! I think Tom is an amiable feller. With a twinkle in his eye, a broad face and a little round belly, that shook when he laughed like a bowlful of jelly..yeah...sure! He was indeed chubby and plump. A right jolly old elf! >:)
If you ever want to have a drink with him and get some useful information about how many toes bugs almost had or if Walt had a freckle on his left testicle that had to be removed, (you know, real important stuff like that), then you couldn't ask for a better person to hang with.
But as the union head honcho back then...he was just another bureaucrat. Another pol. Ironically, another "head honcho" of the sort that he no doubt disliked from the big old nasty studios.
Only HIS cause was a moral one, cuz he fought for the common man, don'tcha know?
To be fair, he is a nice guy. But you really have to (like all politicians) keep in mind that he's in it for Tom, and once you have it in mind that he really doesn't give a rats assy about individuals in the industry, then your in good company with him.
NOW... let me lay some ground work for ya. To work in the industry..for feature films...You had to BE in the union. Required.
You want to work, you have to join. No join...no work.
With that..that means you pay fees. Or as they dress them up.....'dues'.
These "fees/dues" are usually spent on political causes or political candidates ...usually leftist democrats. Not due to any evidence that they (the democrat candidates and causes) ACTUALLY HELP business or workers, but just because they say they do. And because Tom and Steve Hulett are in fact democrats.
Now they would say (and have said to me) : "well you do have a say in where your money (dues) go to."
But being that many in the entertainment field pretty much have the same insipid mindset as Tom and Steve...any 'say ' is pretty much voided out.
My beef is that if I DON'T want my money going to people or causes that I FEEL harm our industry BASED ON FACTS and the RECORDS of those individuals....I should have the option of 'opting out'.
Now I've had several run ins with Steve Hulett where I stated JUST THAT. After a long lengthy argument, he finally said: "well you do have an opt out. You don't have to be in the union".
Which led me to ask "oh so I don't have to be in the union, but I can still work in studio".
Heulett : "no...."
So basically...If one wanted to work, you have to be in the union and you have to pay dues and you have no say as to how those dues are (foolishly) spent. (can anyone say extortion?)
I had a few talks with Hulett . Especially was when the animation industry was starting to go into its crash. I was adamantly against spending any more money on political candidates due to their histories and stances that was causing more and more work to be sent overseas. Not just in the animation world but across the board in the entertainment fields.
The candidates and stances were all leftists, by all democrats...and the union was endorsing them. With OUR money. With plans to keep doing so.
Yeah..that got me cranky and I said so.
I mention Steve Hulett. Who is himself a nice guy. But like Sito, a racketeer (in my humble opinion). A recruiter for the cause.
When I was a starry eyed CAl-Arts student, I remember Steve Hulett coming in and giving us a talk in the life drawing room. I remember thinkin, '"ooo yeah..wow..that makes sense!" And really..much of it did make sense. The studios are bastards that will take advantage of you in any way possible!
But... what he neglected to say- was that the union were bastards too, that will take advantage of you as well. Also that they (unions) CAN be a force that can make things EXTREMELY bad for workers and cause mass unemployment due to being totally unreasonable.
But see...that's stuff that doesn't play well when they're trying to depict themselves as the ones wearing the white hats.
End part one
Coming up...part two "WHITE HATTED BLACK BARTS"
or....
"Sito and Hulett: Hypocrites running the asylum"
.....Yeah, It gets better....
