Information about the Union that Represents Property People
Local 44 of I. A. T. S. E. has jurisdiction over set decorators, construction coordinators, property masters, special effects, propmakers, property, drapers, floor covers, greens, property sewing persons, and upholsterers who work in the film and television industry.
In order to get into the union, you must work thirty days within a one year period on a union shoot. One way to accomplish this is to work on a non-union film that signs with the union. When the film organization affiliates with the union, everyone working on it becomes eligible for counting days worked as days toward union membership. Another way is to work on a union shoot. You can only do this if the union can’t fill the call for workers with a union person. During busy times for TV and film production, this is sometimes the case. Usually about 150 new people are able to enter the union each year.
You enter the union in one of the particular positions that it has jurisdiction over, but you can then work your way up—for example, from assistant property master to property master. Each jump in position has special requirements, most of them related to working a number of days in the old position. When you enter the union, you must pay an initiation fee that differs for various positions, but for the lower level positions, it is about $4000. After that, you must pay quarterly dues.
The benefits of belonging to the union include excellent life insurance, health insurance, and retirement program. The union also represents its members during disputes and answers questions from union members. Union members can make a good living; it is possible (with overtime) to make over $100,000 a year working in the area of props.
For more information on the union, go to http://www.local44.org/.
