Important message for all members and referents:

We cannot stress enough how important it is for every member and referent to read and adhere to the message below. While this may come as “new” information to some, it has always been in place and will continue to be in place.

Personal relationships are private and as such it is none of our business who is sleeping with who. If it is regarding you, and your significant other then, please leave it at home. There should be no comments on who you think (or know) is sleeping with who at work. There is simply no place for this in the workplace.

There is no acceptable situation for any comments to be made regarding a person’s appearance unless it is pertaining to the dress code and that conversation should be had by a department head.  Your opinions on someone’s body (or body parts) should be kept to yourself.  If you feel the comment is considered flattering, it still should not be said.

You should refer to someone by name, title, or stated pronoun.

Purposefully continuing to touch someone after they have requested you to stop is considered harassment regardless of your intent. No means no. From time-to-time physical contact with another worker will happen given our jobs however everyone should feel comfortable and safe at our workplace.

Innuendos are not appropriate in the workplace and should be kept to yourself. Any thought you may have that could imply a sexual act are not acceptable.

Saying or acting in these ways could result in you not working in the future. This is not a threat but a reality of what could happen. We do not want to see anyone out of work for something they did not have to say or do.

Local 26 does not tolerate retaliation for complaints and if you are found guilty of retaliation you could be barred from the local.

The employer may take their own action in all workplace rules/laws.  We will always represent our members and referents to make sure all punishments are fair, for just cause, and proportionate to the offense.

If you have any question as to if any actions could violate the above guidelines, please reach out to any department head/steward, the employer, the local’s office, the executive board, or the international at the soonest time you feel safe to speak to someone about it.  If you need to remove yourself from the situation to feel safe do so, but do not leave the job site.

Local 26 is taking steps to stop sexual harassment in the workplace.

If you feel unsafe in our workplace because of the actions of an individual, please do not hesitate to reach out to the Department Heads, the Employer, Executive Board or the IATSE’s Hotline 844-422-9273. If you have travelled outside of our jurisdiction to work for another Local, the hotline or the IATSE Safety app can connect you with the leadership of that jurisdiction. It is available through the Apple and Android.

We want every referent and member to have a safe place to work.

IATSE Local 26’s nondiscrimination and misconduct policies apply to all members, referents, probationary referents, and office staff. Stagehands refers to this collective group. We cannot stress enough how important it is for everyone to feel safe, respected, and protected by Local 26.

Misconduct will not be tolerated be it from a stagehand, Employer, Vendor, or anyone else on the jobsite.  Local 26 will not tolerate retaliation against anyone who, in good faith, reports or provides information about suspected misconduct.

Any stagehand who retaliates against anyone involved in an investigation will be subjected to disciplinary action, up to and including removal from the Referral List.

Sexual Harassment, Discrimination, and Misconduct should be reported as the safety issues that they are.

The following is a list of FAQ. We will do our best to update as more questions arise.

Sisters, Brothers, Kin –

The last few days have been difficult for our kin in Puerto Rico. The devastation caused by Hurricane Fiona in has left many needing supplies as they start to recover.

If you are able to contribute to our union family as they start the long process of rebuilding, the AFL-CIO has provided a list of supplies needed below.

Thank you all for your generosity and support in these hurricane relief efforts for our union family.

Here are the most urgently needed Items, NOT AVAILABLE ON THE ISLAND:

*All items should be new and in the original packaging

General:

• Inflatable mattresses
• Linens (bed sheets)
• Towels
• Toilet paper
• Paper towels
• Solar lanterns
• All batteries, but especially “D”
• Solar or battery fans – small
• Gasoline containers
• Insect repellant
• Portable power generators
• Propane tanks
• Canvas and other union convention bags for distributing items

Adult Items:

• Medical alcohol
• Hand sanitizer
• First aid kits

Children’s Items:

• Baby formula
• Child safe insect repellent

Cleaning Supplies:

• Bleach
• Cleaning kits (flooding)
• Gloves
• Spray pumps

IATSE Local 26 will ship any donations collected at our venues or our Local’s office at 931 Bridge St NW Grand Rapids MI 49504.

