Perspective: An Interview with John Amman

Who does IATSE Local 600 represent?
JG: IATSE Local 600 represents technicians and craft persons in the following crafts: directors of photography, camera operators, camera assistants, loaders, digital imaging technicians, still photographers, studio and unit publicists, etc.

What are your members’ main concerns?
JG: In a freelance industry like ours, our members’ central concern is getting the next job. Beyond that, I’d say that health and safety, a commitment to diversity and inclusion in the workplace, and in general quality of life, have become their main concerns.

How long have you been with the union?
JG: I have been with Local 600 for over 28 years. In fact, when I started, it was Local 644. We became a national local in 1996, when Local 600 was formed as a result of the merger of the three IATSE local unions with jurisdiction over camera-related crafts in the United States.

Why did you become involved with organized labor, and your union in particular?
JG: I was a graduate student researcher on a project to study labor relations in the entertainment industry that Cornell ILR [School for Industrial and Labor Relations] put together. My focus was on the below-the-line unions. I became fascinated with the issues affecting the craft unions and, as my research progressed, I was interested
in working with the unions on the labor side. My father and uncles belonged to the UAW, so I grew up with an understanding of labor issues.

What are you most proud of about your union?
JG: Its inclusiveness and ability to adapt. Local 600 and the IATSE in general have seen a lot of changes in my 28-plus years. This has included a rapid expansion in the workforce, new ownership of major feature f lm studios and TV networks, the switch from film to digital, the rise of new players like Netfl ix and Hulu, and the development of new production centers in the United States and Canada. In general, my union has taken on all of these changes and more. I think this is due in equal parts to adhering to the fundamentals of union organizing and facing the new technologies of production head-on. As new crafts developed in the digital world, we organized them. We also train our members in the latest production technologies.

What do you think are a union’s strongest tools when entering a negotiation?
JG: Solidarity. It sounds like a pat answer, I know, but without a common commitment among the members and even between union locals, we cannot press the employers in negotiations. It is what gives lead negotiators the power to make the changes we want at the bargaining table. Solidarity is built through several efforts by Local 600: frequent screenings of members’ work, our long history of training so our members’ skills are current, and our Craft Committees, where members meet to discuss issues and help focus our training programs.

You have been involved in lobbying. What are the keys to successful lobbying, especially when unions have become a political target?
JG: My main lobbying efforts have been on behalf of the New York State Film Tax Credit Program. I think that this overall lobbying effort has been good for unions in our industry, as it broadens our reach and allows us to network with other labor unions and progressive partners across the state and the country. These tax credits have also been good for the overall New York economy, as the rewards of increased production spread to the ancillary businesses that support production, like caterers and dry cleaners, and taxes paid by producers.

How have changes in technology affected your members, both from the creative and the business side?
JG: The switch to digital filmmaking has created profound changes for both labor and management. However, for Local 600 it has not meant a loss in crew size or jurisdiction. In fact, we’ve seen new classif cations added to our rolls, as we’ve effectively made the case that they fall within our jurisdiction. The rise of new media has led
to an expansion of production. During the 1990s and early 2000s, Local 600 and the IATSE International put a lot of time and effort in organizing across North America, which I think put us in an excellent position to address these new challenges. Safety is an important issue for everyone working on set.

How does Local 600 promote safety for its members?
JG: We work closely with our international [which covers the United States and Canada] and sister unions to promote workplace safety and to address potential workplace hazards. In this regard, I think we are fortunate in New York City to have the close relationships between the below- and above-the-line unions and guilds. Our reps
regularly address safety issues with SAG-AFTRA, and we all share key information. Our union has a safety hotline and even a safety app to allow members to alert reps of problems.

Any final thoughts?
JG: Twenty-eight years is a long time, but it goes very fast. Fortunately, there is nothing routine or mundane about representing people in our industry.