As a movie enthusiast who has spent countless hours watching the big screen come to life, I find myself both intrigued and somewhat amused by the financial landscape of the Hollywood unions. On one hand, it’s fascinating to see the salaries of labor officials like Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, who led SAG-AFTRA through a historic 118-day strike, reaching millions. Yet, on the other hand, it’s also quite humbling to realize that these figures are dwarfed by the earnings of CEOs in the same industry.
Last year, the head of SAG-AFTRA, Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, received a salary of $1.02 million, which placed him as the ninth highest earning union leader in the United States, based on reports submitted to the Department of Labor.
Labor unions for top-tier athletes, spearheaded by the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA), doled out a whopping $8.2 million in the previous year to their ex-head honcho, DeMaurice Smith.
Among the top eight income earners within the labor sector, six are employed by sports unions such as baseball, basketball, and football. The remaining two individuals, who previously held leadership roles in these unions, received unusually high compensation packages at their time of retirement.
Among the most well-known union heads across the nation are those who preside over the largest unions, yet their annual earnings are significantly lower compared to other high-ranking positions. For instance, Randi Weingarten, head of the American Federation of Teachers, earned approximately $475,000 in the previous year. Similarly, Liz Shuler, president of the AFL-CIO, received around $277,000, while Sean O’Brien, general president of the Teamsters, took home roughly $250,000, and Shawn Fain, president of the United Auto Workers, earned close to $198,000.
To a considerable degree, the wages of labor officials are closely tied to the wages of their union members. Professional athletes hold the title of the highest earning unionized workforce in the nation. While some actors do receive substantial paychecks, the majority of Crabtree-Ireland’s 160,000 members earn only modest amounts from acting.
Crabtree-Ireland experienced a 6.5% increase in his salary compared to the last year, having successfully guided the union during an unprecedented 118-day labor strike.
Last year, Mathis Dunn, who holds the position of associate executive director, exceeded his regular $400,000 salary by earning over a million dollars. This substantial income was due to him cashing out unused vacation days upon his retirement. The entertainment union SAG-AFTRA disclosed their expenses in their LM-2 filing on July 29.
The other above-the-line Hollywood unions also pay their leaders well, by labor standards.
David Young, who was previously in charge at the Writers Guild of America West, recently took a break from work. This was just before the talks that eventually resulted in a writers’ strike. During this time off, he received an annual salary of $860,000, marking the final year of his contract, placing him among the 16 highest-earning union officials across the country.
In the latest financial records submitted by the guild, it is disclosed that Ellen Stutzman, who took over his position, made approximately twice her previous salary as assistant executive director, totaling $680,000 last year.
Russell Hollander, serving as the country’s top leader for the Directors Guild of America, received an annual salary of $775,000.
Workers in the unions operating below-the-line typically receive less pay, which consequently means that union staff members take home more moderate earnings.
Last year, I, as an international president of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, brought in approximately $550,000. On the other hand, Lindsay Dougherty, the secretary-treasurer of the Hollywood branch of the Teamsters, earned around $240,000 for the same period.
Compared to the massive earnings of top media executives, including their salaries, bonuses, stock options, and additional benefits that amount to tens of millions of dollars, the wages of union workers appear relatively modest.
They, too, represent only a small portion of the earnings amassed by Carol Lombardini, the head of the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, who occupies the opposite side of the table during discussions with union representatives.
Her salary was $3.3 million in fiscal 2023, the most recent year available.
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2024-08-28 19:17