The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) announced, on Thursday, that polling for the ratification vote for the agreements reached with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), will begin on November 12, while the results will be announced on November 15.
“Beginning November 12, IATSE members will cast ballots online. Similar to the union’s process for conducting strike authorization, members of 13 local unions on the [US] West Coast will vote on the Basic Agreement and members outside the West Coast, in 23 local unions, will vote on Theatrical and Television Motion Picture Area Standards Agreement,” the statement reads.
The IATSE and the AMPTP, which represents the major studios, producers and streaming services, made the tentative deal earlier this month. The deal, covering 36 local unions and over 60,000 members, brought negotiations between the technicians’ union and the producers’ representatives to a close and averted a nationwide strike.
The ratification vote, that will be conducted simultaneously for both the ASA as well as the Basic Agreement, is the next step in the process.
The new terms include an annual increase of wages by 3%, while the minimum hourly wage will be increased to $26. The deal also provides 54 hours of weekend rest and daily rest periods of 10 hours, among other provisions.
Several members of the union had, however, expressed their unhappiness with the new deal on the grounds that it fails to address some of their core concerns, including longer rest periods and higher raises.
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The trade union, in a statement released last week, acknowledged that there was still work to do to change the culture of the industry, but urged members to vote ‘Yes’ and ratify the tentative agreement in order to “move forward.”
However, many members criticised the trade union for seeking support without disclosing all the terms of the agreement.
Following this, the union said on Thursday that all members will be mailed the “finalised MOA language, agreement summaries, and a ledger of gains.”