After two months at the negotiating table, IATSE and major studios have started talking about artificial intelligence, one of the key hurdles to securing a new deal.
Unions are working to ensure that no jobs are lost due to the introduction of AI. In an update to members Friday night, the union recommended that both sides are “working constructively” on the issue, as well as wages and other working conditions.
Talks on the basic agreement, which covers between 45,000 and 50,000 crew members, began last week and are expected to continue until next Thursday. At that point, it may become clearer whether an agreement can be reached without resorting to strike authorization.
“The goal of these negotiations is to ensure our agreements keep pace with the rapidly evolving entertainment industry,” IATSE International Chairman Matt Loeb said in an update. “In many cases, the language of previous agreements no longer works for our members. We are working constructively with employers to upgrade and align contracts with current working conditions. ”
The deal is set to expire on July 31, and leaders said they hoped a new agreement would be ratified by then. The two countries spent much of last week discussing how to make up for the $670 million shortfall in the upcoming pension and health insurance contracts. The union is seeking a new streaming residual to supplement hourly contributions, which are its main source of funding.
The basic agreement covers 13 local residents based in Los Angeles. The two sides plan to conclude regional standard agreements covering 23 more local residents across the country from May 20th.
This agreement typically complies with the basic agreement in most respects. Negotiations on the zoning standards agreement are scheduled to run until May 31st, with an additional day of negotiations recently added to the May 28th schedule.
The studio reached tentative agreements with each of the 13 West Coast locals in March and April. These agreements cover issues specific to each craft, but do not cover larger items such as pensions, health care funding, or general wage increases. Local organizations include the Motion Picture Editors Guild, the International Cinematographers Guild, and the Art Directors Guild.