As you all know I have been supportive of the performers union, and in that I think performers should have something of a say so in their own future, I still am, but I am seeing problems with the IEAU that trouble me.
For instance, a bit over a week ago, I had an exclusive interview scheduled with the Unions New President Sean Michaels. Sean is someone I have known for many years, he is a good guy and a uniter, just what the fledgling union needs for this position. Sean is well respected, well liked and is not a polarizing person, he is someone I obviously have great respect for. The interview was going to be fair and Sean knew it, I wasn’t going to attack I actually intended to help.
I leaked word of this interview to someone I maybe shouldn’t have and apparently Sean got his wings clipped by the Union and the interview never happened, nor will it at this point. That is a damn shame too because it should have. Apparently the Union wanted a media blackout until this past Monday, when the officers were sworn in.
To anyone in the media “media blackout” means “we are hiding something” and usually that is exactly what is happening. the problem is that porn people are very suspicious of any organization that lacks transparency, look at how The FSC for example, has conducted themselves, no accountability, no transparency, It is structured as a monarchy and you don’t have the right to ask why. That is why performers have overwhelmingly eschewed that organization, and rightly so. sadly the IEAU is taking pages out of that playbook.
Any performer should be able to ask anything about the Union that they are being asked to join and expect an honest and courteous answer, preferably with documentation to back it up and when I look at the situations on social media I am simply not seeing that.
My advice to the union is to sit back and re-examine yourselves, you have gotten further than anyone ever has but you still have a LONG way to go and managing expectations and handling dissent are going to be the difference between success and failure.
4 Responses
The media blackout and cancelled interview says a lot about this new union. Is this how they plan on conducting business on a regular basis? What was going to be said by Sean that they did NOT want folks to know until AFTER the members were sworn in.
This also shows that when you have a president who was ‘appointed,’ not elected, he has no real power. That is what you call a puppet, and somebody else is holding the strings. It’s a shame that Sean would allow himself to be put in the position of a puppet.
It would be a shame for his tenure as inaugural president to be tainted by well intentioned people whose forte is porn instead of professional administration. Something I noticed was a call to join FSC at the OSHA meeting…odd since word is that they are looking for OSHA safety training grant money. Most often grants are doled out to workers trying to bring one or several employers into compliance not work to oppose any/all proposed regulations.
Any company or organization should control their media presence, as a matter of maintaining a consistent message and professional image. A “media blackout” doesn’t fall under either. Whatever the reason was, it will likely be known soon enough.
Back to controlling their media presence… Only certain people, union president for example, should be authorized to speak on behalf of the union. There should be one person, or team, in charge of all official social media posts, and that person/team should be experienced in handling that task for companies/organizations.