Don't Lower Market Rates & Hiring Union Crew: Sound Speeds Podcast E9

As the unions and studios look like they are working well in the negotiations of new contracts, the film industry is greatly looking forward to production returning. That said, many Producers are looking for the best deal on union crew and not wanting to pay full rates - knowing the competition will be high for those few jobs. Don't accept lowball rates! It will hurt the whole industry and in this video I'll explain why then follow that up with why you should hire union crew on union shows.
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[@donwells8465]

PREACH!!!!!! I also recommend sharing rates with friends. knowledge is power!

[@SoundSpeeds]

It's an important thing to do otherwise Producers have the upper hand.

[@kevincheyenneseventysix8478]

"It's amazing anything gets done" 😂I love that quote...and it's so true! A good comment on market rates; we have a simular situation here in Germany. In current union negotiations the producers proposed to lower all rates by 10% to compensate for the lowered budgets given to them. It's a crazy industry...nevertheless I love it ..kinda :)

[@SoundSpeeds]

The studios will make any excuse they can to pay crew less. When streaming services started to Produce shows they wanted a contract with lower rates to help them to start producing shows. The problem is that there was no sunset date on the New Media contract so here we are about 10 years later wanting that contract to dissolve and there's huge pushback on eliminating this non-new New Media contract. This after it was reported that their 1st quarter profits were up 16%. Funny isn't it that Netflix also just announced that they'd no long post about their profits. What, are they tired of lying about not making any money until after new contracts are negotiated when they announce record profits.

[@charlesisrecording]

we need that quote on a t-shirt

[@SoundSpeeds]

👍

[@espinosanoel]

@@SoundSpeedshopefully IATSE can negotiate out the New Media contracts and other low budget side letters.

[@SoundSpeeds]

I really hope they can! They are the worst.

[@kuchlong2]

At my work place employees are union, and managers are not.

[@SoundSpeeds]

That's odd.

[@lincolnabc1]

Wages can go up but companies reduce staff to even it out.

[@SoundSpeeds]

Not always in film but they can try

[@donwells8465]

okay, the last time I've seen a producer pick up a boompole, it didn't end well

[@SoundSpeeds]

😅

[@espinosanoel]

Allen, not to discredit what you’re saying regarding hiring union people, but you may be on a slippery slope as especially in your market, Georgia, is a right to work state. One thing to remember and inform your viewers is that the sound mixer/department head, doesn’t actually hire the individual, its production/producers/UPM that does the hiring. The sound mixer essentially recommends to production the staff that they want on their team but it’s production that hires the individual. And same goes with firing an individual. It’s production that fires the individual not the department head. The department head can recommend to production that the individual needs to be let go for whatever reasons but it’s up to the producers/production to dismiss the employee. Now with Georgia as a right to work state, you as the department head or even as a coworker can encourage the individual to join the union and explain all the reasons why it’s beneficial to join but you can’t force them into joining. Where it’s different in a state like California, a non right to work / or union state, you are required to be a member of said union to work on union projects. I know about right to work regulations as I used to live and work in Utah which is also a right to work state. Unfortunately due to the right to work laws a person can still get the union benefits and not be required to join a union in a right to work state. As I have said before, I enjoy your content and keep up the good fight & work with your channel.

[@SoundSpeeds]

You are mostly right in this but allow me to correct one thing. Production hires the department head (sound mixer) and the mixer hires their teams but Production reserves the right to veto that choice. One example of this was when Covid vaccinations were made mandatory. Sound Mixers would hire their teams but if one of those teammates refused to get the vaccine, Production would tell the mixer they were unhirable so they'd have to choose someone else. When second units are needed, Production will usually go to the mixer and ask them if they can get a team together. If the sound mixer can't or won't, Production will start looking for a 2nd unit mixer. Department heads are hired and expected to get a team together that will maintain their standards. When it comes to firing, that can be done by the mixer or Production and for any reason in a right to work state.