IATSE & AMPTP Agree To Resume Bargaining On Tuesday Following Historic Strike-Authorization Vote

David Robb
·2 min read

IATSE and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers have agreed to return to the bargaining table on Tuesday following the union’s historic strike-authorization vote. It will be the first time in more than two months that the two sides have engaged in collective bargaining.

“I hope that the studios will see and understand the resolve of our members,” IATSE president Matthew Loeb said today after 98% of the union’s voting members authorized him to call a strike if the upcoming talks fail to produce a fair film and TV contract. “The ball is in their court. If they want to avoid a strike, they will return to the bargaining table and make us a reasonable offer.”

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Following the vote, the AMPTP said that it “remains committed to reaching an agreement that will keep the industry working. We deeply value our IATSE crew members and are committed to working with them to avoid shutting down the industry at such a pivotal time, particularly since the industry is still recovering from the economic fallout from the Covid-19 pandemic. A deal can be made at the bargaining table, but it will require both parties working together in good faith with a willingness to compromise and to explore new solutions to resolve the open issues.”

IATSE Members Overwhelmingly Approve Strike Authorization; AMPTP Says It “Remains Committed To Reaching An Agreement”

Loeb said today: “The members have spoken loud and clear. This vote is about the quality of life as well as the health and safety of those who work in the film and television industry. Our people have basic human needs like time for meal breaks, adequate sleep, and a weekend. For those at the bottom of the pay scale, they deserve nothing less than a living wage.”

The DGA’s national board of directors, meanwhile, issued a statement saying that it “stands in solidarity with our IATSE brothers, sisters and kin. The quality of life and living wage issues they are fighting for are important to all workers on set. We urge the producers and studios of the AMPTP to return to the bargaining table and make a fair deal addressing these critical issues.”

Signers of the DGA statement include some of the biggest directing names in Hollywood. Newly elected DGA officers who signed include president Lesli Linka Glatter; national vice president Mary Rae Thewlis; secretary-treasurer Paris Barclay; first vice president Betty Thomas; second vp Ron Howard; third vp Barry Jenkins; fourth vp Seith Mann; fifth vp Ava DuVernay; sixth vp Lily Olszewski; assistant secretary-treasurer Joyce Thomas, and board members Steven Spielberg, Christopher Nolan, Jon Avnet, Norberto Barba, Karen Gaviola, Julie Gelfand, Duncan Henderson, Todd Holland, Nicole Kassell, Kathleen McGill and Millicent Shelton.

IATSE To Hollywood Media Giants: “You’re Gonna Change The Way You Do Business”

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