All items should be new and in the original packaging, and may be shipped or delivered to one of the following locations, being operated by members of the Seafarers International Union:

Monetary Donations:

Disaster relief donations should be made payable to the “Walsh/Di Tolla/Spivak Foundation” and mailed to:

The Walsh/Di Tolla/Spivak Foundation c/o IATSE
207 W. 25th St., 4th Fl.
New York, NY 10001

In Solidarity,

Team IATSE

Painted Puerto Rico state flag on uprooted tree in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

What is health insurance?

It seems like this is a silly question, but it’s really not. Health insurance is something everyone should have, many people need, and not everyone has access to. It’s a contract typically between an employer and an insurance company under which employees can have various medical procedures paid in part by the insurance company in exchange for paying a set amount for the policy.

Clear as mud, right? Let’s try to make that easier. We are going to concentrate on employer policies in this series since that is where the workers of Local 26 get their insurance, although there are certainly individually purchased policies as well.

Insurance companies offer a wide variety of options to employers to choose when putting together a benefit package for their employees. Depending on what choices the employer makes, those options are bundled into policies employees can choose during open enrollment or after a significant life event (birth, death, adoption, marriage, etc.). The insurance company does not tell the employer which options they may choose; all options are on the table. It just depends on how much an employer is willing to offer (and of course how much they are willing to pay) for those options.

Once an employer chooses which benefit package(s) they are going to offer their employees, the employee is given a list of those packages from which to choose. Some include nothing but medical (both doctors and facilities), some also add prescription, vision, dental, and/or hearing coverage. Usually adding more options to a policy costs more for the employee. The employer determines how much each employee will pay for their insurance premium and how much the employer is willing to pay on the employee’s behalf. Under union-negotiated collective bargaining agreements, usually those amounts are a large part of negotiations in addition to wages and working conditions.

Premiums can be either entirely employer contributed (as is the case with most of Local 26’s agreements) or partially paid by employees either through payroll deduction or direct payment. Sometimes it’s a combination of both such as when employer contributions do not equal the price of a premium, as often happens with stagehands.

Many factors go into determining how much your health insurance premium will be. Not all factors affect all premiums, especially in union-negotiated contracts. But certainly state and federal laws, what type of insurance, employer size, state and county of residence, and plan type are factors. As all prices change depending on those factors, so too does the cost of insurance.

Another factor is often what deductible a policy carries. High deductible policies tend to carry much lower premiums. This is because the employee takes the risk that they will not end up needing to use their health insurance for much so they pay less for the policy in exchange for having to pay more medical expenses out of pocket. On the flip side, policies with a high premium typically have a lower deductible. These policies are good for those who know they will have considerable medical expense and won’t be able to afford much up front.

It’s important to note the employer also determines what packages they offer will charge for a deductible. They also choose how much of a percentage in coinsurance an employee pays, and how much their out of pocket maximum will be per year.

I’m throwing too many phrases out there that many folks don’t understand. Let me put this simply:

Premium = how much it costs for your insurance policy.

Deductible = how much you pay for medical expenses up front before your health insurance starts paying anything.

Coinsurance = the percentage split between your responsibility and what the insurance company pays.

Out of Pocket Maximum = The highest amount you will pay for medical expenses in a calendar year, after which your insurance company pays everything.

Those are very simplified and of course there are factors that affect them as well, but they are the basic definitions.

For example: Sally Smith has an insurance policy, and their premium is $1300 per quarter. That is how much Sally must pay (or their employer must contribute) in order for them to have insurance coverage every three months.

Sally’s deductible is $1000, meaning the first $1000 of any medical services Sally receives must be paid by them entirely with no help from their insurance.

Once that deductible is met, Sally’s policy becomes 80/20. This means Sally’s insurance company pays 80% of medical expenses and Sally is responsible for 20%.

