The International Cinematographers Guild has named two new regional directors ahead of its 2024 negotiations, which are set to start in March.
On Tuesday the IATSE Local announced that it had hired Michaella “Micki” Bursalyan as its new Western Region director and promoted John Amman to be its Eastern Region director. “We are fortunate to have two labor leaders like John and Micki step into these important roles as region directors, and I’m looking forward to working with them,” ICG national executive director Alex Tonisson said in a statement. “Their skills and experience will help Local 600 grow and thrive during the upcoming Basic Agreement negotiations and beyond.”
Bursalyan comes to ICG from the sprawling Service Employees International Union, where she worked as a senior field coordinator for the “Together We Rise” campaign fighting right-to-work laws. Before that, she served as a staff director representing public sector workers at the San Diego-based SEIU Local 221 and organizing coordinator for Tucson, Arizona-based SEIU Local 48. She also previously worked in entertainment labor as a television business representative for AFTRA and, later, SAG-AFTRA.
Mark Weingartner, the Dunkirk visual effects director of photography who also serves as a second national vice president of ICG, said in a statement that Bursalyan is a “stalwart of the labor movement.” He added, “She’s experienced, she’s enthusiastic and she’s returning to her roots in our industry.”
Amman, meanwhile, has worked at ICG for 34 years out of its New York office. He has previously worked as assistant Eastern Region director and senior business representative, with a specialty in commercials and multi-camera TV specials contracts, as well as those for other non-theatrical work.
Chris Silano (No Sudden Move), national vice president of the Local, said in a statement that Amman is “an integral part of our community, having earned the respect of our members as well as the productions he has organized. I’m confident his leadership skills will greatly benefit us as we enter an exciting new era.”
Negotiations for IATSE at large are scheduled to begin in early March, a process that will include individual negotiations for ICG and other Locals. ICG bargains on behalf of more than 10,000 cinematographers, camera operators, camera assistants, loaders, utilities, still photographers, digital imaging technicians, video controllers, visual effects supervisors and publicists.
