Member Services

Join Local 479

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Whether transferring into or out of Local 479, your Member Services staff is here to help you with the process. Learn more in the Crew Central section.

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The motion picture industry is more competitive today than at any previous point in history, and it’s up to each member to find work. If you think that you have what it takes to make it in our field take a look at the membership requirements in the Crew Central section of this website.

THE JOURNEYMAN PROCESS

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Journeyman status with Local 479 signifies that a member has accrued a requisite amount of work experience in a craft and can be considered knowledgable in that craft. New members may join as a non-Journeyman, but will eventually achieve Journeyman status and will be charged a fee at that time.

Non-Journeyman – Someone having less than 180 days of production experience. Joining in this capacity allows you to build contacts and experience. When you reach 180 days of work experience you are automatically upgraded to Journeyman status.

Journeyman – Someone having more than 180 days of production experience. You must be able to prove that you have 180 days or more of experience on a set to join at this level.

UNDERSTANDING YOUR STATUS

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There are a variety of reasons why a member might seek to withdraw or rejoin Local 479:

Honorable Withdrawals

A member may withdraw from the local as long as they are in good standing and are fully paid. Simply send a request to the Treasurer/Secretary that you wish to be installed. You will be required to pay back dues UP TO 8 quarters.

Expulsion

Members face expulsion (removal from the membership) if they are more than 2 quarters in arrears.

Reinstatements

Former members may rejoin from either an honorable withdrawl or from an expulsion, provided that they meet the necessary requirements. Send a request to the Treasurer/Secretary, who will contact the IA to determine the amount that you owe.

Reinstatements from Expulsion

Former members who were expelled for being in arrears may petition the Treasurer/Secretary to rejoin the union. Reinstatement requires that the member pays a $100 reinstatement fee PLUS quarterly dues for every quarter missed plus any outstanding amount.

Benefits FAQ
You may not waive coverage under the Fund’s Plan C-1, C-2, or C-3 options. You may only waive an MRP balance if you are enrolled in the MRP Plan on a stand-alone basis. The only advantage to waiving an MRP balance is that this may allow you to qualify for a federal subsidy for coverage purchased through the Marketplace. We cannot offer guidance on this issue, since the subsidy is based on total household income, which is information that this Fund does not have.
Yes, except for the first $150 of employer contributions when you begin to work under a Plan C Collective Bargaining Agreement. Thereafter, contributions made by your employer when you work in covered employment go into your CAPP (Contributions Available for Premium Payments) account. Your CAPP account is central to your eligibility and serves as the payment mechanism for your Plan C benefits.
New employees who have never participated in Plan C before may voluntarily enroll in Plan C once their CAPP account has enough employer contributions to meet the charge for one month of Plan C-2 individual coverage. Please note that this is after the first $150 of employer contributions for new employees is applied to the Health and Welfare Fund’s general assets.
Yes, if, when you reach either the voluntary or automatic enrollment thresholds and you demonstrate to the Fund Office that you have other employer or union sponsored group health coverage that meets the minimum value standards of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) you can use your CAPP account for the Plan C medical reimbursement program. Please remember there is annual quarterly $50 administrative fee and you must provide proof of qualifying other coverage EVERY year along with a signed certification of the ACA requirements by the open enrollment deadline which is typically December 15th to remain enrolled in this coverage option for the next calendar quarter. -- or -- If you and your eligible dependents are enrolled in Plan C-1, C-2 , C-3, or C-4 you are automatically eligible to participate in Plan C-MRP as a supplement to your Plan, provided you have sufficient funds in your account. Plan C-MRP allows you to use “excess funds” in your CAPP account to pay medical, prescription drug, dental and vision expenses that are not paid by the Plan (subject to the administrative charge described next). “Excess funds” means any amount in excess of what is needed to pay the current and next quarter’s CAPP charges for the medical coverage in which you are enrolled (Plan C-1, C-2, C-3 or C4).
The ACA places an annual limit on how much a person is required to pay out-of-pocket for covered services under a health plan. Once a person has met that annual limit, the health plan must cover all covered services at 100% for the rest of the year. While Plans C2 and C3 already contained an out-of-pocket limit, Plans A and C1 did not. And, the limits under Plans C2 and C3 did not include prescription drugs, which now count toward the annual limit starting January 1, 2015. The annual limit includes amounts paid by a participant for all essential benefits: hospital, medical, diagnostic, laboratory, mental health services, covered therapies, prescriptions, etc. (Services not covered by the Plan, such as out of network services under Plans C3 and C4, do not count toward the annual limit). As briefly described above, deductibles, copayments, and co-insurance (percentage) payments are all added together as out-of-pocket monies a participant is spending/cost sharing with the Plan. Once a participant’s spending reaches a certain dollar amount, then all further covered services in that same calendar year are paid at 100%. This means that, after that point, no more out-of-pocket expenses have to be paid by the participant except for non-covered services and out-of-network provider charges that exceed the reasonable and customary dollar amount determined by BlueCross BlueShield (or all out-of-network provider charges if the participant is covered under an in-network-only option). The out-of-pocket limits under Plans A, C1, C2, and C3 are more generous than required by the ACA, that is, the Plans are reimbursing more than is required by law.

