Theatrical Stage Employees Union (IATSE) and the Association of Moving Picture Technicians (AMPTP) have reached a “basic contract” agreement, according to officials with the union.
The iatse strike is a work stoppage that occurred in the United States. The IATSE and the AMPTP have had an agreement for some time, but it has not yet been ratified by all of the unions.
(CBSLA/AP) LOS ANGELES — After months of negotiations, the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers are said to have struck an agreement.
IATSE members voted 98.6 percent in favor of a strike authorization ballot earlier this month. It was scheduled for Monday, October 18th.
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While the IATSE said that the two parties had reached an agreement on a “basic contract,” they warned that there are still secondary issues to be worked out and agreed upon.
A strike would have resulted in 60,000 behind-the-scenes employees walking off the job, halting production in Hollywood and throughout the United States.
Representatives from the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees and the studios and entertainment companies that employ them reached a three-year contract agreement before a Monday strike deadline, averting a major setback for an industry that had just returned to work following long pandemic shutdowns.
Cassie Lyons, a make-up artist in Los Angeles, said she’s cautiously hopeful and breathed a sense of relief when the news broke on Saturday.
“The people of the United States of America who watch Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon want their programming. They’re eager for it, and there’s a lot of it out there. As a result, it’s past time for these new media companies to pay their fair share,” Lyons added.
The Associated Press verified the deal with Jarryd Gonzales, a spokeswoman for the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which represents studios and other entertainment firms in talks.
The preliminary deal must still be approved by the union’s members, according to an IATSE statement, which includes:
- Achieving a livable wage for the poorest members of society
- Wages and working conditions for streamers have improved.
- Annual pay increases of 3% are retroactive.
- Penalties for missing meals have been increased.
- 10 hours of relaxation each day, with no exceptions
- 54-hour weekend rest periods
- The Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday Holiday has been introduced to the calendar.
- Adoption of programs promoting diversity, equality, and inclusion
“This strike brought to light the requirements of what you could term ‘Hollywood’s vital employees,’ frontline workers who perform the job that has to be done,” said Cynthia Littleton, Variety’s co-editor in chief. “I believe it was extremely representative of the nation and culture at the time.”
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Streaming services are well-established companies today, according to Jason Squire, a professor at the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts and editor of the “Movie Business” book, and it’s past time that employees on these projects be paid a decent salary.
“Well, by golly, it’s definitely taken hold.” “It’s long past time to enhance pay and working conditions for everyone, particularly those who work on streaming goods,” Squire added.
The strike’s consequences would have been immediate, with workers walking off the job not just on long-term projects but also on daily programs such as network chat shows.
Cinematographers, camera operators, set designers, carpenters, hair and makeup artists, and many more are represented by the union.
Previous contracts, according to union members, enabled their employers to compel them to work excessive hours and deny them adequate rest in the form of meal breaks and enough time off between shifts. According to leaders, the lowest-paid artisans are given unlivable rates, and streaming companies like as Netflix, Apple, and Amazon are permitted to labor people even harder for less money.
The union announced on Oct. 4 that its members had overwhelmingly voted to authorize a strike, causing widespread concern in the industry, but IATSE and the AMPTP quickly restarted talks.
When discussions stalled on Wednesday, a Monday strike deadline was set, but the union claimed following talks were constructive.
It would have been the first national strike in the IATSE’s 128-year existence, affecting not just the Los Angeles region and New York, but also emerging production centers such as Georgia, New Mexico, and Colorado.
Octavia Spencer, Mindy Kaling, and Jane Fonda were among the celebrities who came out in support of the union’s demands during the talks. Steven Spielberg, Christopher Nolan, Barry Jenkins, Ron Howard, and Ava DuVernay all signed a statement of support from the Directors Guild of America.
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(CBS Broadcasting Inc., Copyright 2021, All Rights Reserved.) This article was written with the help of the Associated Press.)