It Takes Balls To Drive A Truck On Chicago Film Sets, Lawsuit Claims

[boston bean]

In Saudi Arabia, women aren’t allowed to drive cars. In Chicago, women aren’t allowed to drive trucks—at least not on movie sets. That’s according to a lawsuit filed against Chicago Teamsters Local 727 that claims no woman has been hired to drive a truck on a union film or TV show shot in the Windy City in the local’s 75-year history. That’s tens of thousands of jobs, hundreds of thousands of days worked.

In 2010, Maura Anne Stuart made history by becoming the first female admitted Local 727’s Movie/Trade Show division. Three years later, she filed a sex-discrimination lawsuit against the union claiming she had been shut out of breaking into its Movie/Trade Show Division for several years. The suit was thrown out by a U.S. District Court judge but was recently reinstated by the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals. The trial could begin sometime next year.

Historically, all union driving jobs on films and TV shows shot in Chicago have been performed by the local’s members whose names appear on its Movie/Trade Show Referral List. When production companies come to film in the city – for such TV shows such as Chicago Fire, Mike & Molly and Local 727 logoShameless and films including Divergent, Man Of Steel and the two latest Transformers pics — their transportation coordinators must select their drivers from that list. Deadline has obtained assignment sheets from September and December of 2011 that list the 300 drivers who are members of Local 727’s Movie/Trade Show Division. All the names on the lists are males. According to Stuart’s lawsuit, no woman’s name ever has appeared on the local’s referral or assignment lists.

http://deadline.com/2014/12/chicago-teamsters-lawsuit-women-driving-trucks-film-tv-sets-1201311219/

[niyad]

1. disgusting

[boston bean]

2. It's shocking, heh? nt

[niyad]

3. sadly, not in the least shocking. not even unions are free from misogyny.

Last edited Mon Dec 8, 2014, 12:03 PM - Edit history (1)

[BrotherIvan]

4. Discrimination against women is ALL OVER the crew side

Because many jobs are physically demanding, the old boys don't think women can do it. But things are changing thanks to extremely talented female cinematographers and directors who hire women. But it has existed since the beginning of movies. It's really awful.

[niyad]

5. although not on the crew side, in the beginning, there were some amazing women directors, etc. I

post about them, from time to time.

[BrotherIvan]

7. Yes, in the beginning, women were the norm for many jobs

Interestingly enough, editing was seen as akin to sewing, so all the great editors were women. Of course costume design, makeup and art direction were also where talented women could make a real statement. But the industry sadly is still dominated by men who keep women out, starting with the adolescent,narcissistic, misogynist twits at the top.

[okaawhatever]

6. Good for her. nt