TV Production Alive & Well With “The Kill Point”

Downtown, Lawrenceville, and the West End are all bustling with action. Pittsburgh is proud to have eight one-hour episodes of this series for Spike TV being shot over a five month period here in the Burgh. And AFTRA is proud to represent the performers in this union production.

	On the set of The Kill Point Click photo for larger image.

Lionsgate, largest independent producer and distributor in the country, brought the $18+ million project to Pittsburgh. The result? A mini-boom for our economy, not to mention great jobs for many local actors.

Casting Director Donna Belajac counts 31 out of 52 principal roles going to local talent, including the inimitable Bingo O’Malley. When AFTRA’s Chris Lacey visited the set, Bingo praised Lionsgate and their staff. Some star imports we’re flattered to have working here include John Leguizamo and Donnie Walhberg.

A project like this not only provides work for our members, but also our brothers & sisters in I.A.T.S.E. and the Teamsters. Bill Hill from Lionsgate said that he is more than impressed with the caliber of crew available: “I’d have no problem taking this crew anywhere in the country with me.” No small amount of credit for the Company’s positive experience goes to the City and County for realizing just about every request the production has made. Our unions are fortunate to have elected `officials who ‘get it’, the ‘it’ being the huge impact a project like “Kill Point” has on the local economy.

Pittsburgh AFTRA, with negotiating support from national, has been communicating with and facilitating for Lionsgate since last year. This project harkens back to the City’s production boom-time of the 90s. With a concerted, coordinated effort between AFTRA & the other unions along with municipal will (added to the setting we have here), there’s reason to expect more productions from Lionsgate and other companies to shoot in the region. Imagine what a locally-based production industry could generate in jobs and services.

It all boils down to the mutual cooperation your Local has strived to achieve with the major signatory employers based in the region. With actors, crew, producers and clients all working together, and with the public policy commitment of our elected officials to developing a media industry, almost anything is possible. That’s good news … with more to come.

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AFTRA Names Reardon National President

The National Board met in videoconference in New York and Los Angeles on April 28th with Mark Roberts representing the Pittsburgh members and John Haer in attendance.

A short term extension to the expiration of the AFTRA Network Television Code—which covers all television programming except network dramatic primetime programming—from November 15, 2007, to January 31, 2008, was approved Saturday.

	Roberts Reardon, AFTRA National President. Click photo for larger image.

In addition to electing Roberta Reardon to serve as Interim President to fill the remainder of the term vacated by former AFTRA President John Connolly who resigned in March to become National Executive Director of Actors Equity Association, the National Board also filled two other positions that had been vacated by Connolly.

Patrika Darbo of Los Angeles was elected to the Board of the AFTRA Foundation and Jon Joyce of Los Angeles was elected to serve as a Trustee of the AFTRA/AFM Intellectual Property Trust Fund.

Here’s a roundup of other actions at the plenary meeting of the National Board on April 28:

• Received a report from the recently-created New Media Work Group comprised of AFTRA executives, which outlined agreements negotiated for new media platforms, including a dozen projects produced under the recently established Electronic Media Agreement approved by the National Board in 2006.
• Received a report on outreach to both union and pre-union performers at VOICE 2007, the first-ever international convention for voiceover artists in Las Vegas, which was sponsored by AFTRA.
• Approved a new National Public Radio (NPR Freelance) Agreement which contained increases in program rates and contributions to the AFTRA Health and Retirement Funds, both retroactive to October 1, 2006.
• To support AFTRA members and to educate the industry and the public on lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender issues, the National Board formally approved the creation of the AFTRA National LGBT and Allies Committee.
• Former National President Shelby Scott, who also serves as Co-Chair of the AFTRA Health and Retirement Funds, was extremely pleased to advise the Board that the Funds trustees voted to delay implementation of the four-tier health plan for one year. The current plan offering individual and family coverage, and the earnings thresholds currently in place to qualify for health coverage, will remain in effect until July 1, 2008. Scott also reported that, as of March 31, 2007, assets in the AFTRA Retirement Fund total almost $2 billion.
• Local and regional Commercials Codes were approved by the National Board. The agreements increase rates and contributions to health and retirement funds.
• As he called the meeting to order, Bob Edwards, who has served as AFTRA’s acting president until the Board could elect an interim president for the union, asked that the plenary meeting be conducted in memory of Sanford I. (Bud) Wolff, AFTRA’s National Executive Secretary from 1968-1985, who passed away on April 14.

