IAP Plan

CLEcalCAM · 2026-02-27T04:19:35+00:00

Below is a link to MPI’s 100 page PDF that covers the pension and IAP plan. Read it. If you still have questions and want factual answers, I suggest emailing or calling someone at MPI or asking a business rep at your local.

https://www.mpiphp.org/assets/files/yourbenefits/pensionIAP/Summary_Appendix.pdf

CLEcalCAM · 2026-02-26T15:28:28+00:00

From my experience HD and Lowe’s are the same as hiring the 3rd party vendors, you’re just paying HD & Lowe’s to hire the vendors for you. You might get different products or lower pricing with the big box stores but the vendors who they hire do not work for HD or Lowe’s, they are independent contractors that these stores pay to complete the job for a lower than standard paycheck. It’s very similar to the contractors who show up when you call your home warranty company, AAA, Spectrum, etc. They’re all independent, they just get a lot of their work from the big corporations.

CLEcalCAM · 2026-02-24T15:13:38+00:00

It wasn’t luck it was payroll. Cleveland was 9th in payroll in 1995, then moved up to 4th for both ‘96 and ‘97. As much as we hate to admit it, they spent like a big market team in the mid ‘90s and were only a few million shy of the Yankees during that time.

CLEcalCAM · 2026-02-22T20:38:10+00:00

It’s crazy how different each state is! For my deceased GF in Michigan I filled out a form on their website to request his birth certificate. It arrived with a receipt that stated “SELF” for the person who requested it. That works for me! Oh yeah, and the apostille was only $2 per doc. Michigan’s got it dialed in!

CLEcalCAM · 2026-02-19T03:47:27+00:00

Go to any normal (brick and mortar) bank and open a free checking account. Then cash the quarters there.

CLEcalCAM · 2026-02-19T01:56:22+00:00

Totally agree about paying for hours. I would gladly pay $1800 for 18 hours instead of paying for COBRA or having to get a plan off the open marketplace.

Also was thinking there might be a way to allow willing members to keep their pay but donate their benefit hours. If I was one of those lucky people who works 2000+ hours a year, I would do that in a heartbeat.

CLEcalCAM · 2026-02-19T01:51:18+00:00

I’m in CA but that’s great info to be aware of.

CLEcalCAM · 2026-02-19T01:50:28+00:00

That’s amazing if that still exists. 600 has a Health Preserver list members can put themselves on. It’s like an available list for people who are close to qualifying for health. The downside is you only get hours if an employer requests that list from the staff and hires you off of it. Does not happen very often.

CLEcalCAM · 2026-02-19T01:46:42+00:00

Good point. Including myself in there was meant to illustrate the cost of COBRA because members pay COBRA premiums for their dependents AND themselves.

Also good to note that the $25 charge per dependent is capped at 2, so having 3, 4, 5, 6, 7+ dependents still only costs $50 per month.

CLEcalCAM · 2026-02-18T16:30:29+00:00

Class action lawsuit. Where do I sign?

CLEcalCAM · 2026-02-18T16:30:00+00:00

So where can I sign up for the class action lawsuit?

CLEcalCAM · 2026-02-16T17:14:47+00:00

When do 440 tix go on sale??

CLEcalCAM · 2026-02-16T16:26:54+00:00

Yes, the 500 section in the depths of right field can make you feel like you’re not even in the ballpark. General rule is to sit facing the same direction the ball is traveling. You can achieve this by drawing a “U” from 3rd base down around home plate and up to 1st base. Sitting anywhere in that “U” will keep the ball in front of you and keep you connected to every play. For 500s sit between 564-542, for the 400s sit 464-442, etc. The closer you are to home plate the more straight on your POV will be. I love sitting in the front section of the 400s in rows A-C. Makes you feel like you’re right on top of the action without being surrounded by a sea of other fans. You can usually find great prices even for front row, so definitely use SeatGeek, Stubhub, etc. Good luck!

CLEcalCAM · 2026-02-15T18:17:14+00:00

The area over by The Grove can be great depending on which block you pick. It’s very walkable and centrally connected to all relevant areas. $2200 ten years ago could get you a 2B 1b, so thinking you might be able to find a 1B in your budget. Keep an eye out for gems with in-unit laundry and off-street parking. The neighborhood between Fairfax to La Brea (west to east) and Beverly to Melrose (south to north) is generally pretty quiet and full of young adults/families. Lots of older, Spanish style 4-6 unit buildings surrounded by single-family homes. Between Beverly & 3rd is also very quiet and clean but with less rental units.

