This round of negotiations, the People of Color Committee brought forth a proposal to establish a Labor Management Committee with each signatory studio in AMPTP. The foundational concern of the People of Color Committee was to reduce harm to our Union kin. After a period of research, outreach, and discussions, an LMC was seen as a way for us to directly address members’ issues in the workplace under the Guild’s protection.
The function of the LMC is to be able to meet with studios individually on a regular basis and to discuss issues involving our members on the ground, in non-binding and therefore, hopefully, more honest and candid discussions. This will result in an ability to effect change one studio at a time, where it has proven impossible to achieve with the larger AMPTP.
An LMC is not a solution, it is a tool. It is one more avenue for the Guild to push for our members’ needs without resorting to the longer drawn-out processes of negotiation once every three years, or lawsuits. This new committee will only be effective if we have participation from you. This will not be a job for just our staff. The goal is to create systems of support at every studio and reach every production under our agreement. It will require a coordinated effort from our stewards, craft reps, members who hold supervisory positions, and every member who is willing to look out for each other. Let’s support the people you work with everyday. Let us establish the trust and communication to know what is going on within our workspace walls, virtual and physical.
In solidarity,
Roger Oda