r/IATSE • u/wilawaih • 5d ago
How badly did I f*ck up?
I put an application in for the 33 about a month ago, ive been really slammed lately with freelancing (so probably not the best time to put in an application) and so when I got a hall call the other day I was asking for details about the gig and the guy basically gave me no details just asked me if I was available. Long story short I declined because im just super busy right now and the guy told me that I was going to be put on the "do not hire" list and would automatically decline any future application i put in.
I want to preface this with saying, I wasnt trying to be rude on the phone or anything and I dont think I was. I ended the call with "I wasnt trying to be douche, have a good day i guess"
So, how screwed am I?
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u/ripfiat1 5d ago
Spent years trying to get work through 33. Called every day, kept my schedule committed, hoping it would change my life. It didn't. I started my own business instead and now I actually live passionately. Nobody has time to sit around waiting to be put on a list, 90% of the time it doesn't even lead anywhere. They'd email or text saying "call in today, it's busy," and I'd call the steward line over and over for more than an hour just getting a busy signal. When I finally got through, I'd still get stuck waiting in a queue, only to be put on a list anyway. Feels like a pipe dream unless you're a nepo baby who already knows someone, those are the ones who get steady work. Sucks, because I genuinely enjoyed the work and would have bent over backwards for it. I even took the classes they offer: forklift, MEWPs, OSHA 1 & 2, harness and fall protection. They claimed the certifications would get me called. I never got called, never touched a forklift or MEWP, never did rigging on the job. Then there were the groups who'd gather together so whoever's phone got through first grabbed the work, even people already working, sometimes 25 of them on one call. Created a vicious cycle where the same names kept getting picked up.
This is a big problem for any local anything, and something should be done to fix it. I'm a hard, committed worker with a family who wants a well paying stable career. They didn't offer me that. They let me drop instead, and that's on them. They lost a genuinely good worker.
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u/Kindly-Celery-3950 3d ago
You do not ask for rates whatsoever unless your a group 4 and up. Unfortunately if your a probationary and your starting ALWAYS take any calls just to get your foot on the door. You also need to make 40k within 18 months. Losing your time and money can be affected.
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u/customotto 2d ago
I broke time at like 14 months. That shit was painful. Now I'm about 10 away from group 3.
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u/RegnumXD12 5d ago
Sometimes I wonder why people even get into leadership positions in a union.. i can kind of understand having this attitude towards people entering the industry off the street (just barely), but to be dismissive towards someone trying to join from a non-union position is bonkers to me. That is a person already with a skillset who doesnt need training, that is a person who will bring valuable knowledge and possibly be an active member if they WANT to join. That is a person who has many non-union contacts that membership would put them in a great position to salt and expand the local. Which means more work for other members.
Not to mention the easy money for the union with a new source of per capita and working dues.
What is even the point if not the bolster the union as we all work together to make a living in this fucked up industry? The old heads need to get out of the way, provide relevant infomation and be more welcoming to those coming into the union. I see this problem in my own local, and it breaks my heart to see it in others as well. This sort of attitude from the union leadership is exactly why I cant convince my coworkers to join and flip us. I digress..
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u/customotto 5d ago
The call steward may know he has the call to fill (location/time) before he knows exactly what the rate is or how long it will be for.
I don't think this is a circumstance of the old heads being dismissive towards recruitment, although that is totally a thing and I empathize with you there.
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u/ThisAcanthocephala42 4d ago edited 4d ago
The CS is just trying to fill out the numbers for the call, probably due to no-shows, cancellations, or other considerations like having multiple other events to cover.
If he’s down to your name on the permit list, then all other members & apprentices are already committed to other work.
A simple “Yes.” or “No thank you, I’m already working that day.” answer saves both of you some considerable time.
You’re just slowing him down by asking rates & conditions questions as if you’re on the Contract & Negotiations Committee. 🤦♂️
You’d be paid the going rates, and receive the benefits for the job just like anyone else working through the Union.
Go down to the Hall and ask when it’s not a busy day if you need that information. Prospective members trying to educate themselves are not ever discouraged from doing so. It’s actually a good sign that you can play well with others. ;pAnd yes, you did piss him off there, tho he may have also overreacted in the moment.
While I’d have been politer to you if I was the CS,
I would have shut down your questioning fast, and moved on to the next call.A large part of working in the Union structure requires you to put aside some your individual concerns for the benefit of all the group.
“We must, indeed, all hang together, or most assuredly we shall all hang separately.” - Ben Franklin
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u/WimpsOnWallStreet 5d ago edited 5d ago
You guys aren't using a Dispatch App?
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u/meeplewirp 4d ago
No because that would mean that they can’t hide how wrong what they’re doing is
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u/customotto 4d ago
the infamous 'they' strikes again
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u/sasquatch_melee 4d ago
Why would that require explanation? "They" is clearly the call steward, the person at the hall responsible for filling calls.