The Board also recognized April 28 as Workers Memorial Day, when workers around the world commemorate those killed and injured on the job and highlight the need for improved job safety standards. In particular, Board members acknowledged journalist members of AFTRA who have been killed or injured in bringing the news to the American public. The next meeting of the National Board is scheduled for July 17-18, 2007, in Philadelphia prior to the 70th Anniversary National Convention.

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Our Own Pioneer.

In her 50 plus years in broadcasting, Eleanor Schano racked up a lot of firsts. She was the first female commercial announcer, the first television weather girl and the first female general assignment news reporter. Not to mention, one of the first solo women news anchors. In her new book, “Riding the Air Waves: The Life and Televised Times of Eleanor Schano,” Schano relives those firsts and recounts the challenges it took for her to succeed in a male dominated industry.

	Eleanor Schano - from the cover of her book Click photo for larger image.

Schano was born into a strict, middle income Catholic family and was raised in Greentree. She and television came of age together. Her first experience with the new technology was standing outside a hardware store window, on a cold January night, watching for hours with her father. Schano was hooked.

Schano’s entry into broadcasting came through modeling. Her first television job was modeling clothes on live television with an announcer describing what she was wearing. Schano went along with that for awhile, but then she convinced the advertising agency to let her do the narration. The agency executive said yes and Schano broke her first barrier. She became the first female commercial announcer.

Schano faced many barriers and much belittling throughout her career. Her determination to succeed in the industry helped her soldier through and learn from her experience. As the first female weather girl, she had to deliver the weather wearing a negligee to suit a sponsor. Schano said the television executives then viewed her as a “cute mascot.” But, she knew it and used it to her advantage. Schano was wise to the game, played it and never lost sight of her goal to be taken serious as a news reporter.

In her book, Schano details her life on camera and off. She talks openly about the devastating death of her first daughter hours after she was born, the joy her next two daughters brought to her life, the painful divorce from her first husband at a time when couples didn’t get divorced and how she found the love of her life when she least expected it.

Schano displayed remarkable strength throughout her career. She routinely took her two young daughters to work. She had a can do attitude and managed to juggle all aspects of her life. Schano dealt with incredible instances of sexual harassment in her career and had the courage to stand up against it. Schano understood that she was in a male dominated industry and had to fight for every opportunity she received, but she did not allow anyone to take advantage of her. As a single mother, she left two prominent positions, including a television anchor position, because she was being sexually harassed. She had the courage and the faith to realize another opportunity would open for her.

Schano’s book is very much a history of the early broadcasting industry, but it is also much more. It’s a testament to how Schano made her own history and helped clear the path for women broadcasters who followed her. While broadcasting is still male dominated and women are held to a different standard then men, if it wasn’t for Schano, her desire and most of all her courage and conviction, the path would have far more obstacles on it.

Heather Schiefer Murray is the morning editor at KQV AM.

Editor’s Note:
Eleanor Schano has belonged to AFTRA since 1951. She served on the Board for almost 20 years. 
Her book is available in major book stores, she is very pleased to offer a 20% discount ($21.20) to AFTRA members. Go to www.ridingtheairwaves.com. Just note your AFTRA membership on the order form.

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We’re better together!

Pittsburgh, Tri-State, and Cleveland Locals share staff and services

Q: What do the mid-media market cities in our country’s old industrial heartland have in common?

A: Lots of things. The economic prospects and challenges, for example, in Pittsburgh, Cleveland, and Cincinnati are quite similar. The budding service and government sectors in Harrisburg, Columbus, and Indianapolis are roughly comparable. In the region overall, the cost of living is moderate, but wages are stagnant.

For AFTRA members in the region, there are other shared realities, such as common employers like ad agencies or broadcast companies. Another growing example: common talent agencies.

In the last several years, AFTRA staff and member leaders in the respective locals have recognized these commonalities and have tried to leverage them to organize more work opportunities for members and a stronger and more efficient union.

