IATSE Organizing Drive Turns Wal-Mart Commercial Production into a Union Set

Picture Vision Pictures, Inc, a Nashville production house, recently signed with the IATSE for the filming of a Wal-Mart TV commercial after an organizing drive and a brief work stoppage.

The success of this organizing drive is significant in that Wal-Mart had previously filmed all of its commercials non-union.  Thanks to this contract signing, a crew of 30 will receive retroactive health and pension benefits and, more importantly, Picture Vision Pictures, Inc is now a signatory to a national contract.

Key to this effort was the close coordination and communication among International Representatives Scott Harbinson and Dan Mahoney, representatives of IATSE Local 492 Studio Mechanics of Tennessee and Northern Mississippi, and International Representative Steve Aredas.

Wal-Mart is famous for being an anti-union employer, and has routinely sought to make its commercials non-union. In fact, Wal-Mart has traditionally produced its own commercials or used commercial companies that fold up when attempts were made to organize them. However, an increasing number of Wal-Mart commercials done by outside companies have been organized by the IATSE and many Wal-Mart commercials are now being crewed by IATSE members.