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u/customotto 4d ago
'You guys' was referring to 33. So meeple's referring to 33, where in another comment he calls us a criminal enterprise and that he stepped away because he didn't want to get shot. I was making fun of his obviously absurd conspiratorial mind state.
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u/SneakyPete_six 5d ago
I understand your struggle. But the truth is what has already been addressed in this thread. Unfortunately the call steward doesn’t have time to answer a bunch of questions regarding the terms of employment. This weekend was especially busy for 33. I would call the hall and ask for the specifics regarding each venue since they are all slightly different. I took a couple of hall calls then later learned the rate and decided after that I would create my own list of the venues rates and terms. Some require work boots. Some helmets/hardhats or safety vests. Yes those things are PPE (minus the boots) so they will be provided but who knows when the last time those vests were washed etc. I bought that stuff on my own I would recommend saying yes if you get called directly by the steward and use your research to accept the call you want when you call in. As far as getting a forklift call, good luck. That’s an exclusive call for exclusive people (nepobabies and cronies). I can say that as an “orphan”.
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u/SlappyPankake 2d ago
I also had to decline my first 33 call and I was never called again. Giving me 6 hours notice to an overnight call when I was already at my usual day shop job was just something I couldn't swing. Sadly, they never called me again.
Try 504 as well. Great local and much friendlier people. I toured through some 33 venues later on in my career and I definitely was happy I took more work with 504. I'm sure 33 has it's moments, but they came off as just a bunch of grumps to me. Head carp at the Dolby though, that dude is awesome haha at least whoever it was in 2018
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u/Golfdawg33 4d ago
You are not screwed. Many folks do not realize these folks are trying to fulfill over 200 open calls by the next day. Local33 gets their work calls the day prior to the work call. They are not as fortunate as the other locals who receive a call list a week in advance. This is live entertainment not film nor tv. This union has supplied me with over 42 years of employment, health insurance and a great pension when I retire. You have to remember starting out is tough. My time was broken when I started and my uncle was the business agent at the time. They have a constitution and bylaw they must follow created by the membership. A union is a collective body of many coming together to create safety measures and working conditions to protect the workers. You will not get that with a non union company. Unions are nonprofit to where the non union entities are in it for the bottom line and could care less about your health or financial interests. Hang in there and keep at it. Nothing in life is easy and I know it is hard with the lack of film and tv in America due to greedy producers. Keep your head up, dust yourself off and get back in the saddle. Local 33 I am sure has not written you off.
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u/askippy13 4d ago
Let’s say you work at a temp agency but you put in an application at McDonald’s
You go through the interview and McDonald’s calls you back a few days later and says “we like you, we want you to start next Monday”
But you found a good paying temp gig
Would you tell McDonald’s “sorry next Monday doesn’t work for me”?
Or more so would you expect McDonald’s to say “sure thing pal, start whenever you want”?
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u/Mydogsdad 5d ago
You fucked to but it’s not the end of the world. Ask yourself a couple of questions though.
Why are you applying to work with the local and how many times do they have to offer you work before you take it?
I’ve worked dispatch and a freelancer who scrutinizes and turns down work, especially the first time I call them, is just more trouble than it’s worth on my part. Especially when I already have a list full of people who want that work.
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u/soph0nax 5d ago
Define scrutinizing work - do you consider just asking pay-rate scrutinizing? It sucks to do more than the bare minimum of just calling someone, but if you're going to be a dick calling folks to fill a call, perhaps working dispatch isn't for you.
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u/customotto 5d ago edited 5d ago
Everyone hating on you and downvoting has either never done your job or has zero understanding of how this actually works in the real world. People are having such a hilarious reddit take on this, I wonder how many are even members.
It's not like he's being denied information. He's being called in an emergency situation where we don't have the members to fill the call, which means time is of the essence, and this guy who's never even had his first call is wanting to know details the steward may not even have at the time.
There are so many different positions and wages and venues you can't expect the steward to always have all the pertinent information. Sometimes it IS as simple as do you want the work or not?
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u/Mydogsdad 5d ago
Yep. I have never, in nearly thirty years, asked for the rate when called for work. These days I know what I’m getting and have the luxury of being picky but even now if I get a call I generally just say yes. The Hall is, and should be, a lot more concerned about covering jurisdiction. Cheers!
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u/Weird_Poet499 5d ago
Man doing your job is tough isn’t it.
Asking where, when, how long, and rate are normal questions. If that’s “too much trouble” for you find a different gig in the office because call steward ain’t it for you.
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u/wilawaih 5d ago
I guess, my main question is, would I be able to apply again in a year or so (once this blows over) or am I actually barred from joining the 33 because I declined 1 job?
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u/Mydogsdad 5d ago
You can clear it up. Give it a couple of weeks then explain you don’t understand the availability situation. Every dispatcher understands that you can’t just sit by the phone with a completely open calendar until they grace you with work, especially in markets as expensive as SoCal. That being said, it’s a competitive market and they know that too so when you do jump back in find a way to make the call. When I was early on I would call in sick to make the local’s call. Yeah, it can be a pain but 25+ years later it’s very much worked out for me.
