IATSE agreement: Hollywood crew members, studios reach tentative contract

Film and television crew members have reached a tentative agreement with major Hollywood studios after months of negotiations, the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers announced Tuesday evening. television.

The resolution came before the current contract expiration date, finally allowing the entertainment industry to breathe a sigh of relief after two marathon strikes led by actors and writers. IATSE's core agreement with Hollywood spans three years and covers some 50,000 artisans primarily based in Los Angeles.

Agreement in Principle Includes Updated Terms Related to Compensation, Pensions and Health Benefits, Work-Life Balance, Job Security, Outsourcing, Streaming Residuals and artificial intelligence.

From start to finish, your contribution was invaluable and brought our negotiating committee to the negotiating table with clear goals and consensus on how to achieve them, the negotiating team said Tuesday. IATSE in a note to members. The ratification schedule will be available soon and we look forward to presenting the complete file to you.

A summary of the agreement will be released in the coming days, followed by a full copy of the document in approximately two weeks. The agreement must then be ratified by union members before the MOU can officially come into effect.

So far, the union has revealed that the agreement includes wage increases of 7%, 4% and 3.5% over a three-year period. It also stipulates that hourly workers are entitled to triple pay whenever the workday exceeds 15 hours, an attempt by the union to dissuade employers from scheduling marathon filming days.

Additionally, on-call employees would receive double pay on the seventh day of the workweek under the new agreement.

The agreement also includes terms related to artificial intelligence, requiring that no employee be required to provide AI prompts in a manner that would result in the displacement of a covered employee, according to Tuesday's announcement.

IATSE and AMPTP returned to the negotiating table this week after failing to reach an agreement in the previous round of general negotiations earlier this month. The last to be negotiated were conditions relating to salaries, pensions and benefits, according to a union source who was not authorized to comment.

IATSE, which advocates for costume designers, makeup artists, hair stylists, cinematographers, set decorators, lighting technicians, camera operators and other artisans, is campaigning for a new contract since the beginning of March. The current union pact with the major studios came into effect in 2021 and was set to expire on July 31, 2024.

As general negotiations on Hollywood's basic agreement approached, the union sought significant wage increases to keep up with inflation, higher penalties for violating rest periods, sick leave and increases in streaming residuals, as well as regulations on outsourcing and AI. The crew members also demanded at least $670 million in funding for their pension and health plans.

Hollywood's low-level workers concluded general negotiations with the AMPTP about seven months after the actors resolved their labor dispute with the entertainment companies.

The repeated walkouts by writers and actors were a devastating blow to workers and employers alike. The resulting production shutdown hampered studio release schedules, while countless actors, writers, and crew members suffered without work.

Since the end of the strikes, production has been slow to resume and many entertainment professionals remain unemployed, particularly in California, amid a long-standing contraction in the brewing industry.

The setback caused largely by corporate overspending during the streaming wars of recent years has manifested itself in decisive corporate mergers, massive layoffs and shrinking production slates.

As such, the IATSE recruitment drive comes at a critical time for the film and television industry. Initially, workers and studios were wary of crew members' negotiations with AMPTP leading to another potential strike.

IATSE has never gone on strike in its long history. Nonetheless, members and allies are preparing for the worst-case scenario. by making a donation cash, groceries, meals, shared rides, child care, temporary housing and other assistance to workers in need.

Before launching its campaign for a contract, IATSE promised that negotiations would result in either a ratification vote or a strike authorization vote.

But it became increasingly clear that the IATSE's relationship with the AMPTP would not result in a walkout once the first phase of negotiations was completed, with separate bargaining sessions tailored to each union's specific concerns. The 13 West Coast studio locals held talks on schedule and without incident.

Following the success of the job-specific negotiations, the sentiment between the union and the studios was conciliatory and productive as the general negotiations approached.

It's civil, IATSE International President Matthew Loeb told the Times in April as trade negotiations were winding down. Everyone wants to avoid a strike.

In anticipation of the latest union offensive, nearly 400 Hollywood actors, writers, directors and producers signed a letter in support of film crew members. Signatories included Quinta Brunson, Mark Ruffalo, Connie Britton, Ryan Coogler, Amy Schumer, Shaka King, Destin Daniel Cretton, Pamela Adlon, Olivia Wilde, Jonathan Groff, Nick Kroll, Lamorne Morris, Lilly Wachowski, Boots Riley, Gina Prince- Bythewood, Natasha Lyonne, Seth Rogen and Kerry Washington.

The letter urged AMPTP to enter into a fair contract that recognizes [crew members] essential contributions to production and allows these behind-the-scenes artists, artisans and craftspeople to live and retire with dignity.

These crew members dedicate their lives to their artistry and departments working long hours in often difficult conditions to bring the stories to life, the letter continued.

Teamsters Local 399, which represents drivers, mechanics, warehouse workers, animal handlers and other tradespeople on film and television sets, is also seeking a new contract and n has not yet concluded an agreement in principle with the AMPTP.