In a sharp departure from the worker revolt that roiled Hollywood last year, the latest contract negotiations between major entertainment unions and top studios have gone largely as expected. so far.
West Coast studio locals who make up the International Alliance of Stage Employees, which advocates for film and television workers, have been in separate negotiating sessions with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which represents Disney, over the last month. Netflix, Warner Bros., and other entertainment companies.
These meetings were tailored to the specific concerns of costume designers, hair and make-up artists, set decorators, and other staff members and went off without a hitch.
Now, unions representing so-called bottom-line workers are poised to enter wide-ranging negotiations on Monday towards a basic agreement covering the most pressing items affecting entertainment artisans. This is a major step that could lead to either a new historic agreement or a further halt to work, depending on how negotiations proceed.
“The stakes are very high…certainly given what happened last year,” said Todd Holmes, associate professor of film and television arts at California State University, Northridge.
“It's a difficult environment,” he added. “There is a need for cautious optimism given what is happening individually with respect to crafts, but I think it will still take some time for consensus to emerge.”
Unlike the Screen Actors Guild, National Federation of Television and Radio Artists, and Writers Guild of America, IATSE has never staged a nationwide strike in its 131-year history. But in 2021, crew members overwhelmingly voted to authorize a strike, bringing it closer to fruition. (IATSE and AMPTP ultimately avoided a work stoppage by resolving the conflict just before the strike began.)
A crew strike seems less likely this year. But some speculate that the slow restart of production following the labor actions of screenwriters and actors may be due in part to companies taking safety precautions in anticipation of another shutdown. .
The overlapping strikes of screenwriters and actors have dealt a devastating blow to both sides of the bargaining table, leaving countless staff unemployed for at least six months and already struggling financially due to excessive spending from films. It disrupted the release schedules of entertainment companies. streaming wars.
“Look, people need to work,” said IATSE International President Matthew Loeb. “And as long as our goals are met, the sooner [a deal is struck] Better. … We don't want companies to hold back from greenlighting photos or moving photos. We would like to get our business back on track and recover from last year. ”
In a statement provided to the Times, a studio spokesperson said: “AMPTP is pleased with our progress and remains focused on the immediate task of working with our union partners to reach a fair agreement that keeps our crew members working.”We continue to work without interruption. , we recognize their contributions to our industry. ”
Prior to the start of general negotiations, 13 Hollywood locals entered into tentative agreements with AMPTP based on each group's needs.
Trade-specific agreements fell like dominoes, starting March 22nd with Cinematographers (Local 600), Art Directors (Local 800) and Set Painters (Local 729), and last week with Studio Teachers (Local 884) and Associated Real Estate Craftsmen (Local 729). Local 44). Unions have been tight-lipped about the content of these deals, but craft-specific contracts have historically addressed issues such as editor workflows, camera operating practices and customer working conditions.
Loeb hopes this bodes well for the main focus of the ongoing negotiations.
“It's a civil matter,” Loeb said. “I think their attitude is correct. Everyone wants to avoid a strike. But that doesn't mean there's a foregone conclusion that they will meet our demands.
“This is not a war,” he added. “We're not going to negotiate a strike. We're going to negotiate a contract.”
This wave of negotiations is expected to cover topics such as wages, pensions and health benefits, work-life balance and job security, as well as streaming residuals and artificial intelligence, which emerged as issues during the writer-actor contract campaign. ing.
Holmes said the efficiency of ship-specific negotiations bodes well for negotiations in general. But he said the “tone of settlement” between the parties could “deteriorate or change rapidly” over high-profile issues such as AI.
Terms around pay, subcontracting, work-life balance, and AI can be particularly difficult to settle in general negotiations, with sources close to the studio who were not authorized to comment saying they could be “more difficult.” “problems'' may occur.
In a memo to IATSE members on Monday, business representatives from 13 local countries cited a “more complex and consequential” agenda and said the general phase was “a major challenge ahead.”
IATSE is calling for “substantial” wage increases to keep pace with inflation, stronger penalties for break time violations, stronger sick leave, increased streaming residuals, and regulations on subcontracting and AI. Crew members are also demanding at least $670 million in additional funding for pension and health benefits.
The union said it has no intention of extending regular negotiations beyond July 31, the expiration date of the current contract.
By then, “we hope we can get an agreement to send for ratification,” Loeb said. “But if not, it will be a strike authorization vote.”
The first round of general negotiations is tentatively scheduled for April 29th to May 16th. Loeb said a best-case scenario would result in a solution within two months.
“While the talks so far have been productive, the issues on the general negotiation table are very complex and cannot be resolved overnight, so it will take some time to resolve them.” said a source close to the studio. You are not authorized to comment.
In March, IATSE, Teamsters Local 399, and other unions representing more than 66,000 bottom-line workers hosted a rally at Woodley Park in Encino to launch a simultaneous contract campaign. The event was attended by thousands of industry professionals, including crew members, writers, and actors who had just found success in their own labor campaigns.
“Everybody at AMPTP, they learned their lesson,” Holmes said. “The WGA and SAG fought them hard, but they outlasted them.” [the studios] It was expected. So I think AMPTP is more in negotiation mode than he was a year ago. ”