LOS ANGELES—The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) has reached a tentative three-year agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) for The Basic and Videotape Agreements which affects 40,000 film and television workers represented by 13 West Coast IATSE local unions.
The proposed contract averts a major nationwide strike that would have started on Monday October 18, 2021.
But the deal must still be approved by the membership and some press accounts have quoted members saying the proposed agreement did not go far enough.
The proposed contract addresses core issues, including reasonable rest periods; meal breaks; a living wage for those on the bottom of the pay scale; and significant increases in compensation to be paid by new-media companies, the union said.
“This is a Hollywood ending,” said IATSE International President Matthew Loeb. “Our members stood firm. We are tough and united.”
“We went toe to toe with some of the richest and most powerful entertainment and tech companies in the world, and we have now reached an agreement with the AMPTP that meets our members’ needs,” Loeb added in a statement.
The AMPTP is a trade association that represents major employers and producers of television and film including Walt Disney Studios, Warner Bros., Paramount Pictures, Apple, Netflix, and Amazon, among others.
The union said the tentative agreement, which still must be ratified by IATSE members, includes:
- Achievement of a living wage for the lowest-paid earners.
- Improved wages and working conditions for streaming.
- Retroactive wage Increases of 3% annually.
- Increased meal period penalties.
- Daily rest periods of 10 hours without exclusions.
- Weekend rest periods of 54 hours.
- Martin Luther King Jr.’s Birthday Holiday added to schedule.
- Adoption of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.
IATSE members will be briefed by their local leaders on full details and language of the tentative agreement early this week, the union said. A ratification vote will be held with members casting ballots online.
