In a move that could shake Hollywood, the president of a union representing 60,000 film and television workers announced Wednesday the workers will go on strike next week unless the union’s demands for fair and safe working conditions are satisfied. According to a press release from the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE), the strike will officially begin at 12:01 a.m. Monday. The video above shows members cast and crew of the upcoming Netflix film “The Harder They Fall” discussing the strike Wednesday.
“The union will continue bargaining with the producers this week in the hopes of reaching an agreement that addresses core issues, such as reasonable rest periods, meal breaks, and a living wage for those on the bottom of the wage scale,” the press release said.
Plans for the film and television workers strike have been in place for a while.
“Last week, IATSE members who work in television and film production at 36 IATSE local unions across the country voted to authorize the union’s international president to call a strike if contract talks didn’t result in a new contract for 60,000 film and television workers,” the press release said. “Voter turnout was 90 percent, with 98.6 percent of those voting in support of authorizing a strike.”
According to the union’s international president, setting an end date for negotiations is all about creating a “sense of urgency”.
“Without an end date, we could keep talking forever,” Matthew Loeb said. “Our members deserve to have their basic needs addressed now.”
The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which represents the studios and other entertainment companies in negotiations, said its members value their crew members and were committed to avoiding a strike.
“There are five whole days left to reach a deal,” alliance publicist Jarryd Gonzales said. “Studios will continue to negotiate in good faith in an effort to reach an agreement for a new contract that will keep the industry working.”
The announcement of the film and television workers’ strike caught the attention of other major labor groups, including the AFL-CIO.
“We will stand with them in solidarity. We will use the full breadth and power of the labor movement to make sure that these companies are feeling the pain,” AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler said. “We have lots of levers that we can use in the labor movement, whether it’s the bully pulpit, whether it’s using our shareholder capital strategies levers.”
