Isle movie drivers
join Local 681

Officials say that a seniority hiring system
will be used in Hawaii

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By Tim Ryan
tryan@starbulletin.com

Hawaii Teamsters who drive vehicles for film and television productions have merged into a larger union branch here in a move union executives say will save money, provide members better service and quickly settle disputes.

The 65 members of Local 63 joined the 300-member sand and gravel drivers Local 681, headed by co-trustee Mel Kahele, on Sept. 20.

In a meeting last month, the drivers also were put on notice of a seniority hiring system to begin Sunday.

Seniority hiring will provide workers security and end internal disputes on hiring practices, said Leo T. Reed, secretary-treasurer of Teamsters Local 399 in North Hollywood. In the past, producers would select drivers from a Teamsters list.

The other trustee appointed by Teamsters President James Hoffa to oversee the movie drivers is Ron Schwab, international representative for the motion picture and theatrical trade division.

Schwab told the drivers in the September meeting that union troublemakers will not be tolerated and could be expelled for continued problems.

Schwab returns to Honolulu for a week beginning Thursday to meet with drivers and local union officials to explain the new hiring system and other "rules of procedure," Schwab said.

The drivers were transferred a year ago from Reed's Local 399 in Southern California to Local 63 in Rialto, Calif., in part to eliminate nepotism charges about hiring.

Reed, who was born on Oahu, has relatives in the drivers union, but with as many as 29 years in the production business.

With the seniority system, "no one can say Leo Reed is using favoritism by putting his relatives in there," Reed said.

According to Reed, Hoffa ordered the change from Los Angeles to Hawaii representation because he wanted the Hawaii members' concerns and disputes settled, and "bad apples" dealt with quickly. In the past, Reed or other Local 399 officials had to travel to Hawaii to meet with members to resolve issues.

"These drivers now will be better serviced by a local in Hawaii," Reed said. "If there's a problem, the business agent there can visit the set immediately."

Hawaii Teamster drivers complained for years of nepotism, claiming they were denied jobs because production companies brought Los Angeles Teamsters to Hawaii to work.

"When producers had the choice, they would select their favorites, and some of the old timers ... wouldn't work, and that's unfair," Reed said.

A Teamster driver with more than 20 years' experience here said the seniority system should have been invoked in Hawaii "a long time ago."

"There've been charges of favoritism for years," said the man, who requested anonymity. "I've seen it, all the drivers have seen it, but I wasn't going to say nothing and risk not being hired on the next job."

"The younger guys aren't going to be happy," said another driver, who also did not want to be identified. "Some of these guys have had power and weren't afraid to use it to get work. They're not going to just accept this. The union better be strong for it to work."

Hawaii will be one of only two states including California in Reed's 13-Western-state jurisdiction that will use the seniority system, he said.

"We look at these changes along the lines of economic development," Schwab said. "The motion picture industry is about making money. Productions are good for tourism, good for the state's economy, good for hotels, all a positive thing. And we believe all our members should have an equal bite of that apple."

Reed said he has already notified the Motion Picture & Television Producers Association that the seniority system will be used here by November. "The system will do the hiring," Reed said.

Donne Dawson, Hawaii Film Office manager, praised the Teamsters' move.

"It's in the best interests of the Teamsters' drivers in Hawaii and critically important to the state's film industry," she said.

"It's another message to Hollywood that Hawaii's past union issues are behind us, and the Teamsters are proving this."