Member Services
Join Local 479
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.
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
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
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.
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.
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Office Staff
Member Services
Kaleitha Thomas
ReceptionistKaleitha 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
Member ServicesLajuana Scott assists new members with the application process, and handles transfers and withdrawals. She is available during business hours Monday through Friday.
Lauralyn Walsh
Benefits CoordinatorLauralyn 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 ReceivableSarah 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.
Amy Preast
AuditorAmy 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 AssistantBrittany assists the Auditor with compliance data collection and review.
Member Dashboard
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)
…
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