The IATSE Executive Board

Since Monday I've attended the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees' Executive Board Meeting, high above the San Francisco Bay. There have been reports from all around the country. Production reports. Organizing reports. How the IA is using social media and all the other new technologies to communicate with its members.

A lengthy report about the 45,000 IA members living on the west coast, their production locals and the pension and health plan (the MPIPHP) happened today. Here are a few highlights: ...

West Coast Motion Picture/TV Production

The contracts negotiated last year now have finalized new language after twelve months of review and fine-tuning. The IA now has 9 new signator companies, and there are multiple new reality (non-scripted) shows under contract.

Mobile device viewing is up 25% year over year; regular TV viewing is down 10%. Vancouver is now the largest visual effects production center on the continent.

Rough Draft Studios has now signed a contract with The Animation Guild, after holding a partial production contract in 2006. The IA and TAG worked together to make the contract happen.

Tax subsidies are pulling live-action productions to various states. Ohio, Kentucky, New Mexico, and Georgia have incentives (also California and Georgia) have incentives. States that have ened subsidies have lost production work almost immediately.

One hundred percent of U.S.-based live-action production work shot in Canada is under IATSE contracts. Organizing is robust in the Southern U.S., and more grievances are being filed on the West Coast with the help and support of IA representatives. Organizing movies and television shows has been a key activity of the West Coast office since major contract negotiations ended.

Motion Picture Industry Pension and Health Plan (MPIPHP

The Plan now holds $8 billion in assets, and 46,000 participants.

The were 89 million hours of contributions flowing into the Plan in 2015; hours are running 7% above that number in 2016. And health coverage expenses are running 3% below projections in 2016.

IATSE National Planskk

$1.4 billion in total assets.

47,000 participants under National Plan health coverage

69,000 participants are under the National Plans' annuity funds.

From another report: technology is driving the consolation of TV jobs, cable jobs, news jobs, and the public airwaves. Broadband is being sold to te highest broadband for profit maximization, and the news media isn't covering the story very much.