No Deal Yet, New Bargaining Dates to Be Added
IATSE and studios and streamers are set to add new negotiations dates to their Basic Agreement bargaining schedule once more.
The top Hollywood crew union and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers did not reach a deal over a new Basic Agreement within the three-day stretch of additional negotiations that ended on Wednesday, the union stated the next day. (The parties previously added these dates after they could not come to an agreement in an initial bargaining period that ended May 16.) According to the union, talks will continue “as soon as next week.”
The union struck a positive tone in its message, adding that “thus far negotiations have largely been productive, with the Basic Negotiating Committee and the studios reaching consensus on a number of issues.” A number of other issues remain unresolved, THR has learned, including those around wages.
The Hollywood Reporter has reached out to the AMPTP for comment.
The union has previously communicated that it does not want to extend negotiations for the Basic Agreement beyond the contract’s July 31 expiration date, and that it could call a strike authorization vote if there is no deal at that time. Still, IATSE international president Matthew Loeb said in a statement on Thursday, “I remain hopeful that our work will result in a tentative agreement that members will want to ratify.”
The three-year Basic Agreement covers around 50,000 workers who are members of 13 West Coast IATSE Locals, including the International Cinematographers Guild and the Motion Picture Editors Guild.
IATSE West Coast Locals entered their 2024 negotiations with an emphasis on replenishing the union’s health and pension plans, which were drained during the 2023 actors’ and writers’ strikes as many workers faced under- and unemployment; raising wages; instituting rules around AI; and improving working conditions. The union also cited issues with subcontracting and sideletters that it wanted to resolve.
Meanwhile, the union is also negotiating its Area Standards Agreement, which covers around 20,000 members who work in 23 Locals outside of Los Angeles, New York, Chicago and San Francisco. The ASA negotiations were paused on June 1, with bargaining expected to resume later in the month.
