Local 399
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| Local 399 | |
|---|---|
| Name | Local 399 |
| Founded | 1937 |
| Location | Los Angeles, California |
| Affiliation | SAG-AFTRA |
| Members | ~1,200 |
Local 399 is a labor union local representing motion picture studio drivers and transportation department employees in Los Angeles. It negotiates terms for members who work on productions associated with studios, independent companies, and streaming services, interfacing with major industry employers, guilds, and regulatory bodies. The local operates within a larger framework of entertainment labor organizations and often coordinates with unions, studios, and government agencies on safety, wages, and hiring standards.
History
Founded in 1937 during a period of union consolidation in the American film industry, the local emerged as part of broader labor movements involving figures and institutions such as Franklin D. Roosevelt, the National Labor Relations Act, and the rise of Hollywood studios including Warner Bros., Paramount Pictures, RKO Pictures, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, and 20th Century Fox. Its early decades overlapped with events and organizations like the Screen Actors Guild, the American Federation of Labor, and labor actions connected to productions involving talents from Charlie Chaplin to Orson Welles. Over time the local adapted to technological and industrial shifts marked by the expansion of television with companies like NBC and CBS Television Studios, the emergence of home video from Sony and Sony Pictures Entertainment, and the later rise of streaming platforms such as Netflix, Amazon Studios, and Hulu.
Throughout its history the local engaged with landmark labor moments in Los Angeles, interacting with public entities including the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority for transportation policy, and negotiating through periods shaped by jurisprudence from the United States Supreme Court and legislation like the Taft-Hartley Act. Its membership trends reflected broader demographic and economic changes affecting unions in the late 20th and early 21st centuries, paralleling shifts seen in unions such as the International Brotherhood of Teamsters and federations like the AFL–CIO.
Organization and Membership
The local is organized with elected officers and a business agent structure comparable to other craft locals affiliated with national unions such as SAG-AFTRA and historically connected to bodies like the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations. Membership comprises drivers, transportation coordinators, motor coach operators, picture car drivers, and related crafts who work for studios and production companies including Universal Pictures, Columbia Pictures, Lionsgate, and independent producers. The local maintains hiring halls and dispatch practices that interface with employers like WarnerMedia, Paramount Global, and production service companies such as Technicolor and Deluxe Entertainment Services Group.
Training, safety certification, and licensing requirements often reference municipal and state authorities like the California Department of Motor Vehicles and the Los Angeles Police Department when coordinating permits for filming near landmarks such as Griffith Observatory, Hollywood Boulevard, and locations managed by the Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks. The membership profile has included veterans who served in conflicts like World War II and the Vietnam War, as well as participants in industry-wide initiatives organized alongside unions including the Writers Guild of America and the Directors Guild of America.
Collective Bargaining and Contracts
The local negotiates collective bargaining agreements with major studios, production companies, and service providers. Contract negotiations often run parallel to deals involving other entertainment unions such as the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, the Teamsters Local 399, the Actors' Equity Association, and Animation Guild. Agreements cover wages, overtime, pension and health contributions tied to funds administered similarly to those negotiated by bodies like the Motion Picture Industry Pension & Health Plans and benefit structures influenced by precedents set in accords involving Netflix and the Major Studios Coalition.
Contracts address work rules for productions involving large-scale events such as those coordinated with municipal permits for the Los Angeles Film Festival and union compliance observed in productions for networks like ABC and Fox Broadcasting Company. Collective bargaining outcomes have at times affected ancillary sectors including stunt coordination teams associated with United Stuntmen's Association and transportation logistics collaborators like Gray Line Tours and private hire services such as Uber and Lyft when members’ work intersects with app-based platforms.
Notable Activities and Strikes
The local has participated in and supported various labor actions, solidarity campaigns, and strike coordination alongside major entertainment labor actions involving the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, the Writers Guild of America, and the Teamsters. It has engaged in picketing and public demonstrations during negotiations connected to disputes with studios including Warner Bros. Discovery and corporations like Amazon Studios and Netflix. Notable incidents in Los Angeles involved coordination with municipal authorities during high-profile productions shot in areas like Downtown Los Angeles, Burbank, and Santa Monica.
The local’s strike-related activities have intersected with labor controversies seen historically in the entertainment industry such as the 1988 Writers Guild of America strike and the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike, wherein solidarity among crafts—including drivers and transportation crews—played roles in broader outcomes. The local has also been involved in safety campaigns following on-set incidents reported in coverage involving productions affiliated with studios such as Universal Studios Hollywood.
Community Engagement and Training
The local runs training programs, safety seminars, and certification courses for members, often collaborating with institutions and programs like the Los Angeles Trade-Technical College, the California Occupational Safety and Health Administration, and nonprofit organizations such as the Entertainment Industry Foundation. Outreach includes participating in community film education events at locations like the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and partnerships with workforce initiatives sponsored by entities like the City of Los Angeles and Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation. The local also supports charitable drives and relief efforts coordinated with organizations such as the Motion Picture & Television Fund.
Apprenticeship and upskilling programs align with industry needs driven by companies like Pixar Animation Studios and Warner Animation Group when productions require cross-department collaboration. Safety training often references standards promoted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and local law enforcement agencies during shoots in areas like Venice Beach and Century City.
Criticisms and Controversies
The local has faced criticism typical of trade unions in the entertainment sector, including disputes over hiring practices, dispatch transparency, pension funding similar to controversies seen in organizations like the Teamsters and debates about jurisdiction with other unions such as the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and the Directors Guild of America. Legal challenges and labor complaints have occasionally involved state agencies like the California Labor Commissioner and courts including the United States District Court for the Central District of California.
Controversies have also arisen around working hours and safety protocols in relation to high-profile on-set incidents involving productions from studios like Paramount Pictures and Warner Bros., prompting regulatory scrutiny from bodies such as the California Occupational Safety and Health Administration and prompting internal reforms. Union governance debates mirrored discussions in other locals and national unions regarding transparency, elections, and pension management similar to disputes reported in unions like the AFL–CIO affiliates.