For hundreds of thousands of working-class people in the entertainment industry, labor talks that will shape the future of their profession in a post-strike landscape are underway between IATSE and Hollywood’s studios, and there’s a lot that needs to be tackled.
Through the end of April, each of the 13 IATSE locals that operate under the Hollywood Basic Agreement are taking turns negotiating with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) about issues specific to their members. So far, four of those locals have announced tentative agreements on their issues, but the negotiation process is expected to be a long one.
While unions like the Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA have to consider the needs and concerns of a diverse group of members, their shared status as writers and performers weaves a common thread through the talks. IATSE covers an even wider array of jobs on Hollywood sets, from lighting technicians and costumers to cinematographers and first aid workers.
And while the 13 locals share many common goals in this contract, the top priority can vary. For some, the issue of turnarounds is the most critical. For others, it is the threat of artificial intelligence rendering their jobs obsolete or their eroding ability to keep up with the cost of living in Los Angeles.
TheWrap spoke with representatives from four IATSE locals about what their members have told them is the most important issue they need resolve in this next contract, which the union hopes to complete by the July 31 deadline. Their responses, shown below, have been edited for clarity.
Phil Collins, a 12-year grip who is chair of IATSE Local 80’s political action committee and member of its negotiating committee
While Local 80 covers several positions, including craft services and warehouse workers, I’ll speak specifically to my work as a grip. A grip has to be able to rig a one-ton motor and a 40-foot truss over an actor’s head. They have to understand stress load and engineering principles as well as the artistic principles of filmmaking. This is a craft that takes years of work to truly master, and the only way to ensure that we have enough of a workforce that this gets passed down to the next generation is if wages keep up with the cost of living so that experienced grips don’t leave the industry simply because they can’t afford to work in Los Angeles anymore.
While certain positions covered by other locals got a big boost in minimums, our members only saw the standard 3% rate increase, and that’s not keeping up with costs of gas, food and rent. We’ve heard stories of people starting a side business that they can or already have transitioned to because working in entertainment is no longer feasible, especially after losing so much of their savings during the strike. A grip that I knew for nearly a decade texted me that he made a résumé for the first time in 10 years because he was getting out of showbiz.
And it’s not just wages. The whole union has been fighting for better turnarounds for many contract cycles now. The studios just don’t want to budge because that means more shooting days and higher budgets, but I don’t know one person that hasn’t dozed off behind the wheel at least once after a 16-hour shoot day. The most dangerous thing we do as crew members is driving home from work.
Dan Vetanovetz, lighting technician specializing in on-set fixtures and a member of the IATSE Local 728 Negotiating Committee
When we surveyed our members, one of the biggest issues was the pension and health plan. IATSE members are required to work 400 hours within a six-month period to maintain their qualification for the health plan. But the strike has resulted in thousands of members getting thrown off that health plan. Even before the strike began in May, the number of active productions was dropping in early 2023, and between that and the slow return of productions since the strike ended, there are many members that haven’t had work in over a year.
There’s also much less money in the pension fund than there should be, because the studios only contribute to the MPI (Motion Picture Industry Health and Pension Plan) when we’re working. Between the COVID shutdown and the strikes, IATSE has estimated that the MPI has lost around $1.1 billion in studio contributions. (IATSE, Teamsters 399 and the Basic Crafts are waiting for the AMPTP to respond to their initial proposal to changes to the MPI.)
The rate of contributions is likely going to be a big part of talks around the MPI when they resume, but another thing our members really want is a larger bank of hours. If you work more than 400 hours and reach the mark to stay qualified, you can bank hours towards the next qualifying period. But the maximum that bank can reach is 400 hours. With so much uncertainty going around with employment, having a higher bank would allow members to better ensure that they can keep their health insurance when there’s a dry spell.
Amy Hartman, script coordinator and vice president of IATSE Local 871
Thanks to the last contract, the minimum rates for writers assistants and script coordinators jumped from $16/hour to $23.50/hour. We are incredibly grateful to the rest of IATSE for holding the line with us on that. It allowed many members some financial breathing room and to no longer have to live on food stamps and on their credit cards.
At the same time, inflation and rising living costs have negated even those gains. Also, many writer assistants and script coordinators have seen less work for all the reasons that the WGA went on strike: shorter episode orders, minirooms that take away the number of weeks we work and fewer writers hired.
While we are pleased that the WGA were able to get so much of what they wanted in their contract like minimum staffing and span protections, it is not a guarantee that we will get the same thing. We are looking for a wage increase that brings our members’ positions in line with those of similar positions in other departments like assistant editors. Script supervisors, in many respects, are a department of one but get paid far less than other department heads despite the vital role they play in making sure there aren’t continuity errors and that things don’t get lost in translation from script to shooting.
Brianna Murphy, assistant costume designer for “Stranger Things 4” and member of IATSE 892’s negotiating committee
[UPDATE 4/7: Updated with clarified comments from Brianna Murphy]
I speak for myself here but I think wages are the biggest issue for me and in my experience that sentiment is shared amongst other Designer colleagues. Historically Costume Designers have been one of the lowest paid departments, especially in comparison with other creative department heads. Costumes add enormous value to productions both on screen and after a project’s conclusion in marketing campaigns by the studios (think Halloween costumes, toys, fashion lines etc.) and I believe it’s time our wages reflect our significant contribution to the storytelling process.
Regarding AI, of course broadly it’s a concern across the industry. In my personal experience producers have used it in the hopes of truncating or circumnavigate the costume design process. In my opinion good Costume Design captures humanity in the realest sense. Putting on clothing is some almost every single human does every morning. The clothing we design for characters tells a story, and even if we could substitute it with an elaborate algorithm, we shouldn’t.
