Several members of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) might vote against ratifying the agreement the organisation recently reached with producers. Members say the tentative agreeement fails to address some of their core concerns including longer rest periods and higher raises.
The IATSE and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) reached a tentative three-year agreement, on October 16, averting a nationwide strike of technicians, and workers on film and television productions.
The agreement, that affects 40,000 film and television workers, covered under the Basic and the Videotape Agreements, provides 54 hours of weekend rest periods, daily rest periods of 10 hours, and an annual three percent increase in retroactive wages, among other provisions.
While the union leaders called it a “landmark” deal, many members of IATSE expressed their unhappiness with the terms of the new deal on social media.
Several workers criticized the 10-hour turnaround time, which means a gap of 10 hours from when a worker ends and begins work, the annual increase of three percent in wages, and the absence of any mention of (streaming) residuals on new media in the deal.
“3% raise doesn’t even cover the 4% yearly raise on my rent controlled apartment (BTW I turned 41 today and would really like to stop living in a 1BR apartment and buy a house where I live and work!). And no gains with streaming residuals to fund our pension? VOTE NO,” tweeted Kristi Stark, an IATSE member.
Residuals are a financial compensation paid to the contributors on a film or television show, in case their work is being reused.
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“Overall, it’s very disheartening,” Theodore Rysz, a gaffer in Local 728, told Variety. “I do think it will be rejected.”
“This is the one time we as organized labor in Hollywood had the ability to take a stance and make a change,” Rysz added. “We had the potential to shut down production. In general, I feel like our leadership has let us down again.”
“We wanted to send a message that things needed to actually change,” Rowan Byers, a dolly grip in IATSE Local 80, told Variety. “The 10-hour turnarounds — that’s the same shit that’s already in my contract. Why would I be excited about that?”
Workers are demanding a minimum turnaround time of 12 hours.
The IATSE comprises over 1,50,000 off-screen workers in the entertainment industry in US and Canada. The organisation had called for a vote to authorize a strike in September to safeguard the rights of workers on sets and provide favourable working conditions.
Several members have now also called out the leadership for spending more time “talking to the producers than it does to its members.”
Daniel Remillard, an electrician based in New Mexico, meanwhile told Variety, “Our initial ask was probably too low. But I disagree that this was a failure. I think this was a successful round. I’m very much in the minority here. Most of the people are saying this is garbage.”
Neither the IATSE, nor the AMPTP, has commented on the developments.