Scott George, State Executive Director
First, let me speak out for my honor as your new national executive director. We are entering a critical moment for our alliance, a moment of strength, focus and solidarity. The challenges ahead are real, but so are our ability to meet together.
I have seen that over the past few weeks, as our guild mobilizes to support members affected by the devastating California fires. Working with our international, Hollywood locals, teamworkers and basic crafts, we provide emergency assistance, housing resources and economic relief to those who have lost their homes or are displaced. Indeed, there is no relief to fully recover those who have lost everything in disaster. The support from colleagues is encouraging. This is what unity looks like. Rebuilding will be a long road for many of our members and we want to serve them when they need us.
The fire is just one of many crises our industry has faced in recent years. We have endured co-closures, shutdowns, shrinking workloads, working away from home sectors and now the rise of AI – the technology has the potential to reshape our industry in a threatening way. During such a difficult time, it’s easy to feel that we are always defending, reacting to the latest threats rather than shaping our own future. That must change.
Now it’s time to attack. This means refocusing on the core priorities that make unions strong:
– Negotiate the best contract.
– Actively enforce all provisions in these contracts.
– Organize non-union work.
– Lead in AI to ensure our members are trained in new technologies, not replaced by them. These are not abstract goals.
They are the basis for true job safety and fair pay. They ask all of us – leaders, employees and ranking members – to be fully involved.
We still need to think big. Our industry is growing, and we must. This means that organizations can expand the coverage of guild contracts and ensure that employees throughout the post-production work say their opinions at work. This means fighting to change policy changes for our members, both in the workplace and in the Legislative Council. This means developing union leadership so that every member can work on our guild work.
It would be impossible without you. The strength of the union does not come from the champion or the office. It comes from its members speaking out and taking action. It comes from the understanding of its members that their needs and benefits are bound by the shared needs and benefits of all our alliance relatives. It comes from the united front facing the challenges before us. It originates from solidarity.
We all have to embrace this spirit. Engagement means more than just voting every few years. This means staying informed, attending local meetings, supporting organizing events, and holding employers accountable. Most importantly, this means finding a relative of the alliance because you want your alliance relative to look for you. When we fight together, we win together.
When I stepped in to the role, I thanked my ex, Cathy Repola. I am honored to have worked with Cathy for many years, and her role model of compassion and spiritual generosity is inspiration for all of us. Thanks to her leadership, our union is even stronger today. I am committed to building this legacy.
I won’t pretend that the road ahead is easy. There will be setbacks. There will be some battles to test our determination. But these are all worth it. That’s how we ensure a better future – not only for ourselves, but for the workers who follow us.
I look forward to working with you in the coming months and years.
