April 5, 2004

The Honorable Diane Watson
125 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515-0533

Dear Congresswoman Watson:

The International Cinematographers Guild, IATSE Local 600 is a 6,000 member organization representing the finest cinematographers, camera operators, assistants, publicists and still photographers in the world. We received a draft of your letter to Universal Studios regarding its decision to film "Cinderella Man" in Canada on Thursday, March 18, and I presented it to our National Executive Officers at our mid-term meeting, Saturday, March 20. Five of the seven officers were able to attend this meeting, and they voted unanimously not to endorse your letter for the following reasons:

First, you did not consult the International office of the IATSE, the Directors Guild of America, the Screen Actors Guild or Local 600, etc. prior to presenting it as a fait accompli. For your information, for the past three years these organizations have been part of an industrywide coalition that has worked day and night at all levels of government to level the playing field with foreign governments and to increase motion picture and television jobs throughout the United States. Our coalition's most recent victory took place when the State of Illinois passed its landmark wage-based tax incentive bill, a bill that is already providing jobs to hundreds of American workers. The states of Louisiana and New Mexico have also developed into flourishing production centers since passing similar, significant legislation. Local 600 hoped that you would have at least given us a call or requested a meeting with the coalition to discuss the wisdom of drafting a letter to one studio about one of its many films.

Second, based on our investigation of "Cinderella Man," it is highly unlikely Universal Studios will reconsider its decision, given the approximate $10 million difference between shooting "Cinderella Man" in Toronto or a comparable United States location. In addition, New York City's Madison Square Garden, an essential location to this period piece, was not going to be available during the shooting of this film. The most realistic alternative location was Toronto's Maple Leaf Garden. Our executive officers, therefore, concluded that your letter was, to say the least, a bad choice of targets. Perhaps this is why those who have fought the hardest to pass legislation to increase motion picture and television jobs in the United States - Congressmen
Howard Berman, D-Van Nuys; David Dreier, R-Glendora and Adam Schiff, D-Glendale - also chose not to sign your letter.

Third, the best way to narrow the cost differential between producing in the United States and in foreign countries is to support the bi-partisan SB 1637 "Jumpstart Our Business Strength Act" (JOBS). This bill contains important incentives that will create jobs not only for Local 600's members, but also for hundreds of thousands who work in and/or depend on United States-based production.

Please join us in supporting this important legislation. We look forward to meeting with you, the IATSE, Screen Actors Guild, American Federation of Television and Radio Artists and Miguel Contreras, Secretary-Treasurer of the Los Angeles Federation of Labor to discuss this enormously serious issue.

Sincerely,



George Spiro Dibie, ASC
National President

cc: National Executive Board Members, Local 600