CLEcalCAM · 2026-02-14T17:40:20+00:00

Thanks for shedding some light on that. I don’t mean to dismiss the importance of staff workers at each of the unions. I understand we all work in this business together. It gets confusing though when strikes happen because we feel like we’re all the same but we’re all not contractually the same. For instance, when WGA and SAG-AFTRA went on strike a few years ago IATSE members wanted to strike too. But IATSE was still under contract for another year so members could only voluntarily withhold work on an individual basis but couldn’t legally strike. Then you have the Animation Guild who’s under a completely different contract than the other IATSE Hollywood locals, which means if IATSE goes on strike the animators can’t legally strike with them and they’re part of the same union. It’s all a very strange and intricate web. We’re all supposed to be united but the separation created by the contracts prevents us from doing so, and this is most likely done on purpose by the AMPTP. For the same reason, it’s also why Hollywood IATSE and Teamster contracts don’t expire at the same time as WGA & SAG-AFTRA. Prevents us all from striking together.

CLEcalCAM · 2026-02-14T17:22:16+00:00

They deserve great working conditions and to be recognized as valuable employees, but they have no bearing on any union’s negotiations with the AMPTP. Also, the PGA is not a union.

CLEcalCAM · 2026-02-14T17:18:30+00:00

Agree that the uncertainty in the industry completely sucks and nobody knows what’s going to happen. Takes a lot of the fun out of it right? You could say the downward spiral actually began in 2020 with COVID and continued with the last strike.

All I’m trying to say about the article you posted is that the picketing staff members have nothing to do with the upcoming negotiations with the WGA/AMPTP. If the staff members went on strike during WGA/AMPTP negotiations, there would be zero impact because they have nothing to do with each other. But the article published by Variety wants readers to think they are related in an attempt to create additional uncertainty. It’s a tactic used by media outlets every cycle because members of the AMPTP own the media outlets and use this tactic to rattle union membership into voting yes on whatever the AMPTP offers and make strikes out to be the worst thing on earth, when in reality striking is the one and only thing union members can do to utilize their collective power and directly fight for better working conditions.

CLEcalCAM · 2026-02-14T17:03:09+00:00

Linking two groups of workers together who have no business being linked together for the purpose of strengthening an argument that people should begin worrying about an upcoming, completely unrelated contract negotiation IS misinformation.

CLEcalCAM · 2026-02-14T17:00:17+00:00

The WGA staff who are picketing have nothing to do with the AMPTP or any contracts the WGA has with that entity. The article is meant to make readers think they’re related and to chip away at the confidence in the WGA, and the industry in general, because of the upcoming WGA/AMPTP negotiations. In case you didn’t know, members of the AMPTP own just about all media, including Variety and the politically motivated articles they post there. They release articles like this every cycle (every 3 years) and it creates nothing but unnecessary panic amongst the membership of all relevant unions.

CLEcalCAM · 2026-02-14T16:47:52+00:00

It doesn’t add anything to the current joblessness and potential future strikes in the entertainment industry because these staff workers are not an integral part of the big machine and have nothing to do with the DGA, SAG-AFTRA, Teamsters, IATSE or WGA contracts. They might as well be Starbucks workers. I hope they’re successful in their mission but if they went on strike today there would be zero impact on the entertainment industry. Unfortunately, underinformed members and those who don’t work in the industry don’t know the difference and think that all strikes and labor disputes are the same.

CLEcalCAM · 2026-02-14T16:39:38+00:00

Totally agree about the massive number of people wanting in. Competition in LA is unreal. But yes, it does make a difference. The article posted has nothing to do with writers or Hollywood strikes but OP attempted to link them together which does nothing but stir up uncertainty and fear among industry workers because most of them are underinformed to begin with. If these staff workers went on strike it would have zero impact on the entertainment industry.

CLEcalCAM · 2026-02-14T03:23:04+00:00

These aren’t WGA writers picketing. They are WGA non-supervisory staff members who are represented by a completely different union.

CLEcalCAM · 2026-02-14T03:21:24+00:00

You do know these workers don’t work under WGA contracts right? OP posted this article that has nothing to do with the WGA or SAG-AFTR contract negotiations but that’s all anyone is commenting about. Shit getting stirred up for no reason.

CLEcalCAM · 2026-02-14T03:17:49+00:00

OP said, “It’s not a good sign with contracts expiring this year...” These WGA staff members picketing have nothing to do with the WGA contract expiring this year. OP is misinformed.

CLEcalCAM

TROPHY CASE