<div>The issue is whether IATSE Local 306 is calling for a boycott. It sure sounded that way back in June, when they mass picketed the venue's opening.  Small unions don't do such a hot job of getting their message out, or keeping it out, but lefties ought to be the last ones to use or attend proscribed venues--if they are indeed proscribed, and even if the letter got lost in the mail. Last year, there was a UAW boycott of events at the New School. The UAW was trying to organize grad assistants, if memory serves, and wanted the public's help in getting talks back on track. Their boycott call was the best kept secret in NY. But when organizers of a tribute to the late Herb Hill wanted to hold the ceremony at the graduate faculty building, they found out soon enough that the New School was still off-limits. That one at least is over. </div> <div> </div> <div>Perhaps it is my retarded Internet research skills, but I can find nothing on the Web saying what is the current situation viz the IFC. An old-fashioned phone call to the local could confirm Doug's impression that no boycott is called. But saying "the projectionists don't want to be in a union" is pretty weak tea. Rational choice theory, Doug? Surely not. </div> <div> </div> <div>Below is Variety's coverage of the dispute, from back in June.</div> <div> </div> <div>Mike H</div> IATSE Local 306 protests non-union projectionists   By <a href="http://www.variety.com/index.asp?layout=bio&peopleID=1462"> IAN MOHR</a>   NEW YORK -- When the IFC Center, a new state-of-the-art cinema built on the site of the Waverly Theater in Greenwich Village by IFC and parent Cablevision, opened its doors for a gala Thursday night in Gotham, the facility also hosted some unwelcome guests in the form of picketers from IATSE Local 306. According to an IATSE business rep in Gotham, the picketers were on hand to protest IFC's use of non-union projectionists at the facility. The old Waverly had, according to IATSE, two union projectionists on site. "The new owners have refused to bargain, negotiate or even acknowledge the local," IATSE rep Mim Pollack told Daily Variety on Friday. "We used to have two union projectionists employed there. (IFC) has refused to answer our phone calls or letters, so we wanted to bring some attention to this." The gathering of picketers, numbering up to about 15, stood quietly by the far end of a red carpet, skipping any chanting in favor of passing out flyers. Flyers read in part, "Filmmakers -- how will your film be shown? Will it be worthy of your artistic efforts?" The flyer went on to read, "(IFC) has refused to meet with us to negotiate a contract after pledging to be good neighbors here in the Greenwich Village community. They have violated that pledge by tarnishing the century-old working principle of this neighborhood." An IFC spokesperson declined comment on the matter. Union rivals According to Local 306 prexy Michael Goucher, rival downtown arthouses -- including the Landmark Sunshine Cinema, Film Forum and the Angelika Film Center -- all house union projectionists. "We intend to exercise every possible pressure we can," said Goucher of IATSE's intentions. "We want to reach out to the filmmakers themselves. If independent filmmakers won't deal with them, they may have issues. In this political climate, we can't hope a picket line will change minds and hearts." The center is slated to host a June 17 preem of IFC Films' "Me and You and Everyone We Know," by Miranda July, to publicly open the facility.   <div>On 10/13/05, Michael Pollak <<a href="mailto:mpollak@panix.com">mpollak@panix.com</a>> wrote: <blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="PADDING-LEFT: 1ex; MARGIN: 0px 0px 0px 0.8ex; BORDER-LEFT: #ccc 1px solid"> On Wed, 12 Oct 2005, John Mage wrote: > There weren't any pickets the last several times i was on that block, > going back to September. I'm planning to have lunch (unless the weather is > as miserable as it was today) at Pearl Oyster on Friday, and I'll check > again. I noticed last week that the info pickets are still at Garden of > Eden. They come and go.  As I understand it, that's the law with info pickets (i.e., all pickets that aren't part of of a strike): it's illegal for them to be continuous.  I think they have to be gone 3 weeks for every 1 week on, and as time goes on they dwindle to half that if the Garden of Eden is anything to go by. But it would be embarassing if they showed up on the night of Zizek's film. Michael ___________________________________ <a href="http://mailman.lbo-talk.org/mailman/listinfo/lbo-talk">http://mailman.lbo-talk.org/mailman/listinfo/lbo-talk</a> </blockquote></div> -- ________________________________________ `And these words shall then become Like oppression's thundered doom Ringing through each heart and brain, Heard again -- again -- again-- `Rise like Lions after slumber In unvanquishable number-- Shake your chains to earth like dew Which in sleep had fallen on you-- Ye are many -- they are few.' --------Shelley, "The Mask of Anarchy: Written on the Occasion of the Massacre at Manchester" [1819]