On the freelance side, there’s been slow but steady growth in overall earnings and membership since we launched an initial organizing plan featuring member involvement and closer cooperation with the talent agents. This led to one regional, rather than three local, “made-in, played-in” contracts for commercials.

On the Broadcast side, the challenges have been stiff. But cooperation among the union executives to assist each other in station bargaining has resulted in several successful new agreements.

The challenge is now to take this cooperation to a new level--to jump-start our organizing efforts beyond small expectations and slight gains.

That’s why AFTRA Executive Director Kim Roberts Hedgpeth recently announced a new administrative alignment of the three Locals. For the first time, there will be a national staff professional dedicated to broadcast negotiations and organizing who will be based in Cincinnati but assigned to the region as a whole. Administration of freelance work will increasingly flow through Cleveland where new office staff is budgeted. And your Pittsburgh staff—Nancy, Chris, and myself—will have new responsibilities.

I will serve as Executive Director of both Pittsburgh and Tri-State and oversee all regional broadcast contracts. Assistant Executive Director Chris Lacey will have added responsibilities as a Freelance Specialist for the region, assisting member organizing committees, courting signatories, and helping integrate practices. Nancy will manage enhanced local office operations.

I’m confident our members will see good results from these administrative changes. I know they expect and deserve nothing less.

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Knowledge is Power

Ask the Right Question

One of the most valuable tools of a busy mind is consistency— always putting your keys or glasses in the same spot, or always parking in the same part of a lot. Years ago I realized that I couldn’t trust myself to remember to bring all the things I needed to each shoot. In one past article I talked about putting together a kit with a dozen headshots & resumes, a handful of member reports from AFTRA and vouchers from my agent. Here’s another good tool to help add consistency to the diverse list of things you might need for an audition, let alone a gig.

How many times have you hung-up the phone with your agent or a casting director and thought, “…jeez, I forgot to ask them ______.” Here’s one more tool for your kit. Put together an information sheet of questions to ask about each audition or job. Think of it as a check-list. It will serve you well from audition to session to residual to renegotiation. Here are just a few basic information points that you’ll need to know regardless of what kind of job it may be:

• What kind of job, i.e. commercial , non-broadcast, etc.?
• Additional mediums, i.e. Internet, Print, etc.?
• When & where is the audition?
• When & where is the session date?
• What does the breakdown say about my part, i.e. character, age, costuming?
• Is there a storyboard as well as a script?
• Who is the client, ad agency & production company?
• Who (the person) is the producer?
• In which markets will it air?
• How long is this spot projected to run?
• Scale; Scale +10%; Over-scale + 10%?

Beyond the basic ‘who, what, when, where’, your information sheet should have some things that are specific to you. Those of you who know me can imagine some of the questions that are on mine: Juggling? What objects? Magic required? Fire? Specific make-up? Mime, clown, scars? Scarred mime or clown?

Keep about a dozen copies of your info sheet handy at most. I say ‘at most’ because you should update periodically as you find the best ways to mine information from the various gatekeepers around the region. You’ll also be training your agent & the casting directors about the information that you’ll need to showcase your talent in the best possible way.

Now you have peace of mind knowing you have the information you need every time for every job. Of course you’re still going to get a few curves thrown your way. But, far fewer than you would ‘flying by the seat of your pants’. You’ll also find that it’s empowering to ask questions rather than just taking the information offered. But most important: You’ll be freeing-up your busy mind to concentrate more on your craft. When you are called for a job you’ll sound confident, efficient and professional.

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Remembering Dan Mallinger

Dan Mallinger was known and respected by AFTRAns throughout the nation for his 40 years of dedication to the union as an active performer, local president and finally as a legendary Executive Secretary.

	Former Pittsburgh Executive Secretary, Dan Mallinger. Click photo for larger image.

Dan was born into unionism and the lessons of his childhood prepared him for his brilliant career in AFTRA. His father was a labor union official in Pittsburgh who was the first organizer for the group that became the United Steelworkers Union. Dan often-recalled family gathers when he was 7 or 8, sitting next to men he knew as Uncle John and Uncle Phil. They were John L. Lewis of the Mineworkers and Philip Murray of the United Steelworkers, who often visited his father’s home in Pittsburgh. A young Walter Reuther also dropped in one night.

