Hollywood Braces for Disruption and Hardship as IATSE Sets Strike Deadline

Gene Maddaus Senior Media WriterMany members of IATSE say they will vote against ratifying a new contract with the major studios because it does not do enough to address working conditions on set.The deal, announced Saturday afternoon, averts a strike that would have shut down film and TV production nationwide starting on Monday morning.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media WriterNegotiators from the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees have reached a deal for a new three-year contract, averting a strike that would have shut down film and TV production across the country.The deal must still be ratified by the membership, but it appears that the union will not be calling the first nationwide strike in its 128-year history.Talks went past 10 p.m.

Just over 48 hours before the deadline for a strike that will shut most of Hollywood down, IATSE struck both optimistic and unsentimental tones this evening as talks with the AMPTP have wrapped for the day.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media WriterFilm and TV workers left the job site on Friday uncertain of when they would return, as negotiators were expected to work through the weekend in hopes of avoiding a crippling strike.The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees advised members to bring home any tools and equipment that belong to them, because they may not have access to the set on Monday. IATSE International President Matthew D.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media WriterTV writers may soon have to take their own notes as their assistants will be on the picket lines if IATSE calls a strike on Monday morning.Writers assistants and script coordinators provide the essential support functions that keep writers’ rooms operating.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterNetworks and streaming services are bracing for headaches and disappointed viewers as Monday’s deadline for IATSE and the major studios to reach a deal and avoid a strike draws ever closer.According to insiders across multiple networks who spoke with Variety, the feeling is that a deal will be reached that satisfies both sides before the deadline hits at 12:01 a.m. PT Monday or shortly thereafter.

The memo, obtained by TheWrap, lists the IATSE locals that will be striking on Monday if a deal isn’t reached. While the 13 West Coast locals are the primary groups that are striking, three of those locals — the International Cinematographers Guild, the Motion Picture Editors Guild and the Art Directors Guild — are nationwide, effectively expanding the scope of the shutdown to almost all film and television projects across the U.S.

Jazz Tangcay Artisans EditorFor nearly 15 years, Heather Fink has made her living on movie and television sets. She mixes sound, and occasionally writes screenplays and directs.

Cynthia Littleton Business EditorIATSE and Hollywood’s major employers will keep going on contract negotiations Thursday as the clock ticks down to Monday’s deadline for the union to call a strike.Sources close to the situation confirm that the sides will be back to virtual bargaining sessions on Thursday. On Wednesday, IATSE ratcheted the pressure on the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers by setting at a deadline of 12:01 a.m.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media WriterIATSE leadership got a big win on Oct. 4, when more than 98% of the rank and file voted to authorize a strike.Having riled people up, the leaders now face pressure to deliver the goods.

announced Wednesday that unless an agreement is reached, union members will begin a nationwide strike against the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) on Monday, October 18 at 12:01 a.m., PDT.The deadline makes good on Loeb’s previous statement that he wanted the negotiating to end one way or another in “days, not weeks.” And the announcement even includes a countdown clock until that date and time.

Brent Lang Executive Editor of Film and MediaNegotiations to prevent a strike that could bring the film and television production business to its knees are down to the wire. International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees International President Matthew Loeb announced Wednesday that unless an agreement is reached, 60,000 union members will begin a nationwide strike against the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) on Monday, October 18 at 12:01 a.m.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media WriterAn official with IATSE told members on Tuesday that the studios are refusing to make the necessary concessions to avoid a strike, although negotiations are still underway.Cathy Repola, the national executive director of the Motion Picture Editors Guild, told members in an email on Tuesday that the pace of the talks is quickening, and that the timetable continues to be “days, not weeks.”“In the wake of the overwhelming strike authorization vote, the employers

Cynthia Littleton Business EditorWhen the industry came together last fall on a hard-fought agreement among multiple unions and the major studios on COVID safety protocols for production, some executives were wary of the precedent set by new limits on working hours.Turns out, they were right to fret.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media WriterNegotiations on a new IATSE contract will resume on Monday, after the two sides concluded their talks on Saturday without a deal.The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees — which represents 60,000 film and TV production workers across the country — has threatened to strike if it cannot reach a deal. In a message to members on Friday, International President Matthew D.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media WriterThe high-stakes negotiations between the studios and the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees will continue on Saturday, as the two sides continue to talk on a range of issues.The union is seeking movement on its key priorities — including long hours and streaming pay scales — but has advised that it will not let the talks drag on indefinitely.“It’s a matter of days, not weeks,” International President Matthew Loeb said in a statement on Friday

Gene Maddaus Senior Media WriterThe studios have made some concessions on IATSE’s demands regarding long production hours, but an agreement still remains “a ways off,” according to an update from one IATSE local on Thursday.David O’Ferrall, the business agent of IATSE Local 487, told members that the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers had agreed to 10-hour turnaround times on all productions.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media WriterContract talks between the studios and the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees were still underway late Wednesday and are expected to continue on Thursday.As is typically the case during collective bargaining, the negotiators were abiding by a media blackout.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media WriterIn 2015, IATSE International President Matthew Loeb went into the negotiating room determined to do something about long hours worked on productions.