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BlackJack Film Crew Stands Together, Walks Off Set

IA President Short Appoints Safety Chairman

HUDSON VALLEY, NY – The crew of a low budget film being shot in the Hudson Valley and Metro regions of New York, walked off the job Wednesday. The move follows the “Blackjack” crew indicating they wanted to be represented by the IATSE and Jackie Ryan Film LLC management refusing to recognize the union and negotiate.

Members of the crew reported deteriorating conditions, with one crewmember saying there were “daily concerns about safety with interior and exterior sets in unsafe neighborhoods, and crew house living conditions started to feel defeating.” Other concerns included management’s plans to jam two days of filming into a single day and guerilla style filming on the streets of New York City without a permit.

“With the backing and protection of the IA, we were able to have a voice and project it to production when they had turned their backs on us. Having the IA’s support, we were able to confidently provide our services, knowing we were protected. It was a humbling privilege to stand with our crew members, IA representatives and New York Production Locals in solidarity” said the crewmember.

Wade Tyree, an International Representative who was dispatched to assist said the crew “is a family that stood tall in strong. They exhibited tremendous solidarity by standing together. It really sent a message to the entire film community that conditions like these are unacceptable.”

The crew reached out to the IATSE for representation through the IATSE Safety Info App. The App is an information reference and hazard reporting tool for IATSE members that provides important safety information, such as studio safety hotline telephone numbers, industry-specific safety bulletins and articles, and a form for reporting hazards encountered on the worksite. Download is available for iPhone and Android.

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The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees or IATSE (full name: International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, Moving Picture Technicians, Artists and Allied Crafts of the United States, Its Territories and Canada), is a labor union representing over 170,000 technicians, artisans and craftspersons in the entertainment industry, including live events, motion picture and television production, broadcast, and trade shows in the United States and Canada.

For more information please contact:
General: comms@iatse.net
Press: press@iatse.net

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