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Preview: 2022 District 2 Convention Resolutions

Kim Fay / June 17, 2022

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The 2022 IATSE District 2 Convention will be held in San Francisco June 24th-26th. For the fourth year in a row, The Animation Guild delegation will propose a record number of resolutions to be introduced and voted on by the delegates of the IATSE Locals in Arizona, California, Hawai‘i, and Nevada that make up District 2. Below, you can read a summary of the proposed resolutions.

Resolution to Modify Convention Constitution to Adopt Delegate Committee Assignment Process.

As the total number of delegates for the IATSE District 2 Convention continues to grow, the process for adopting delegate committee assignments is not currently included in the District C&BL. Many Locals elect delegates for multi-year terms. Because participating in a committee multiple times over successive years allows delegates to build familiarity with a particular field and with the history of the committee’s work, this resolution urges that the convention codifies into its constitution a process for assigning delegates to committee.

Resolution to Research the Financial Impact of Covering Domestic Partnerships within Health Insurance Plans in IATSE Collective Bargaining Agreements.

The right to marriage in the United States is an unenumerated right not explicitly mentioned in the U.S. Constitution and therefore a matter of legal interpretation. With only 40 percent of unmarried same-sex domestic partners and 36 percent of unmarried opposite-sex domestic partners having access to healthcare benefits in private industry in the United States, this resolution asks the Locals of District 2 to commit to researching the financial impact of covering domestic partnerships within their respective health plans in order to provide health benefits to members in any form of legal partnership throughout the United States.

Resolution to Support Anti-Ageism in the Entertainment Industry Workplace, Both in Hiring and Labor Practices.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, approximately 33% of the working population is over the age of 40, and ageism crosses all classes and identities with respect to wages, terms, conditions, privileges of, or opportunities for employment. This resolution requests that District 2 Locals invest resources into collecting data on the extent and effect of ageism within the entertainment industry and that the delegates of District 2 encourage their respective Locals to commit to including the intersectional nature of ageism in the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion directives agreed to at the 2021 IATSE Quadrennial Convention.

Resolution to Expand Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) and Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) Medicines Covered by Health Insurance Plans in IATSE Collective Bargaining Agreements.

Because IATSE members and dependents of members may forgo potentially life-preserving and illness-preventing medications due to exorbitant out-of-pocket costs, this resolution follows on a resolution from the 2021 D2 Convention and urges the Locals of District 2 to continue to commit to review their health plans to ensure that PrEP and PEP are offered and covered equally to both primary and secondary insurance holders. In addition, it requests that should the Delegation of District 2 vote to approve this resolution, it be submitted to the IATSE for inclusion in the International Convention.

Resolution to Expand Transgender Medical Treatments and Surgeries Covered by Health Insurance Plans in IATSE Collective Bargaining Agreements.

This resolution continues to underscore that Trans members of our Union spend countless hours debating with insurance companies who demand exorbitant out-of-pocket expenses for gender-affirming medications, surgeries, and procedures. This resolution advocates urges the Locals of District 2 to continue to commit to review health plans for their members and work to include robust coverage for gender-affirming medications, surgeries, and procedures for Queer and Trans members. In addition, it asks that should the Delegation of District 2 vote to approve this resolution, it be submitted to the IATSE for inclusion in the International Convention.

Resolution for Increased Inclusivity and Accessibility for the Deaf, Blind, Disabled, and Neurodiverse Community in the Workplace.

About 1 in 4 adults in America have some form of disability which include but are not limited to disabilities in mobility, hearing, vision, cognition, and mental illness. With this community disproportionately affected in obtaining and retaining employment, this resolution follows on statements made at the 2021 D2 Convention—“We must build structures to create equitable access for all, and to truly celebrate diversity.”—and urges that the Locals of District 2 commit to inclusivity and increasing accessibility for current and future Deaf, Blind, Disabled, and Neurodiverse members.

Resolution to Increase Accessibility to Meetings for All IATSE District 2 Locals

During the COVID-19 pandemic, special allowance was given by President Loeb for Locals to conduct general membership meetings over video conferencing. For Local 839, this translated to a significant increase in member engagement, with caregivers able to attend and increased accessibility for deaf and hard of hearing Union kin with Live Captioning. This resolution requests that Locals and Delegates support the continuation of virtual meetings to conduct Union business in perpetuity.

Resolution to Raise Participation in Bargaining

In recent years, Local 839 has greatly benefitted from a newfound member interest in craft committees and member involvement in bargaining, and has found that when members are invited to take part in collective bargaining, they in turn demonstrate immense trust, understanding, and participation in every other facet of Union strength and solidarity. This resolution requests that the IATSE continue to foster an environment of inclusion and diversity of experience within their bargaining committees for all District 2 contracts, and that the IATSE will strive to support the inclusion of more rank-and-file members on their bargaining committees.

Resolution to Support Our LGBTQIA+ Members and Communities

Because the IATSE is strengthened by its diverse membership throughout the country, and unions are stronger when we refuse to be divided by sex, sexuality, and gender, this resolution builds on the IA Equality Statement which says, in part: We believe that equality for all is a basic human right and we actively oppose all forms of unlawful and unfair discrimination. It urges the Locals to review their PAC and political contributions to ensure that no current and future donations go towards politicians or groups that negatively target our LGBTQIA+ membership. In addition, it urges that it be finally resolved that the Locals recommit to the use of gender-neutral language in all Union meetings, communications, and documents.

Resolution to Address Police Violence

As the Delegation of District 2 stands in solidarity with all oppressed peoples and victims of police violence, including violence against protestors within the Labor movement and the employment of police to break strikes and enforce lockouts, this resolution implores IATSE leaders to make good on democratically passed 2020 resolutions by publishing a statement condemning the brutal and inhumane actions of American police. The resolution also asks IATSE leadership to urge AFL-CIO leadership to take disciplinary action in response to police violence by members of the IUPA.

Resolution for Peace in Ukraine

Because any conflict involving Russia, the United States, or any other nuclear power risks global thermonuclear war, this resolution encourages our Locals to discuss and share the history of labor organizations’ involvement in movements for peace across both U.S. and world history. It also encourages the Locals of District 2 to petition their endorsed elected officials and associated labor networks to vocally support efforts to adhere to every international law and explore every single diplomatic path towards peace.

Resolution to Support Reproductive Rights

Because any person who has the ability to bear children should not be forced to do so against their will and without their consent, and because access to safe abortion procedures greatly increases the freedom of working people with uteruses to make their own reproductive choices, this resolution urges District 2 Locals to explore ways to support pro-choice legislation on the state and federal level. It also asks that the Locals commit that all current and future political donations and endorsements go towards pro-choice politicians and political groups.

Resolution to Support Common Sense Gun Laws

As gun violence is a rising epidemic and the leading cause of death for children in the U.S., and as our IATSE kin and their loved ones have experienced gun violence, this resolution urges the Locals of IATSE District 2 to explore ways to support common sense gun legislation on the state and federal level and commit that all current and future political donations and endorsements go toward politicians and political groups that support common sense gun laws.

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