Making Your Life Easier

By becoming a member of IATSE you made a decision to work as a professional in the film & television industry, and as a professional you demand benefits to protect your family’s health and to provide for your retirement years. Local 479 recognizes the challenges that our busy members face throughout the year and have provided a dedicated staff and this web resource to ensure that you can find the information you need to help you make the right decisons for you and your family, at any time of the day or night.

Events Calendar

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Office Staff

Member Services

Kaleitha Thomas

Receptionist

Kaleitha is typically the first person you'll meet when you visit or call the office - she also handles all of Local 479’s daily data entry and is an integral part of the compliance team.

Lajuana Scott assists with applications and transfers.

Lajuana Scott

Member Services

Lajuana Scott assists new members with the application process, and handles transfers and withdrawals. She is available during business hours Monday through Friday.

Lauralynn Walsh is the Benefits Coordinator

Lauralyn Walsh

Benefits Coordinator

Lauralyn Walsh assists members with managing their benefits. She routinely helps members negotiate a wide variety of complex rules, regulations and legal requirements, including: qualified child support orders, divorce decree/settlement, 401K Rollovers, assistance with administering pensions and annuities, healthcare paperwork issues, and requirements by the National Benefits Office. Lauralynn is also a certified Notary Public.

Sarah Williams, Accounts Receivable

Sarah Williams

Accounts Receivable

Sarah collects monies owed from non-members and members of other IA locals, and processes new member fees and current member charges. She is responsible for sending out membership cards and quarterly stamps.

Auditing Department

The Auditing Department is responsible for collecting and reviewing all payroll and crew deal information for every union show filmed in the Local 479 jurisdiction. They review all covered craft positions to be certain that employees were paid correctly and received all appropriate additions (such as travel/per diem for distant hires), and confirm that employers properly paid benefit contributions to the National Benefits Fund and that Local 479 has received the correct work dues earnings for all covered craft positions, and bills/credits members as necessary.

Auditor Amy Preast

Amy Preast

Auditor

Amy oversees the audit of each project, reviewing paid benefits and assessments for all covered craft positions, billing and crediting members as necessary. She provides regular reports of discrepancies to the Business Agent.

Brittany Marshall

Auditing Assistant

Brittany assists the Auditor with compliance data collection and review.

Member Dashboard

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Note: the member account section of the Member Dashboard is currently being upgraded.

One of the most useful online tools available to our members is the Member Dashboard, a centralized, individually password-protected repository of information covering your work history as a member of Local 479, from specific production details, to your personal account status and payment history. Upon logging in you will be able to find links to proprietary information about current shows in production, access to specific contracts, and benefit information, as well as Local 479’s E-Board and General Membership meeting minutes. Clicking the “My Account” button will take you to your personal profile, where you can check your standing with Local 479 – pending site upgrades will provide additional data, including:

  • dates and amounts of your 3% assessments and dues fees, with records dating back as far as 2008 for some members.
  • personal contact information
  • standing with Local 479
  • account balance
  • initiation date

Member Media Center

The Member Media Center provides members with computer workstations (Mac and PC) stocked with local & national industry trade magazines (like Variety and The Hollywood Reporter), and features large wall-mounted computer displays listing the latest television and feature film projects currently in production. All workstations are internet connected and can print to a high-quality laser printer. The Member Media Center is a great temporary workspace where you can update and print your resume, conduct online job research, and view videos from previous training classes. This workspace is also available at no charge to members needing access to wi-fi and/or computers and printers for personal use.

Use of Local 479 Facility

Certain rooms of Local 479’s building may be rented by members in good standing for private purposes, like weddings, receptions, parties, and meetings, as long as there is no conflict with existing events. The rental cost depends on the nature and scale of your event, and includes the use of the commercial kitchen. Contact the Local and ask to speak to the office manager for more information.

