Exciting New Work from the Guild

Sitting down to write this article, heading into March already, Autumn is nearly on our doorstep, and the year is going on fast forward as productions are ramping up across the country. As we swing back into busy times after a year of famine, I want to highlight some support guidance that ScreenWell Australia has put together covering well-being in the screen sector. The website has some really important information, so please look through this valuable resource before burnout arrives at your door.

Here at the Guild, we have hit the ground running. We have a number of productions testing our Production Partners program, especially working with Bunnings to get massive savings on their timber and consumables. If you are still yet to get onboard this incredible saving opportunity, please check out our website and have a look under Crew Zone, Discounts and view the available offers under both the General Discount and Production-Pro Discount tabs. By utilising these offers you can save on both your personal day-to-day spending AND any spending you may be required to perform within your department while working. Well worth the visit!!

New Online Workshops to view!

CREW REP SUPPORT MODULES:

We have also launched two of our three Crew Rep modules on the website. In this exciting new series designed to support our crew reps, we explore why appointing a crew rep is important on any production. We dive into how to elect the right candidate for the job and provide training and guidance around what being a crew rep actually means, developing great negotiation skills, and discovering important conflict resolution and people management tools that assist our crew reps to be highly effective and valued as a crucial part of the production.

Module 1 - “Why engage a crew rep?”

Here, we explore the benefits of having a crew rep on a production, explain what a crew rep is not and provide solutions to common fears and concerns of the production and production team.

Module 2 - “How to elect a crew rep?”

Discover how to manage some of the hurdles you may encounter with crew around being a crew rep and learn the process of nominating and voting in your production crew's preferred representatives for the crew rep's roles. The Guild helps you through this process, making it easy and fair for everyone. We will then get in touch with your newly elected Crew Reps to provide them with guidance and support to assist them in their role.

Our next module is underway with some in-depth information on how to be effective in the crew rep role. Look out for:

Module 3 - “How to be an effective Crew Rep?”

This module is designed as a support workshop for those who operate as a crew rep. Learn how to manage the many aspects this role entails including important information around developing your negotiation skills, learning the primary basics of conflict resolution, and understanding the importance of fostering a respectful workplace.

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The Screen Guild’s Crew Rep Nomination Process:

The Crew Rep nomination process has been very successful over several productions now, so if you want support to set this up on your next shoot, don't hesitate to get in touch with me at crewrep@screenguild.co.nz at the beginning of production, and we will walk you through the process.

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BUSINESS TOOLKIT:

Over the next couple of months, we will also add to our already successful Business Toolkit series, which helps with guidance on running your screen worker business.

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RATE CARD PROJECT PHASE 2:

In the second quarter, the Rate Card review Phase Two will get underway. As you all will know, we did the soft launch last year, so we will be working with the different department groups to firm these up. Within this next phase, we are seeking to gain much wider engagement from NZ screen technicians. The best way for us to achieve a higher level of communication with you all is to set up a comms group for each department who can liaise between their department as a whole and return this communication back to The Screen Guild.

This ensures we can set rates that are agreed from a departmental level and provide more accurate rates across the board. If you would like to be involved in this process and become a member of the comms group for your department, please email us on ratecards@screenguild.co.nz to let us know. Our first priority to get phase two underway is to start locking in these important groups.

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SIWA

If you still need to get your head around the Screen Industry Workers Act (SIWA), please take some time to familiarise yourself with the extensive information we provide about (SIWA) on our website. Below are the most important things for you to remember, but for full information download the SIWA Handbook from our SIWA page and read through the list of FAQ's:

1. Firstly, SIWA introduces NINE new Rules for Individual Contracts
2. Second, SIWA introduces “Collective Contracts”
3. SIWA is Enforceable. These changes are not optional. They’re law. They must be abided by.

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What role does the Screen Industry Guild play?

There are two parties involved in our contractual working agreements, the Worker (Crew) and the Engager (Production Company). The Screen Industry Guild is preparing to become a registered Worker Organisation. As a registered Worker Organisation, SIGANZ can:

• Represent its members (or screen production workers) if they consent and need assistance with a dispute about their contract or about their workplace relationship.
• Enter workplaces for certain monitoring & compliance purposes.
• Initiate collective bargaining on behalf of ALL technicians working in production to create (or make future changes to) their Occupational Contract.
• Get involved to find out how you can help yourself, and your fellows, achieve better terms and conditions.
• Assist its members who are working on a specific production to initiate and collectively bargain an Enterprise Contract if they need additional or better terms than in the Occupational Contract.

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The NINE mandatory rules are as follows:

1. A new duty of good faith applies between parties to a “workplace relationship” (e.g. screen workers and their engagers).
2. Engagers must ensure your Individual Contract is in writing.
3. Engagers must follow certain fair-process rules before making or varying individual contracts
4. Individual Contracts must contain the following mandatory terms:
   A. A term saying that both parties will comply with the Health and Safety at Work Act and the Human Rights Act.
   B. A clear explanation of the process for raising and responding to complaints about bullying, harassment or discrimination.?
   C. A clear explanation of the processes available for resolving disputes (eg. either the default system or some other agreed process.)
   D. The period of notice (if any) and compensation (if any) for termination.
5. Your contract, agreement, or other arrangement must not prevent you (or someone else on your behalf) from raising a complaint about bullying, harassment, or discrimination.
6. You now have access to a dispute resolution system for any disputes about your contract or any problems relating to your workplace relationship.
7. Employment status: All “screen production workers” are now contractors (not Employees) unless your contract expressly states you are an employee.
8. Retaliatory Contract Termination: Your contract can not be terminated (or non-renewed) in response to you exercising (or proposing to exercise) any right or power in your contract (or the Screen Industry Workers Act or any other Act). Engagers face penalties if they do.
9. Individual Contract terms must NOT be less favourable to you than those contained in any applicable Collective Contract (but they can be more favourable). If any terms are less favourable, then the Act makes them unenforceable!

You must be familiar with your rights under the Screen Industry Workers Act. So, visit the Guild website and check out our SIWA page under Crew Zone and have a good read.

So, in finishing this article, please look out over the next month for dates for upcoming Branch meetings and Networking nights across the country.

Don't hesitate to contact me anytime if you have concerns about your contracts (preferably before you sign them) and if you need some general advice on the Blue Book or anything else we have available on our website let me know. We are here to support you! As our tagline says – we are always Better Together!

And a last note, I personally want to thank GT for all of his hard work, thousands of words and being at the helm of the NZTECHO magazine for the past 9 years. It’s no easy feat bringing together a magazine and I am so grateful for your time with us. You will be missed!

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Ngā mihi,

Kelly