According to the latest news, a Hollywood union representing tens of thousands of production workers will be soon deciding whether to ratify labor protection and other agreements to enforce better pay from streaming services. Last Tuesday, the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) announced that it reached a tentative three-year “area standards” agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) that “delivers our members a fairer deal on streaming.”
The union’s international president Matthew Loeb said “We were able to achieve gains in all of our core areas. Quality of life issues was at the top of our priority list. The protective terms we negotiated in this agreement and the agreement reached earlier establish a defined weekend with the studios for the first time. The two agreements incorporate stiff penalties for failing to provide meals and breaks. Taken together, the improvements we made at the bargaining table are very significant and directly due to the solidarity of our members.”
AMPTP represents major Hollywood studios including Netflix, Apple, Amazon, Disney, Paramount, and Warner Bros. An union spokesperson said that lawyers are still working out details of the agreement and it would “take a few days” after which the final draft will be reviewed by members. A vote would be arranged soon after the review.
The tentative deal reached this week covers as many as around 20,000 workers on productions in TV and film including crew, artists, editors, and other behind the scenes role persons from 23 local unions across the US. Previously, a few days back, a tentative deal was reached for separate “basic” and “videotape” contracts covering 40,000 workers represented by 13 West Coast based local unions which are affiliated to IATSE.
The proposed agreement is expected to improve pay significantly as much as up to 60 per cent for its lowest-paid workers. The spokesperson said all members who operate under the new contracts will at least get a pay raise of 9 percent over the next three years.
