Director Mark Klein’s thriving tabletop company, MK Films, is the latest local production house to become a signatory of Studio Mechanics Local 476.
The agreement was signed Tuesday morning, after 476 president Tom Glynn, business manager Mark Hogan and Local 600’s Justin Conway had staged an informational picket line outside MK Films at 1655 W. Walnut a day earlier.
MK Films’ executive producer Noreen Szeluga was upbeat about her company moving into the union fold. “We’re all charged up about it and feel it’s a step into the future — the right thing to do. We’re growing up,” she said.
Local 476 and MK Films had been talking about a contract for some time without having reached a conclusion. The union warned Klein Sunday night it would picket. The studio said it would not sign anything unless its attorney read the terms and approved it.
“We explained this is the same standard agreement that all companies work with, no negotiation, here’s the deal everyone gets,” said Hogan.