Sally’s out of pocket maximum is $3000. This means Sally continues to pay 20% of all medical expenses until they have paid a total of $3000 for all medical services received that year. Once that out of pocket maximum is met, Sally’s insurance company pays 100% of medical services until January 1st of the next year. On January 1st, all those numbers are reset to zero and Sally must once again meet the deductible before insurance starts paying, and so on.

Another term you need to know is Copay. A copay is a set amount of money for specific services. For example, a doctor’s office visit carries a $30 copay. Copays are entirely your responsibility until you reach your out of pocket maximum for the year and are not figured into deductible or coinsurance. So in our Sally example above, Sally will pay a $30 copay for each doctor’s visit they have until they meet their out of pocket maximum.

While copays do not contribute to deductible or coinsurance, they DO contribute to out of pocket maximum in most cases. So it’s entirely possible Sally will not have to pay 20% of ALL medical services if they have numerous copays that contribute to their out of pocket maximum.

Altogether, the deductible, coinsurance, copays, and out of pocket maximum are called Cost Share. Simple way to think of it: Cost Share is the amount an employee is responsible for paying for their medical services.

Another important thing to know is the difference between In Network providers and Out of Network providers. In Network providers (doctors, facilities, etc.) have agreed to accept an insurance company’s negotiated discount as full payment for their services. Out of Network providers are under no obligation to accept the lesser amount as full payment.

For example: Sally goes to an in network doctor. That doctor charges $350 for the services performed, but Sally’s insurance company has negotiated with the doctor for a maximum payment of $175. The most that doctor can legally be paid for those services is $175, and they cannot bill anyone for the remaining $175.

If, however, Sally went to an out of network doctor, the rules change. The doctor will still charge $350 for the services, and Sally’s insurance will still allow a maximum payment of $175. That stays the same. But the doctor can then bill Sally for the remaining $175 and they will be responsible for paying it.

This is the difference between Charged Amount and Allowed Amount.

Charged Amount = what a provider charges for a medical service.

Allowed Amount = what an insurance company is willing to pay for that service.

In network providers must accept the allowed amount as full payment. Out of network (also known as non-participating) providers can balance bill (also known as surprise bill) the patient for the remainder.

It is always best to go to in network providers whenever possible. You will be guaranteed the best available rates that way with no surprise bills later. A person’s cost share is figured on the insurance company’s allowed amounts for services. There are typically higher dollar amounts for deductible and a higher percentage of coinsurance out of network as well.

Using our Sally example, their in-network deductible is $1000, but their out of network deductible could be $2500. Their in-network coinsurance is 80/20, but their out of network coinsurance could be 60/40. And their out of pocket maximum could be anything including not having a maximum at all out of network.

The last thing I want to touch on today is the information you should have available when contacting your health insurance company about benefits or claims.

ALWAYS have your insurance card with you when you call! Under very stringent federal and other privacy laws (I’m sure you’ve heard of HIPAA), they must verify who they are speaking with to determine how much, if any, information can be given. They are absolutely not allowed to discuss more than general information with anyone unless you give your express permission, even your spouse. Some aspects of your medical treatment (sexually transmitted diseases, pregnancy-related services, mental health and substance abuse treatment to name the most common) they are not allowed to discuss with anyone but you period. You can give your permission to discuss those things, but it will have to be done on each phone call.

They will need your subscriber ID (sometimes called an enrollee ID), full name, birth date, address and/or ZIP code, and a phone number where you can be reached. If you are calling about someone else on your policy, they will need their full name and birthdate as well. They need this before they can even see your policy to answer questions. Conveniently, the number you need to call to ask questions is located on your card, so you’ll probably have it out anyway.

Depending on what you’re asking, they will need further information, but I’ll get into that in future posts in this series. The goal is not to overwhelm anyone with information, but to make it easier to understand health insurance!

IATSE Local 26 and ASM Global are committed to the safety of workers. We encourage everyone to get vaccinated against COVID-19 and to make smart choices to stay healthy.

