From: "Preston Foerder" <preston-AT-pfpuppetry.com>
To: <puptcrit-driftline.org-AT-lists.driftline.org>
Date: Mon, 29 Nov 2004 16:24:56 -0500
Subject: QRE: [Puptcrit] UNIONS - Puppeteers


There is an Equity puppeteer's contract. It was created by Bil Baird for
the Chrysler exhibit at the 1964 New York World's Fair. All workers at
the fair had to be union and they wanted the puppeteers to join the
Teamsters or the stage hand's union (Local 1). The logic being that the
puppeteers were just people moving props around. Bil refused and told
them that the puppeteers were performers and had to be part of the
performer's union. Hence, the Equity contract.

Even though Equity has a contract, they really don't care about it.
Puppeteers are possibly the only people that have worked on Broadway
non-union. I know the puppeteers in Eva LaGallienne's Alice in
Wonderland were non-union on Broadway.  When Peter and Wendy played the
New Victory Theater, Equity maintained that as long as the puppeteers
were hooded they didn't have to be in the union. I'm fairly certain the
puppeteers in Avenue Q are Equity. But most of the time Equity has to be
forced to represent puppeteers.

As far as the film and video unions go, it's fine if you're in a place
where you can get enough work to qualify for benefits like LA or to a
lesser extent New York, but if you're only getting work from time to
time, you're paying dues while getting none of the benefits. Last I
knew, you needed to make at least $10,000 (it could be more now) to
qualify for the health insurance. AFTRA keeps pension money for me,
which I will probably never be able to collect because I've never made
enough in a single year to qualify for it.

Preston


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