IATSE Local 695 Reaches Tentative Deal With Studios on Craft-Specific Issues

Katie Kilkenny
·2 min read

Another IATSE Local says it has reached an agreement with studios and streamers on issues specific to its members.

“Today, our Local’s Bargaining Committee sat down with representatives from the AMPTP and reached a tentative agreement in our Local negotiations,” IATSE Local 695 — which represents production sound crew members, video engineers and projectionists — told members in an email on Monday night. “Our presentation focused on issues of adequate staffing, equitable pay, and on-set safety. It was supported with testimony from rank & file members about the types of challenges you face at work every day.”

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According to the Local, the talks were “productive,” with management represented by the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers grappling with top issues. This resulted in “meaningful gains in all areas,” said the union. The Local continued, “We look forward to sharing more information with you once the Memorandum of Agreement has been drafted and submitted to the Local for approval.”

IATSE vice president Mike Miller said in a statement that the preparation work done by Local 695’s negotiating committee “helped pave the way for this tentative agreement.”

The Hollywood Reporter has reached out to the AMPTP for comment.

The union is just the latest IATSE Local to reach a tentative craft-specific deal with studios and streamers: The previous week, the International Cinematographers Guild (IATSE Local 600), the Art Directors Guild (IATSE Local 800) and the motion picture set painters’ and sign writers’ union IATSE Local 729 all announced that they had settled on a provisional agreement on Local issues with the AMPTP. Members will have to wait to learn the details of the agreements, however: IATSE said in a statement on Tuesday afternoon, “More information regarding these Local agreements will be provided to members by their Local Unions once Memorandums of Agreement have been formally drafted by the lawyers of both parties and submitted to the corresponding Local for approval.”

This week, the Motion Picture Editors Guild (IATSE Local 700) and IATSE Locals 80 and 706 are at the bargaining table as IATSE and the AMPTP tackle Local negotiations prior to returning to general negotiations on a contract that governs all 13 West Coast Locals. “Local negotiations began on March 18 and are expected to last through April 26,” IATSE said in its statement on Tuesday, with general negotiations expected to pick up in May “at the earliest.”

4:52 p.m. Updated with IATSE’s Tuesday afternoon statement.

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