MPC 705 has many benefits of membership. In addition to negotiating and enforcing our contracts, our union provides community, skills training, and help with navigating the complex world of working in the entertainment industry. We maintain an Availability List that increases your chance of getting a job. We publish newsletters and e-mail blasts to keep you informed. We visit worksites to make sure members have safe working conditions. We file grievances against companies who violate your contract. We have a fund that offers hardship grants and pays a death benefit to your loved ones when you pass on.

No. While our health and pension benefits are top notch, they require a certain number of worked hours to qualify and maintain eligibilty.  We negotiate to improve these benefits, and work to create more union jobs that increase the likelihood of qualifying for them.

No, MPC 705 does not place members directly in jobs. Many unions operate something called a “hiring hall” and they dispatch members to jobs based on seniority or other factors. However, MPC 705 uses a system that maximizes options to build a team with the right creative skills, rather than a system of seniority. The Industry Experience Roster tracks all members who are qualified to work in each field. Producers may hire anyone on that roster who is eligible for the position to be filled.

Yes, you can work on a non-union production after you become a member. However, if hired on a non-union production, you are required to report that work to the Local. This makes it more likely we can organize the project and “flip” it to a union contract. As a member, you must cooperate if or when the IATSE representatives come to organize the project.

Be aware, when working on non-union projects, MPC 705 will not be able to assist you if you have any contractual or safety issues with the production, and nothing will be contributed to your pension, nor hours paid into your healthcare.

MPC 705 initiation fees are quite low compared to the other Hollywood Locals, but depend on classification and pathway into the union. Please contact the Business Office for more specifics.

Dues are paid quarterly (every 3 months) and are based on 4 hours of work at the contract rate, or the member’s classification, whichever is higher. In addition to dues, members also pay a “Per Capita” fee set by the IATSE, as well as dues to other affiliates.  Members also pay various assessments, including the Death Benefit Fund, which provides members’ beneficiaries a payment upon their passing. For more specific information, please contact the Business Office.

Yes. Even when you aren’t working, the union is still working for you. If your finances are tight, MPC 705 has ways to help, and information about financial assistance is available to members.  

When you become a member, you will be placed in the classification you had been working in. We have rules governed by our Constitution & By-Laws, as well as our contracts, that limit certain job positions to specific classifications. Most notably, members may not be “Custom Made Costumers” and “Finished Costumers” interchangeably under most of our contracts.