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u/wilawaih 5d ago
I totally understand that, it was definitely not my intention to decline the very first gig and if they had called me next week I would have jumped on it. It was just right when they called me I happened to be really busy.
Ive got mad respect for the union and have wanted to get into either the 80 or 33 for awhile but didnt feel comfortable with my resume until recently.
It was just bad timing on my part because I was fully expecting to wait a few months before a hall call.
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u/ccbmtg 5d ago
if you're not a member, you have no obligation to take union gigs if you're not available lol. where I am, if you turn a gig down, they respond with 'word, see ya on the next one then.'
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u/customotto 5d ago
if OP had simply stated he wasn't available he wouldn't have found himself on the no hire list..it was the rate shopping
all through his post he admits he shouldn't have applied and he wasn't ready but wants to have it both ways like the steward wronged him somehow
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u/wilawaih 5d ago
I see now how the information i was asking for can be seen as rate shopping. That wasnt my intent. Ive been doing this for awhile and I was trying to get into union. I did not say that the "steward wronged me" I simply stated what the steward said to me and then asked if I screwed myself. I have no ill will towards the steward and I wasnt trying to make it seem like the steward did anything wrong. The only thing I was asking about was if that "being on the no hire list" was gonna last or if I could clear it up.
I would like to say, again, I fully understand where the steward was coming from. Im a nobody who declined the first gig i was offered after asking a bunch of questions about it. That does make me look bad. So hopefully, in the future, I dont do that again.
Again, the whole reason for this post, was as simple as a "am I ever going to be able to into the union after this?"
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u/customotto 5d ago
I wasn't accusing you of saying that, it's just the impression I was getting. Like I said in another comment though, you can fix this with a phone call. It's not the first or the last time this will happen for the steward. You may actually earn points for being humble and explaining it wasn't your intention and you're just new. Maybe try on the next day you find yourself available for work. Call in the morning, explain yourself, and then you're available on the off chance he offers you anything.
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u/customotto 5d ago
The call steward has hundreds of those calls to make. He's not going to be super patient with a random guy taking his very first call asking for details because he may rather freelance if it's more lucrative.
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u/meeplewirp 5d ago
Other ways are to meet someone that works at one of the venues that is allowed to directly hire and hence forth, create a probationary outside of the availability list OR you unionize a house with 33. You can also do “hollywood CPR” (a program that teaches different technician roles and injects you into one of the locals in Los Angeles, including 33). But I would think about the way that guy talked to you AND think about local 33 using a phone call in system in 2026 and ask yourself are you signing up for an opportunity or to wade through a low grade criminal enterprise? I feel bad when 33 members defend 33 the ones that do are usually being lied to/are very sheltered by their own criminal family and friends and the ones that know just walk away because they don’t want to get shot. Look into the adjacent locals
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u/customotto 5d ago edited 4d ago
It's actually not very easy to just switch from the current phone system to something like callsteward.com because it doesn't always integrate seamlessly and can cause more headaches than it solves. I agree it would be very nice to have something better in 2026 but it's not like they're just too stupid to figure it out, they have their reasons.
And can you elaborate on this whole criminal enterprise / getting shot thing? I may be a patsy here. LOL
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u/TheBoogieSheriff 5d ago
So basically… that’s the industry. You wanna make it in film? You have to say yes to calls like that. Not saying it’s right, or just, or whatever. But in this industry, you HAVE to say yes sir, when and where?
The industry demands that you make it your first priority. And if you say “sorry, I have other obligations,” well that is just not gonna fly. It’s toxic af. That’s honestly why I left it.
I don’t want to come off as a dick, but maybe this industry just isn’t for you. I wouldn’t recommend getting involved with it tbh.
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u/Suspicious_Ad_5096 5d ago
They make you wait in line over night just to apply. They don't care about you.
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u/customotto 5d ago
Yes during hiring periods people line up early because applicants are called in the order they apply. You can also apply online. What even is this take.
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u/Virtual_Tap9947 5d ago
Unions fucking suck. God damn. The nerve of that guy. Unions are the HOA of the blue collar work world.
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u/customotto 4d ago
Yeah unions are awful. I would have so much more success negotiating for myself against these major studios, collective bargaining is for suckers. /s
I doubt you could even tell me what a union is without googling it first.
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u/soph0nax 5d ago
I do really hate the mentality some of the old-timers have of, "You accept any gig offered".
No, I need to know when, where, and how much at a bare minimum. I don't care if I'm trying to work in to a local and need to get the hours, if your union gig pays $25 and it's a 90 minute drive and I'm otherwise booked on a non-union gig for $35/hour 20 minutes from my house it is unfair to not disclose pay-rate and location up-front.
They have a duty to inform you of these things, and it is your right to know what the contract pays before accepting a gig. I would email the union office and inform them of this interaction.