Movie production
union to investigate
grievances against leaderScott Wong was suspended 30 days
over charges he intimidated
fellow IATSE members
Mainland representatives of an international stage and movie production union are expected to arrive tonight to investigate a grievance filed against a leader of the union's local chapter.
Late last week, International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, Local 665, business agent Scott Wong was suspended without pay for 30 days, pending a union grievance trial.
Wong has been the subject of numerous complaints for alleged strong-arm tactics. He said yesterday that the union representatives are coming on his prompting.
Wong said he will be back in the union's offices tomorrow morning to "assist in any inquiries they may have."
He declined to explain the specifics of the grievance, but alleged it was filed by Local 665 President Archie Ahuna a week before Wong received his notice of suspension on Oct. 10.
Wong, who was elected in December 2001, said the grievance stems from a conversation he had with Ahuna about two weeks ago in which he questioned the union president's job performance.
Wong said the grievance accused him of intimidating Ahuna.
"For the local union executive board to deal with this situation in this manner is unheard of and an overkill," he said.
Ahuna would not comment on the grievance or who filed it, but confirmed that the union's mainland representatives would be in town this week.
IATSE, with 380 members, has provided stage hands, motion picture technicians and other specialists for a number of television shows and movies shot in Hawaii.
Most recently, its members have worked for the Fox TV show "American Idol," NBC's "Average Joe," and an infomercial starring David Hasselhoff.
In response to word from the state film commission of numerous complaints against him for alleged strong-arm tactics, Wong said he wanted "to clarify that strong-arm tactics, strange organizing tactics and any other old union tactic that have been mentioned are false."
He said the allegations were "only being used to smear my name for the next union election in December 2004."
State Film Commissioner Donne Dawson has said that Wong is known for tactics "that have been cause for concern among the industry and among his own members."
She said the film office has received numerous complaints from IATSE members, members of International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and producers alleging that Wong has over-asserted IATSE contract jurisdiction and has moved dual card holders to discard their IBEW membership.
Wong said allegations that he had used strong-arm tactics as recently as the "American Idol" audition at Aloha Stadium late last month are untrue.
But he did say he enforced an IATSE-jurisdiction contract during the show's taping.
Wong also said that before he was suspended, he was in the process of investigating complaints against a number of executive board members.
