Week In Review: Important Reminders, Updates & Events
January 17th, 2021
Hello Brothers and Sisters,
Happy King Weekend! The celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day in recent years has been marked by marching in the streets at the annual “Kingdom Day Parade” with our 399 family, Sister Unions and Guilds and community coalitions to honor the life, legacy and work of Dr. King. Like most recent holidays, the COVID-19 pandemic has prevented us from gathering. It does not however prevent us from paying tribute, and reflecting on the work that lies ahead in honor of Dr. King’s birthday weekend.
Dr. King’s work, alongside prominent organizers, community coalitions, educators and activists, stood at the intersection of Labor and Civil Rights issues. Understanding that there is no true justice without the actualized dream of racial, social and economic justice. The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed many of the deep rooted cracks within our systems that have been longstanding pillars of the labor movement’s fight — good paying jobs, access to healthcare, worker protections on the job, equality and equity in and out of the workplace – the list goes on. We’ve also been reminded time and time again over the course of this past year that as a Country, we still have a long way to go to eradicate and uproot white supremacy and systemic racism from every aspect of our society. The only way this can be achieved is through accountability, listening, learning and growing our collective power together.
Dr. King understood the importance of organizing for power to achieve the demands of working people. Demands that provide an opportunity for all working families to not only to survive, but thrive in this country. Though many remember the famous speech delivered by Dr. King as “I Have a Dream…”, its original working title was “Normalcy — Never Again.” 2020 serves as a perfect backdrop to Dr. King’s words, reminding us that the normalcy many experienced in this country pre-pandemic should not be the norm for working families, and it is not the norm we should return to, but instead build upon. As a Union family, we remain committed to the fight for racial, social and economic justice. United we bargain, divided we beg, and only by fighting alongside one another in solidarity will working people win. Happy King Day.
MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. DAY:
In observance of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day the Union Hall Front Office will be closed on Monday, January 18th. The Local 399 Call Board will remain open during normal business hours and our 399 Business Agents will be available should you need any assistance.
Remember, you can also always reach out to an On-Call Business Agent via: 818-397-2131
1st QUARTER GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING:
Please plan to join us for our first General Membership Meeting of 2021. For the safety of all involved, we will again be hosting this meeting digitally via Zoom.Join us from the comfort of your own home to hear updates regarding:
• Our Industry
• Ongoing efforts with our Sister Unions and Guilds and our City, County and State
• Business Agent reports from specific Studios and Union Barns
• Technology Updates at the Union Hall
• Upcoming Negotiations
• Upcoming Classes and ways to get involved in YOUR Union
• and more!
1st Quarter Digital General Membership Meeting
DATE: Sunday, January 24th
TIME: 9AM – 11AM
EMAIL: Businessagent@ht399.org for a registration link
This meeting is for Local 399 Members only.
• We ask that you do not share this registration link or meeting details on social media.
• Please allow up to 24-48 hours to receive your confirmation email. We will be reviewing and manually approving registrations to ensure registrants are Local 399 Members.
• Members on an Active, Retired, Withdrawal or Hold status are all able to attend but only active Members can vote on Union business.
Deadline to Register is Friday, January 22rd at 5PM.
JAMES R. HOFFA SCHOLARSHIP:
ATTENTION LOCAL 399 MEMBERS WITH GRADUATING HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS:
The application process is now open for the James R. Hoffa Memorial Scholarship Fund’s 2021 college and vocational scholarship programs for the sons, daughters and financial dependents of Teamsters.
In 2020, $1.2 million was awarded in $10k and $1k academic scholarships for the children of Teamster members to attend four-year colleges and universities throughout North America. Additionally, many scholarships to support the costs of vocational/trade school programs were also awarded.
Deadline to apply is March 1st, 2021.
OVERVIEW OF BENEFITS FOR CREATIVE PROFESSIONALS IN H.R. 133:
H.R. 133, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, includes many long-awaited COVID-19 stimulus and relief measures we have been working to achieve. It is the second major stimulus package to address the Pandemic. The package extends some parts of the CARES Act and adds new provisions to protect us and our industry.
Click here to read full fact sheet on the benefits that may apply to some of our Local 399 Members.
HOLIDAY HIATUS:
As we see many Members returning to work, we want to again encourage you all to remain diligent about staying safe, masked and socially distanced both in and out of the workplace. Should you return to work and run into any issues, feel unsafe or have any questions about the Return to Work Protocols, please contact your Business Agent.
If you are unsure of when your production will return from the holiday hiatus, we encourage you to reach out to your production directly. If you still have questions about a specific show or studio facility, you can contact your Business Agent directly as well.
NEW LABOR SECRETARY – Marty Walsh:
Teamsters Applaud Nomination of Boston Mayor Marty Walsh as the next U.S. Secretary of Labor
“The Teamsters are elated with President-elect Biden’s nomination of Boston Mayor Marty Walsh as the next Secretary of Labor. Hardworking Americans will be hard pressed to find a person who stands up for their wellbeing more than Mayor Walsh, a 25-year union man himself who grew up in the movement and understands the struggles of regular people just trying to earn a living and support their families.”
Click here to read full statement provided by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters.
UNION HALL CLOSED THROUGH JANUARY:
We’d like to remind you that due to the surge in COVID-19 cases, we will be extending our Union Hall closure to the general public and Members throughout the entire month of January. Our entire staff will continue to be working remotely and are all available via phone or email. All staff contact information can be found via your Local 399 App or you can reach out to our Union Hall Front Office with questions: 818-985-7374.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out as we will be operating regular business hours during our remote working schedule.
UNION DUES:
Dues for the 1st Quarter (January, February, March) are due in the month of January to avoid late fees. See the graphic below for the ways to easily make payments while our Union Hall Office is closed to visitors and Members. If you have any questions about your account, please reach out to our Union Hall Front Office: 818-985-7374.
If you are interested in having your dues paid automatically from your account, and you have yet to pay for the 1st quarter, we encourage you to sign-up for a RECURRING PAYMENT PLAN here. Dues will be paid automatically from your account on January 1st, April 1st, July 1st, and October 1st. Upon sign-up, you will be charged for a full quarter of dues.Thereafter, your account will follow the quarterly recurring schedule. This is a great way to avoid late fees!
OPTUM & KAISER CRISIS HOTLINES:
Your well-being matters MOST. As this difficult situation continues and no matter how isolated you may feel, you do not need to face these challenges alone. There is hope. Powerful health resources and personalized support services are available right now. Live and Work Well is here to help you and those you care about find the balance, support and care you need to live the healthiest life possible.
OPTUM CRISIS HOTLINE: 1-800-273-8255
KAISER EMOTIONAL SUPPORT HOTLINE: (800) 900-3277
If an emergency, or you think you may harm yourself, please call 911.
CONNECT WITH TEAMSTERS LOCAL 399:
Get connected with Teamsters Local 399 on our official social media pages.
You can find us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. An engaged and educated Membership is a strong Membership. Don’t just belong to your Union, be an Active Member.
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Please let us know if there is anything more we can be doing to support you and your family at this time.
