Fellow Non-Union Soldier & Refugee Extras

Fellow Non-Union Soldier & Refugee Extras,If you believe the conditions and compensation you have been working under are acceptable, please stop reading and continue to go about your work on Noah as you see fit.For those who realize that we are not being treated fairly, compensated justly, and most importantly, working in conditions that are dignified for a major motion picture, I encourage you to read on.Playing a solider or a refugee doesn't mean we should be treated as one. If we do not demand to be treated with the respect we deserve, we will not get it.I will be contacting production (Grant Wilfley Casting) to say I will not be working again unless certain changes are made on the set of Noah. I hope you will sign on and send an email as well, and we will stand together. Together, we can be strong.I enjoy working in such an epic movie and I hope for the opportunity to continue to work on it, but I will no longer let the thrill of being part of this movie result in disregarding what I know to be right.A production of this size cannot continue without hundreds of extras, something they will not be able to replace with such short notice without delaying production. We can use this to our advantage to demand better working conditions. If enough of us refuse to work unless changes are made, they will be forced to meet these reasonable demands. We do not have a union to speak for us, so our best option is to speak as one.They cannot hold up production for a few hundred thousand dollars, the maximum grand total of our collective demands. This is minor for the budget of the movie, but critical for us. A group of dedicated people working together can achieve anything, especially these modest demands.I am interested in your feedback on these demands, so please, let me know your thoughtsI believe these to be reasonable:• No more than an hour working in the cold (below 65 degrees) after being "rained on".• Clothing must be dried before being asked to go back in the cold.• They should have numerous dryers available for all extras, more changing facilities, and well heated tents available for everyone.• An eight hour workday. After 8 hours, time and a half overtime pay from our original base rate at fitting (12.50 for Refugees, Unknown for Soldiers).• An additional $6.25 per hour for night-time shifts from our base rate (any shift that goes through midnight).• An additional $6.25 bump-up per hour for working in the "rain" from our base rate.  To clarify, night and rain work would be an additional $6.25 each per hour for the whole shift, overtime would be in addition to that. An hour of work at night, in the rain, would be $25, overtime would bring the total to $37.50 per hour.• All other current conditions (food, transportation, etc...) continue as is.  These are simple demands. Nothing outrageous. These demands are nothing a hundred million dollar budgeted movie cannot easily afford to meet.Perhaps it was the cold weather Friday evening, and the prospects of cooler weather this week. Perhaps it is the fact I worked 12 hours, all night in the rain, with only a $13 "bump-up" from the base pay, minimum wage. Perhaps it was being told I would be working on days without first being asked in advance. Perhaps it is the fact I have been asked to grow a beard with the expectation of working 17 days in considerably better conditions and higher compensation, at the expense of other opportunities, or maybe it is that numerous days being canceled at the last minute, making my schedule difficult to manage. I imagine you can relate and are likely disgruntled to some extent as I am. I am not interested in just accepting this anymore or simply quitting and walking away. We have a better option.The fact is, we have the power to be treated better, if we choose to use it. Let us stand up, together, for better treatment.For all intents and purposes, they seem short on people, and I believe if enough of us make these demands, we will be successful. Please respond if you intend to join me and participate in this unified demonstration. Email Grant Wilfley - noah@gwcnyc.com - your Check In # and Name, as well as your request for better conditions. Please feel free to use the above list, or add your own. BCC tp@tompainetoday.com on the email, so I can coordinate our efforts. Forwarding any further communication from Grant Wilfrey would also be useful as well.I intend to remain anonymous as an organizer, but participate fully with you in this demonstration. I will keep your communication in the strictest of confidence. This should permit the greatest chance of success. If we speak as one, they will listen.Sorry for emailing you all at this late hour. I have been on a weird schedule from this production. I wrote the above email immediately following Friday/Saturday's shoot, but decided to delay to contemplate and discuss with others to figure out the best way forward before asking for your involvement. I was told by some that so few other extras will risk their employment for better treatment, or that some are so hopefully of "being discovered" these conditions are worth accepting, and that this is destined to fail by lack of interest. I believe they are wrong, but asking you is the only way to find out for sure. I believe that people in similar situations will stand together when the cause is right and just. I hope to have my faith in a better tomorrow for all of us to be proven right.If you have already "confirmed" for Monday through the website, now is just as good a time as any to rethink it and join this cause for better conditions, especially if you are working in the evening. Though it appears many are working day shifts on Monday, the forecast for tomorrow evening in Oyster Bay is expected to be in the low 50s.I hope you have had a nice and warm weekend.Sincerely,Your fellow co-worker "Tom Paine"