Unions

[Sawyer]

How many CGA or just architectural rendering unions are there? Anyone here join? People usually have strong opinions on this stuff anyone want to share what they think.

[Jeff Mottle]

Well there are organizations like the ASAI but I've never heard of any Unions for our industry specifically. I hope it stays that way too. In my opinion unions do nothing but promote corruption, lazyness and deters entreprenurialism and creativity.

[Sawyer]

Yeah that was the one I was thinking of. I looked into them and talked about joining but I couldn't really tell what I would get for $170 per year. I know very little about that kind of stuff that is why I want to see if any people have thought on it.

 

Thanks for the feedback Jeff

[Ernest Burden III]

Well there are organizations like the ASAI but I've never heard of any Unions for our industry specifically.

ASAI is a society. They do not have much in common with a Union. I'm not knocking them, just clarifying. Richard Dubrow of AMD is working to raise their stature and I hope he has great success with it. Hey, he may even get me to re-join the group!

 

There IS a union for professional artists in the United States. It is the Graphic Artists Guild. Not only do they act like a union, they really are--United Auto Workers Local 3030. The GAG gag.org is a very supportive, active advocate for all their members. It is a great group run by very dedicated people. I only wish I had the time to be more involved. I actually need to re-new with them. I'm lapsed, shamefully.

 

One thing to note: we illustrators are not allowed by law to enter into collective-bargaining negotiation with the industries we serve--it is looked at as racketeering, price-fixing. The GAG is working to change that.

 

Before you say 'there are no unions for artists' look at the Graphic Artists Guild.

[Jeff Mottle]

I never thought the ASAI was a 'union', not sure if that's what I implied. I know all about Richards efforts. I've even been helping them out a bit on getting their new website figured out. When I hear Union I think the type of corrupt organization that won't let you pick up a piece of paper off the floor becuase that would be talking the job away from the janitor, the kind that has escorts for you as you walked through a contruction site, just in case you did something that would take a job away from someone and the kind that vandalize houses and threaten people when they cross a picket line or go against the 'union way'. We had to deal with unions at SMED both in NY where they were the worst and even in Calgary when they tried to get into our factory and I can't say I have too much good to say about them. 'unions' that act more like associations are cool by me though.