Your Money or Your Life?

Re: Ken Abraham’s letter “Long Days on the Set Mean More Money” (April 19). As a member of International Alliance of Theatrical and Stage Employees Local 705, I wish to offer an additional comment regarding a petition limiting a workday to 14 hours. Brent Hershman was killed on a commute from a location site in Long Beach to his home in West Hills, a drive of at least an hour in the best of traffic. In the 20 years that I have been employed in the entertainment industry, it has been a rarity to have a location site closer than an hour’s drive. Thus, a 14-hour day turns into a 16-hour day.

Abraham suggested that a “resting” facility for crew members might be a solution. For some, yes. But there are crew members who have very little down-time in the course of a day, so such a facility would be useless to them. Abraham is correct in his statement that long days on the set mean more money. Often the money from overtime helps us survive the long periods of little or no work so common in the entertainment industry.

However, it may not be the case for much longer. Since the state Industrial Welfare Commission has repealed the eight-hour day in favor of the federal regulation of overtime after 40 hours, workers will increasingly be pressured to work long hours at a flat rate. Although union members are currently protected, the unions will also face increasing pressure to conform to the 40-hour work week. Moreover, there is a bill wending its way through Congress to repeal the federal 40-hour work week in favor of a 160-hour work month.

In any case, it becomes a question of what is more important: money or life, and the lives of everyone else on the highway.

DEBRA L. WILEY

Inglewood