IATSE, Teamsters concentrate on healthcare

With health care costs likely to dominate, Hollywood's below-the-line unions have set March 5 to start with date for contract discussions using the congloms -- under four several weeks prior to the current master contract finishes This summer 31. The very first round of discussions using the Alliance of movement Picture & Television Producers should continue for several days. The unions -- free airline Coast local people from the Intl. Alliance of Theatrical & Stage Employees and native 399 from the Intl. Brotherhood of Teamsters -- are anticipated to barter collectively on health care and retirement issues while holding separate negotiating on the rest of their contracts. Reps for IATSE, the Teamsters and also the AMPTP didn't have discuss the discussions. Both unions have ramped up their activity in order to increase membership awareness around the specifics among rising health care costs with a number of explanatory periods for people, that have incorporated presentations by health care expert and consultant John Garner and David Westcoe, professional administrative director using the Movie Industry Pension and Health Plan. The Teamsters have scheduled a Jan. 22 town- hall meeting in Burbank, based on a note to people now from longtime Local 399 secretary-treasurer Leo Reed. "The price of health care benefits is becoming probably the most important issues facing our people," Reed stated. "Costs of care and insurance policy happen to be rising in an alarming rate during the last decade or even more. Signs are which costs will rise typically 9% to 10% annually for the following 5 years.Inch Reed noted the Movie Industry Pension and Health trust, which supervises the advantages package compensated roughly $500 million in health care costs this past year for actives and retired people. "When the forecasts are accurate, next year's costs just for healthcare increases by roughly $50 million," Reed stated. "The $50 million more annually is simply to remain even. You will find even the elevated pension cost, and also the reduced reserves triggered through the 2008 market crash." Health insurance and pension have typically been one of the top focal points for that unions, alongside salaries and dealing conditions, however the developments underline the uncertainty over healthcare among a battling economy. "Healthcare costs have elevated quicker than anybody could predict," Reed stated within the missive. "From coast to coast, individuals have seen rising costs for medical services, physician visits, tests, prescription medications and hospital care." The Teamsters Local 399 covers about 3,200 motorists in 13 Western states contributing to 1,000 fundamental craft employees, as the IATSE deal covers 15 local people around the West Coast encompassing a lot more than 20,000 people. The 2 unions joined right into a formal alliance in August 2010 -- two days after Teamster Local 399 motorists arrived at an offer using the AMPTP and synched up its contract expiration using the IATSE deal as IATSE leader Matthew Loeb, who changed the retiring Thomas Short in 2008 because the mind of IATSE, has tried to promote closer ties between your two unions. Furthermore, IATSE people are facing stiffened qualifications to entitled to the health plan, that is overeseen by reps from the unions and also the showbiz companies and funded from residuals and ancillary marketplaces. IATSE agreed last year to some hike within the qualifications threshold throughout the ultimate year from the pact needing that people work 400 hrs over six several weeks to qualify, up 33% in the previous 300-hour requirement -- a big change that stirred an uproar among below-the-line employees once the pact went for ratification. Within the 2010 discussions, Teamsters searched for 3% in annual wage hikes however the companies was adamant on the 2% wage gain, that the Teamsters recognized with several sweetening together with exactly the same 1.66% hike in benefits included in the earlier IATSE deal. The Teamster deal set web site for discussions at the end of 2010 and early 2011 using the Screen Stars Guild, the American Federation of Televison & Radio Artists, the Company directors Guild of America and also the Authors Guild of America -- with 2% hikes in minimums and all sorts of using the chief gain becoming an increase of just one.5 per dollar in employer contributions towards the pension and health plans. The Teamsters Local 399 contract is discussed collectively with four other Fundamental Crafts unions: Local 40 from the Intl. Brotherhood of Electrical Employees Local 724 from the Studio Utility Employees Local 755 of Plasterers and Cement Masons and native 78 of Journeymen & Apprentices from the Plumbing & Pipe Fitting Industry. Reed noted in the letter the plans face the twin impact of rising costs and also the aging from the industry's population, resulting in greater utilization of health advantages. "Area of the blame for rising insurance charges is because of increasing costs for health care, pharmaceutical drugs, along with other healthcare expenses," he stated. "A brand new mandate within the federal healthcare overhaul is another element in making insurance more costly, by permitting adult children to stay on their own parents' insurance plans until age 26." Contact Dork McNary at dork.mcnary@variety.com