Motion Picture Editors Guild
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The Motion Picture Editors Guild (MPEG) is the guild that represents freelance and staff motion picture film and television editors and other post-production professionals and story analysts throughout the United States. The Motion Picture Editors Guild (Union Local 700) is a part of the 500 affiliated local unions of IATSE (International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees), a national labor organization with a nearly 65-year history of bargaining for better wages and working conditions for its 104,000-plus members. Currently there are as more than 6,000 members of the 100-plus year old Editors Guild.
The MPEG negotiates collective bargaining agreements (union contracts) with producers and major motion picture movie studios and enforces existing agreements with employers involved in post-production. The MPEG provides assistance for securing better working conditions, including but not limited to salary, medical benefits, safety (particularly "turnaround time") and artistic (assignment of credit) concerns.
[edit] History
The Society of Motion Picture Film Editors was created in 1937 by I. James Wilkinson, Ben Lewis and Philip Cahn when film editors earned a mere $100 per week. Initial membership totaled 571.
In 1938 the first contract talks garnered a 10% wage increase. In 1943 film editors and assistant editors are offered their own local by the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE). Many Society members sought to align themselves with this larger national organization, hoping for greater negotiating clout. The Screen Directors Guild of America (DGA) also made overtures, but offered only to admit picture editors (not assistant editors), and only to grant them diluted voting rights. The editors and assistant editors opted to join IATSE instead. In 1944, the Society of Motion Picture Film Editors underwent a name change and became the Motion Picture Editors Guild, Local 776 of the IATSE. In 1998, the two IA editorial locals (776 in Los Angeles and 771 in New York) merged to form one national Editors Guild, now Local 700. Also in 1998, members of IATSE Local 695 are transferred to the Editors Guild consisting of Re-Recording Mixers, Maintenance Engineers, Sound Recordists and Studio Projectionists. In 2000, the Story Analysts, formerly Local 854, also join the Editors Guild.
