Alex Tonisson has been appointed the new national executive director (NED) of IATSE Local 600’s International Cinematographers Guild (ICG). The board appointed Tonisson during the guild’s National Executive Board (NEB) meeting in Manhattan Beach today (6/24).
“After working extensively these past four years with Alex on important member initiatives such as our member orientation and shop steward programs, I know he is going to do a great job as NED, and I’m looking forward to continuing the work of the union with him,” said Baird B. Steptoe, national president of ICG.
Initially hired as the Western region director of the ICG in June 2019, Tonisson is a 19-year veteran of the labor movement, who has been serving as the interim NED since early May, succeeding interim NED Chaim Kantor and former ICG NED Rebecca Rhine.
“I am excited for this opportunity to continue the important work that ICG does, including the crucial support the Guild provides during this industry-wide strike that has impacted so many of our members,” said Tonisson. “During this critical moment of technology-driven change in film and the arts–it’s my honor to represent the best interests of our members who include some of the most brilliant, creative and talented individuals in our industry.”
Prior to joining Local 600, Tonisson served as director of field services for the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE Local 21), co-chair of the Golden Gate Bridge Labor Coalition and was appointed as a Commissioner to the City and County of San Francisco Citizens’ Government Obligation Bond Oversight Committee. He also worked as a sr. political community organizer with the Service Employees International Union (SEIU). In 2004 Tonisson helped pass the Mental Health Services Act as the Northern California field organizer on California’s statewide Proposition 63 campaign.
“Alex’s appointment is a positive step forward for the ICG,” said Chris Silano, national VP of the ICG. “His longstanding history in the labor movement, coupled with his proven success leading the guild in multiple capacities, speaks volumes to how well positioned he is to formally take the reins as our national executive director.”
Working in concert with the NEB and officers of the Guild, Tonisson will be responsible for advancing the best interests of the ICG in a significant period of disruption, change and opportunity for the television and motion picture industry. Tonisson will drive critical negotiations on behalf of ICG and administer the guild’s local agreement with major producers. He will also supervise a full-time staff of more than 65 employees and work closely with other IATSE Local and International chapters to drive progress for the union.
Harvey Weinstein hit with new sex crime charge in New York
Harvey Weinstein pleaded not guilty Wednesday to a new sex crime charge in New York, as he awaits retrial in his landmark #MeToo case.
Details of the new allegations were not immediately available. He was charged with committing a criminal sex act.
The jailed ex-movie mogul has long maintained that any sexual activity was consensual.
Prosecutors revealed last week that Weinstein had been indicted on additional sex crime charges that weren't part of the case that led to his now-overturned 2020 conviction. But the new indictment was sealed until his arraignment.
Prosecutors have said that the grand jury heard evidence of up to three alleged assaults โ two in hotels in the Tribeca neighborhood and one at a lower Manhattan residential building. The purported incidents took place from the mid-2000s to 2016, prosecutors said.
But it's not clear whether any of those allegations underlie the new indictment.
While bracing for the new charges, Weinstein also is awaiting retrial after New York state's highest court this spring overturned his 2020 conviction on rape and sexual assault charges involving two women. The high court, called the Court of Appeals, ordered a new trial, which is tentatively scheduled to begin Nov. 12.
The Court of Appeals ruled that the then-trial judge unfairly allowed testimony against him based on allegations that were not part of the case. That judge's term expired in 2022, and he is no longer on the bench.
Prosecutors have said they'll seek to fold the new charges into the retrial, but Weinstein's lawyers say it should be a separate case.
Weinstein, who also was convicted in 2022 in a Los Angeles rape case, remains behind bars while awaiting his New York retrial.
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