The Global Media Site for Entertainment.
Menu
After a major concern of low pay and drop of health coverage, adjuncts at USC seek to form a union. Adjunct faculty at USC School of Cinematic Arts were so inspired by joining the picket lines for WGA and SAG-AFTRA, they continued when the opportunity arose at USC. Majority (roughly 75%) of adjunct staff have signed on to join the UAW as they seek benefits, higher pay, better work conditions, expandable careers, and other demands.
The adjunct faculty at USC School of Cinematic Arts initially sought out unionisation in late November last year. The faculty specialise in a variety of subjects including film editing, producing, animation, screenwriting, etc. The faculty staff are claiming the School of Cinematic Arts are preventing them from teaching more than one class to ‘avoid providing health and other benefits.’
It comes as no surprise that adjunct faculty are attempting to unionise and strike after the months-long strikes in America from the WGA and SAG-AFTRA. Many of the faculty members even participated in these strikes and have made it clear they are willing to go on strike again. Adjuncts have also listed issues such as low wages (Adjuncts at USC who teach two classes make around $22,000 per year), gender disparity, lack of diversity, expectation for adjuncts to work unpaid on committees/training, etc. Adjuncts currently make up about 70% of the film school faculty. Many of whom are professionals in Hollywood. The adjunct faculty stated they originally agreed to teach at the school because it helped them qualify for health insurance. With the school not allowing them to teach more than one class, they no longer qualify for these and other benefits.
One of the faculty members who spoke out was Katy Garretson. Katy Garretson, an adjunct faculty member who teaches production, stated:
“SCA has long been held up to the world as the best cinema school anywhere. I’m afraid it may be living on its past reputation because the educators at the cinema school are not being taken care of.”
Katy Garretson has been in the film industry for over 30 years. Her directing credits include: Two Broke Girls, Fuller House, Reba, and many more. She was the fourth woman to receive the Frank Capra Lifetime Achievement Award from the Directors Guild of America back in 2012. She also originally attended USC as a student.
USC School of Cinematic Arts retaliated with a public statement saying:
“[Adjunct faculty] bring a wealth of expertise, experience and currency to the school and enhance our students’ educational experience. We also appreciate and respect the direct, collegial, and cooperative relationship we have with our adjunct professors and their participation in shared governance. We do not believe they need a third party to speak for them. We remain committed to continuing to provide fair compensation and will continue to directly respond to their concerns and needs as they arise.”
Although there have been few public statements made since late last year, the USC Faculty have started a website for their union and will likely be making statements again once the new semester at the school starts.
Janine has always been a part of music and performing. The first show that inspired her to go into theatre was the Velveteen Rabbit which she saw as a child, and Drew works to keep that magic alive in her work. When Drew was accepted into an internship program for audio engineering at a recording studio, she jumped at the opportunity. That was at the start of 2020, and so much has happened since then, both in her career and in the world. Since then, Drew has taken several opportunities to work at recording studios, concerts, festivals, and even large theatres while spending some time on tour. Drew's favorite by far though, has been the chance to work on Broadways and West End shows, as this was a dream come true. Drew is honoured to get to share these experiences from being inside the entertainment industry.
Read Full Profile
© 2021 TheatreArtLife. All rights reserved.
Thank you so much for reading, but you have now reached your free article limit for this month.
Our contributors are currently writing more articles for you to enjoy.
To keep reading, all you have to do is become a subscriber and then you can read unlimited articles anytime.
Your investment will help us continue to ignite connections across the globe in live entertainment and build this community for industry professionals.
