IATSE Hasn’t Reached a Deal with Studios as Teamsters Look to Begin Talks
Brian Welk
Things have gotten a bit more complicated with labor negotiations for IATSE, the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, ahead of the crafts union’s contract expiring on July 31.
The national branch of IATSE told members on Thursday, June 6 that it still has not reached a tentative agreement with the AMPTP on a new contract for the Basic Agreement, which covers roughly 50,000 crew members working in Hollywood as part of 13 West Coast Locals. More talks are being scheduled for as early as next week.
But after a late-night bargaining session on June 5, the clock has run out on the negotiation window that was scheduled for IATSE in advance. Talks for the Basic Agreement were already paused once as IATSE shifted to focus on the Area Standards Agreement (ASA), which covers workers everywhere outside of Hollywood. Talks also ended on June 1 for that contract without a deal.
IATSE hoped to have both contracts buttoned up before next week, when the Teamsters are expected to begin their own talks with the studios. However, the IATSE talks will now need to work around the Teamsters’ schedule. If a deal isn’t done by July 31, IATSE has already said it has no interest in extending talks beyond that deadline.
The union says negotiations have been productive, and that the Basic Negotiating Committee reached consensus on a number of issues. But there have been reports that the two sides are still far apart when it comes to wages, if not some of the existential issues around AI and residual structures that defined the writers’ strike.
“I want to thank the Basic Negotiating Committee and our union allies for their strength, solidarity, and insight throughout this process. I remain hopeful that our work will result in a tentative agreement that members will want to ratify,” International President Matthew D. Loeb said in a statement.
An agreement “members will want to ratify” is the key statement. The last time IATSE negotiated a contract in 2021, members voted against it with the popular vote, but it was ratified anyway because of an electoral college system. The ASA contract was also passed with just a slim majority. IATSE wants to avoid that this time around.
Specific details of contract gains, deal points, or a Pattern of Demands have still not been released to members. Those are not expected to be released publicly until after a tentative agreement for both the BA and ASA have been reached.
The good news is all 13 West Coast Locals reached tentative agreements with the AMPTP on issues specific to their own members. And IATSE partnered with the Teamsters and Hollywood Basic Crafts back in March to jointly negotiate issues related to pension and health care.