Employers have the right to require vaccinations, make reasonable safety rules, and enforce said rules. The Union will make sure Employers’ requirements are reasonable and workers are given adequate notice to comply. Choosing not to meet those requirements is choosing not to work for that employer.

SMG (and its parent company ASM Global) has communicated the following protocols. The Union expects everyone we refer to work for them to comply.

Updated August 13, 2021

Attention all Grand Rapids Staff!!

With the new recommendations from the Kent County Health Department regarding masks, SMG is reinstating the mask requirement for all staff regardless of your vaccination status.

Until further notice, all staff must wear a face covering (properly worn over mouth and nose) while in the facilities.

Anyone not following this change in policy will be subject to disciplinary action.  Don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions.

Any Team Members who are not registered as fully vaccinated with their local Human Resources Department are required to complete the daily health questionnaire.

• Survey must be completed BEFORE entry.
• Survey must be filled out 1hr – 12hr’s before each shift.

In order to be considered registered as fully vaccinated with your local Human Resources Department, Team Members must provide proof of their vaccination status or self-attest be being vaccinated AND ASM Global must maintain a physical record of this documentation. As such, ASM Global’s venue level Human Resources Departments will now be allowed to maintain confidential records of Team Members vaccination status if the Team Member chooses to disclose it.

Brief Q&A below for further clarity:

ASM Global will continue to closely monitor the COVID-19 public health guidance and update our direction as needed. Please note, ASM Global reserves the right to change or modify this policy at any time to effectively address an outbreak and / or in accordance with CDC, State or local guidance.

Please contact the Local at mail@iatse26.org with any questions or for assistance with registering your vaccination status.

Safety is always our first priority. When it comes to containing the coronavirus, we have no margin of error. We understand that a single person contracting the virus could shut down a production. As we are just getting back to work, we don’t want you to miss out because you are home sick.

We will inform you of COVID-19 work requirements with every job offer. Choosing not to meet the requirements is choosing not to work for an employer. Employers are legally allowed to require vaccinations, require COVID-19 testing, limit movement in a building, take temperatures, provide health surveys, make reasonable safety rules, and enforce said rules. The Union will make sure Employers’ requirements are reasonable and workers are given adequate notice to comply. When we are informed before the call, they will be listed on the event page on callsteward.com. It is the employers’ responsibility to provide gloves and sanitizing products when necessary. It is your responsibility to use them.

Workers who claim exemptions should be prepared to provide documentation of their need for exemption. This may be a letter from a doctor regarding a documented medical condition or a bona fide religious belief.

Labor Unions are not allowed to keep records of proof of vaccination or documentation to justify a waiver. It is up to you as the individual employee to provide the proof to each Employer. The Union will provide contact information for the Employer representative responsible for tracking vaccinations. Whenever possible we will provide that contact prior to a call to avoid delays at the worksite while information is collected.

We are allowed to track who has provided proof of vaccination to employers. Please do not disrespect your coworkers and their loved ones by violating safety requirements. We will take dishonesty and disobedience very seriously.

Employers rules will range from no COVID protocols to fully vaccinated and wearing masks. Rules for vaccinated workers may be different for vaccinated vs non-vaccinated people. We encourage you to take precautions and make decisions based on your level of risk.

If an employer requires a face mask, then you must wear the face mask. This means a tightly woven cloth or other multi-layer absorbent material that closely covers an individual’s mouth and nose. Scarves, ski masks, balaclavas, neck gaiters, plastic masks, and chin shields do not provide sufficient protection and are not considered “face masks”.

Important Ways to Slow the Spread from the CDC

• Wear a mask that covers your nose and mouth to help protect yourself and others.
• Stay 6 feet apart from others who don’t live with you.
• Get a COVID-19 vaccine when it is available to you.
• Avoid crowds and poorly ventilated indoor spaces.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water. Use hand sanitizer if soap and water aren’t available.