ROANOKE TIMES 

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, March 22, 1992                   TAG: 9203230176
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: B-2   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

FILM COMPANY SNUBBED UNIONS

WHEN MEMBERS of the International Alliance of Theatrical and Stage Employees heard that a movie was going to be filmed in Bath County, we sent business agents to negotiate a fair contract with Regency Films.

When the hiring of carpenters began, we made every effort to provide the filmmakers with the best workers available, using the members of Local 55 and Local 487 along with carpenters from Local 319 and highly skilled carpenters from the Bath County area.

In the meantime, Regency Films was negotiating with a scab from Richmond to replace us with out-of-state workers. All of this seems to be with the approval of the Virginia Film Commission.

Film companies come to the South because of the weakness of our unions, caused by the so-called right-to-work law. I think it is about time for our state legislature to take a hard look at some of the many problems this misnamed law is causing many of the honest, hard-working people in our state. MICHAEL O. WHITESIDE Member Locals 55 and 487 International Alliance of Theatrical and Stage Employees ROANOKE 


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