Dan’s first work in broadcasting was in 1947 as an afternoon DJ at a small daytime radio station when he was still a student at the University of Pittsburgh. In 1952 he joined AFTRA and moved on to TV as writer-narrator of a newscast dedicated entirely to local feature stories on Pittsburgh’s first TV channel, Dumont’s WDTV. He worked briefly at a UHF station that soon went dark, then freelanced on TV as the Esso weatherman, in TV commercials and radio spots and was a news stringer for CBS and ABC.

Always involved in AFTRA activities Dan was elected president of the local in 1960 and four years later following the death of the local’s first exec Don Hirsch, Dan became Executive Secretary. He held that job for 28 years. He was a skilled negotiator who achieved some of AFTRA’s best contracts anywhere, but he managed to maintain cordial relations with most stations and agencies. Perhaps some management people disliked him but they certainly respected and yes, even feared him. When Dan spoke they listened. A few times when negotiations failed he marched the picket line with his troops in sub- zero weather to lead successful strikes.

Dan served National AFTRA as Eastern Regional Director and once he was temporarily pulled out of Pittsburgh to assist in negotiations in Hawaii. The supreme moment of his AFTRA career came in July of 1985 at the National Convention in Miami, when he received the George Heller Memorial Gold Card.

His last hurrah came on April 4th of 1992 before an audience of hundreds of AFTRAns and their families at the Pittsburgh Local’s 50th Anniversary Gala. So weakened by illness that he had to remain seated while speaking, Dan emotionally acknowledged the tribute he received for his wise counsel and outstanding leadership over the years. On May 24th of that year Dan’s battle with cancer ended and he was taken from us at the age of 65.

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AFTRA’s claim for notice and severance pay to a terminated radio reporter was resolved this month. A settlement agreement was ratified by all parties, thus averting a scheduled arbitration hearing. Terms of the settlement are to remain confidential. However, the grievant authorized this comment: “I feel very good about this settlement and I’m grateful for AFTRA. Without the union, I’d have been out in the cold.”

Write-up Removed. A station manager has agreed to rescind a probationary notice issued to an employee. AFTRA had grieved the notice, claiming that no new incidents precipitated the notice and that allegations therein were either vague and unspecific or had already been issued and dealt with.

Resignation or Termination Without Cause? When a TV reporter and his station couldn’t agree to the terms of a new personal contract, in part because the new offer was half the value of the old, the reporter accepted a new job offer from a rival which the station was unwilling to meet. The station then backed off from a promise of severance as required by the contract. But after AFTRA filed a grievance, the station reconsidered and paid the severance. The AFTRA contract also nullified any non-compete in such circumstances.

Butts No More. Staff at the radio station were fed up with the cigarette smoke filtering into the newsroom from various sites, including management offices. Citing the new Allegheny County non-smoking ordinance, AFTRA filed a complaint based on the health and safety of the entire workforce. The puffing ceased. Now, for the first time ever, on air and off air is smoke free.

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WTRF-TV Posts NLRB Notice

Wheeling, W.V. In settlement of unfair charges filed with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) by AFTRA representing on-air staff and producers, the Station has agreed to post an official NLRB notice, signed by Station Manager Roger Lyons, in the facility’s lunchroom for sixty days.

The notice informs employees that federal law gives them a right to join a union and that AFTRA is their representative.

The posting further states that WTRF-TV will not refuse to honor the vacation terms of any personal service contract the station has with employees because those employees join the union, or change vacation benefits during a contractual hiatus without first bargaining in good faith with the union. The Station also avers that Weather Anchor Michael Haynes was made whole by crediting him with additional vacation leave.

Additionally, WTRF vows they will not ask employees about their intent to participate in a strike; threaten employees that they will lose their jobs if they chose to participate in or honor any strike authorized by their Union; or restrain, interfere with, or coerce employees in the exercise of their rights to join and participate in a union.

WTRF-TV and AFTRA have engaged in collective bargaining over a new contract since the previous agreement expired December 1, 2003. Last February, AFTRA members ratified a proposed agreement. However, WTRF-TV has yet to sign the negotiated agreement. AFTRA filed new unfair charges with the NLRB this month on this issue.

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