ENROLLED
2015 Regular Session
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOL UTION NO. 69
BY REPRESENTATIVE PONTI
A CONCURRENT RESOL UTION
To urge and request the International Alliance of Theatrical State Employees (IATSE) Local
478 to allow Baton Rouge, Louisiana to become a production center in its upcoming
negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers
(AMPTP).
WHEREAS, the Legislature of Louisiana desires to support making Baton Rouge,
Louisiana a designated production city in the upcoming Area Standards Agreement
negotiations, which will begin April 27, 2015, between the Alliance of Motion Picture and
Television Producers (AMPTP) and the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage
Employees film union (IATSE), a member of the AFL-CIO; and
WHEREAS, the negotiations between the AMPTP and the IATSE only take place
once every three years; and
WHEREAS, Louisiana is now recognized throughout the entertainment industry as
one of the world's top producers of motion pictures, but still must compete with dozens of
states and nations for projects and jobs; and
WHEREAS, the majority of film workers on many motion picture productions in
Louisiana belong to the IATSE Local 478 union, which covers all of Louisiana and is based
out of New Orleans; and
WHEREAS, Baton Rouge and New Orleans make Louisiana stronger when they
work together and support each other; and
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WHEREAS, New Orleans and Shreveport have already been granted the production
center union status, but Baton Rouge, which hosted over $1.3 billion in total productions
since 2009, was denied this status in 2012 due to objections of Local 478; and
WHEREAS, Baton Rouge is the only city in the United States that the AMPTP asked
to be added to the list of over three dozen existing production centers; and
WHEREAS, IATSE crew members with a New Orleans address are entitled to an
additional three hundred ninety-two dollars per week and other benefits from feature film
productions if they work in the Baton Rouge area, but IATSE crew members with a Baton
Rouge address are not entitled to additional pay if they work in the New Orleans area and
Baton Rouge crew should be treated as equals with New Orleans crew; and
WHEREAS, this unlevel playing field discourages IATSE members from keeping
a Baton Rouge address and prevents Baton Rouge from being able to properly grow its
workforce and that lack of workforce discourages more filming from happening in the Baton
Rouge area; and
WHEREAS, the additional expense caused by Baton Rouge's lack of an IATSE-
recognized production center status can raise the cost of a production by more than $1
million in many instances, causing the state of Louisiana to issue more in motion picture
investor tax credits than it normally would if Baton Rouge had a level playing field, at a time
when Louisiana film industry needs to find ways to save revenue to balance the state's
budget; and
WHEREAS, Baton Rouge, Louisiana has more IATSE crew members than the
recognized IATSE production centers of Anchorage, Alaska; Charlotte, North Carolina;
Richmond, Virginia; St. Louis, Missouri; and Tucson, Arizona; and
WHEREAS, jobs that would have gone to Baton Rouge, if it were an IATSE
production center, often go to other states and nations because IATSE Local 478 opposed
making Baton Rouge a production center in 2012; and
WHEREAS, Movie Maker Magazine declared Baton Rouge, the number one small
city to live and work in in the film industry in 2015, just ahead of New Orleans, which
ranked second.
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THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
urge and request the IATSE Local 478 to allow Baton Rouge to become a production center
in its upcoming negotiations with the AMPTP.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to Phil
LoCicero, President of IATSE Local 478.
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
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