Health Care Task Force: Up and Running

Director of Photography John Lindley, ASC Heads Effort to Protect Benefits and Hours

In response to the change in qualification hours in 2011 in the newly-ratified Basic Agreeement, ICG President Steven Poster and the Guild officers started a Task Force to create plans and programs to help Local 600 members retain their health benefits, and to maximize the number of members who qualify now and in the coming years. This committee is headed by Director of Photography and NEB member John Lindley, ASC. Camera Angles asked Lindley about his plans for the Task Force and what its priorities will be.

Why did you agree to head the Task Force?

Health care is our greatest organizing tool. We need to keep it strong to make our industry's unions strong. I don't want to divide the union into the haves and the have-nots. During the contract ratification campaign, I decided I wanted to do everything I could to help our members overcome any of the negative effects of the new contract they might experience, particularly around the additional health care hours that will be required in 2011. The union can organize more work, especially in reality TV, but it will take time. In the near term, I want to focus on helping members who currently are unable to qualify for medical benefits and finding ways to help in 2011 when the jump in hours takes effect. We must make sure we are organizing every project, so that there are more union hours available to members.

What are key issues you want the committee to explore?

There are a number of ways now that members have to get more work that aren't as efficient as they should be. I want to explore them all. We can work to bolster our Members First program that links up those in need of a few hours with those who are hiring. Right now, the web system we have isn't efficient, and we are taking specific steps to streamline it and make it work better.
We are also going to look into making alternative health care options available to members, and helping them navigate the health care system if they don't qualify for the union plan. That includes working closely with organizations like The Actors Fund and the Motion Picture & Television Fund that provide both financial assistance and counseling to help people get and keep insurance, or to get the health care they need even if they are uninsured.

What are your goals for the committee?

My goal for this project is to instituitionalize what have formerly been random acts of kindness by individual members who have helped other members aquire hours for health insurance. The NEB has committed to dedicating sufficient funding for this task force. I'm encouraged by the union's commitment to this work ahead.
First, we are going to really look at the situation, set up our agenda, and prioritize the tasks. This will include getting input from members and listening to their needs. Then we are going to look for real solutions to those problems. This might include mentoring programs, ways to use our existing health care resources more effectively and again, helping members who can't qualify to find good alternatives.

Who's on the committee?

We worked very hard to make sure every region and every classification are represented – sitcoms, features, TV, commercials and all parts of the country. We tried to embrace every conceivable version of diversity. (See page 2 for details)

How can members contact the committee with suggestions?

I think it will mainly be through the website. But we'll need to run a campaign within Local 600 to make sure everyone knows how to access any of the programs we'll be establishing and to get on any work lists that we will have available. We will be including notices in Camera Angles, on the website, in the weekly e-newsletters and in letters from the union and in flyers at the Local. We will get out the message far and wide.
We'll have a suggestion box – I want to hear from people outside the committee about ideas and what can be done to increase work, hire members in need of hours and use our resources more carefully.

What can individual members do to help?

I've helped individual people qualify for health care and I know other NEB members have as well. I think we have to be willing to take it one person at a time if need be. What's wrong right now is not the contract, it's the lack of work. The greater the number of members who are working union jobs, the better off everyone is. That means members need to call in their jobs, so we can organize as many hours as possible.

04-17