Member Fitness Center

Many of our members get their workouts by lifting equipment and pushing dollies 12 hours a day, but what happens when you’re between shows and feeling a little flabby? As an additional benefit to our members in good standing, the local has created a fitness center within our office building that is available 24 HOURS, 7 DAYS A WEEK for your use. The Local 479 Fitness Center offers treadmills, ellipticals, and a StairMaster for a varied cardio workout, a fixed weight stack multi-use machine, as well as a dedicated area for stretching and yoga, which includes mats, balls and other equipment, two 24” televisions with cable access and DVD players, men’s and women’s restrooms/changing rooms with showers, a mini fridge, and filtered drinking water.

Substance Abuse Recovery Program

 

Do You Need Help?

If you have realized that you need help for issues that you cannot overcome on your own we want you to know that you are not the only person facing these problems, and that help is available! Need Help Information Sheet (PDF, 127kb)

 

There is Good News! There Is a Solution!

The contact information provided here can be your first step in addressing the issues that you have had no success in dealing with on your own. The people you will be talking to have “been there and done that.” – You will be in good hands.

If it is determined that you need in-house treatment, the IATSE health care does provide up to a 30 day hospital stay! You must have coverage through Empire Blue Cross/Blue Shield for in-house treatment. If you have a different policy, please check with them to see if they will cover in-house treatment for substance abuse.

Please contact me directly if you need guidance as to the best facility for the issue you are dealing with.

I am here to help you! Your privacy is my first concern.

You will be protected.

Billy Deacon,

Director of Local 479 Substance Abuse Recovery Program – (678) 777-6204

Alcoholics Anonymous (aa.org)

Central Office 24/7 (404) 525-3178

 

Georgia Overdose Prevention (GeorgiaOverdosePrevention.org)

Georgia Overdose Prevention Facebook Page (link)

Narcotics Anonymous (na.org)

Midtown Atlanta (404) 795-0355

South Atlanta (404) 447-4957

East Atlanta (678) 405-0840

North Atlanta (678) 405-0825

 

Gamblers Anonymous (gambersanonymous.org)

Georgia Hotline (404) 237-7281

Marietta/Douglasville (404) 641-5327

 

Celebrate Recovery (celebraterecovery.com)

(Faith-based recovery)

 

Overeaters Anonymous (oa.org)

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The Robert Vazquez Scholarship

The Robert Vazquez Scholarship

A scholarship fund has been established to award four (4) scholarships to a member, member’s spouse, child, grandchild or any child of which the member is deemed to be the legal guardian. The member of Local 479 must be in good standing. Additionally, it is the member’s responsibility to make sure they are in good standing. The scholarship is available to qualifying individuals (as stated in the official qualifying rules document issued to members every year) attending a four (4) year university, a two (2) year community/junior college, graduate school, or trade school anywhere in the United States. The scholarship is a onetime payment of $4,000 to each of the four winners. Note that the official qualifying rules may change at any time and supersede information presented on the web. The official qualifying rules are issued to the membership via email during the period in which the scholarship application is open.

Past recipients include:

 

2018 Winners

Eric Gluckman – son of Neil Gluckman

Alexander Stewart – son of Judith Stewart

Nevaeh Warren – daughter of Joshua Warren

Tisharna Besay – daughter of Garfield Besay

Annabella Veenstra – daughter of Jennifer Gingery

 

2017 Winners

Mariah Price – daughter of member Simeon Henderson*

Jamal Copeland – son of member Reginald Copeland

Carissa Oldknow – daughter of members Patrick and Michelle Oldknow

Luke Semones – son of member Ellen Semones

 

2016 Winners

Jennifer Galbreath, member of Local 479

 

2015 Winners

Essy Alberti, daughter of member Fabrice Alberti

 

2014 Winners

Nicholas Olson, son of member Sara Olson

Suggested Mortgage Companies

Local 479 maintains a list of mortgage companies who have demonstrated an understanding of the film/television industry and an ability to underwrite mortgages for our members. These groups should be also able to accept a work dues assessment statement as part of their documentation, helping to speed the process along. Read the entire article Lending Solutions for Members Seeking a Mortgage to learn more.

Bay Equity Home Loans

Megan Speno, Senior Loan Officer
(404) 421-9424
BayEquityHomeLoans.com/atlanta

Good Friend Mortgage, Inc.

Randy Switts
(678) 762-0127
GoodFriendMortgage.biz

Synovus

Todd Allen
(678) 468-3905
Synovus.com

Southeast Mortgage of Georgia

Michele Hicks, Branch Manager – Executive MLO
(678) 613-5012
SoutheastMortgage.com
NMLS #1127576
GA MLO #41675

The Southern Credit Union

Monica Millians
(770) 719-1111
SouthernOnline.org