Posted on: Sunday, September 29, 2002

EDITORIAL
Movie driver feuds are self-defeating

Many in Hawai'i, from state government on down, are putting a great deal of time and effort into making film production a more consistent facet of the state's economy.

There's a lot to make movie and TV production attractive for Hawai'i. It's a clean industry, it leaves a lot of money in its wake, and it promotes Hawai'i as viewers find out that the jungle scenes they see aren't really Africa or Asia, but Kaua'i or Ka'a'awa.

The money doesn't just go to the stars in front of the cameras. For every on-camera performer, there are dozens of support staff — including the movie drivers who are associated with the Teamsters.

A "troublesome" reputation attributed to these drivers clearly has been a factor in keeping the state's participation in this industry from reaching its potential. The record over the years of violence and intimidation includes physical altercations on movie sets, the destruction of expensive equipment and what appears to have been, in 1994, a contract killing. It's hard to fault movie and TV producers for being tempted by more peaceful locations.

The Teamsters union itself has found the drivers diffucult, transferring them several times from local to local. What's particularly unfortunate about the drivers' reputation is that it hurts them as much as it hurts everyone else in the state who hopes to make a living from film.

There's hope, it appears. In their latest transfer, the drivers find themselves members of Local 681 of Honolulu, which represents cement quarry workers. That local is having troubles of its own, unrelated to those of the drivers. But a co-trustee sent to run the local, Ronald Schwab, appears to hold the key to bringing peace to movie sets.

One factor that has contributed to anger among drivers is inconsistency in hiring. Fairness has suffered because truck owners have been able to hire whomever they like.

Schwab has laid down the law: Hiring is to be strictly by seniority. He's even suggested that union benefits might be found for these workers.

It's in the interest of the drivers, as well as the TV and movie industry as a whole here in the Islands, for the drivers to give Schwab a chance. There may have been legitimate reasons for their feuding over the years, but it's selfidefeating and must stop.