Hollywood production workers authorize strike

Union workers behind the scenes in Hollywood voted overwhelmingly to authorize an industry-wide strike.

The International Alliance of Theater Workers said 90% of eligible voters voted over the weekend, with more than 98% in favor of allowing a strike.

“The members have spoken loud and clear,” Matthew Loeb, president of IATSE said in a statement Monday. “This vote is about the quality of life and 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 adequate sleep. weekends, low on the pay scale, they deserve nothing less than a living wage.“

The vote comes after months of fruitless negotiations between the union and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which represents major film and television production companies.

This decision allows the IATSE to call a strike if talks with AMPTP remain at a standstill. This is the first time in IATSE’s 128-year history that union members have authorized a national strike.

AMPTP representatives did not immediately respond to CNBC’s request for comment.

IATSE represents a wide range of workers in the industry, from studio mechanics to wardrobe and makeup artists. In total, she acts on behalf of 150,000 crew members in the United States and Canada, approximately 60,000 of whom are covered by the TV and cinema contracts currently being renegotiated.

The union pleaded for better working hours, safer working conditions and better benefits.

“I hope the studios will see and understand the determination of our members,” said Loeb. “The ball is in their court. If they want to avoid a strike, they will go back to the bargaining table and make a reasonable offer to us.

His contract with AMPTP, which came into effect in 2018, ended on July 31 and was extended until September 10. IATSE is calling for a new three-year deal that would give workers behind the scenes higher pay, meal breaks and improved dues. health and pension plans and a greater reduction in the profits of streaming productions.

These demands come on the heels of one of the industry’s most tumultuous times, as productions went through a global pandemic to ensure studios had content to deliver to consumers.

The pandemic has also irrevocably changed the production ecosystem. For the past 18 months, consumers have been stuck in their homes watching TV shows and movies. This increase in viewership has given streaming services like Netflix, Disney +, HBO Max, and Amazon Prime Video massive gains in subscriptions and subscription fees.

This has also led these platforms to seek more content and increase their production volume. This means that IATSE workers have been called upon to work longer hours as the number of projects increases, but pay does not meet that demand, the union said.

Of course, the studios were also faced with tough financial decisions during the pandemic, as theaters were closed for almost six months, and even when they reopened, moviegoers were slow to return. Many companies have chosen to release films in theaters and on streaming services at the same time. While this helped increase the number of subscriptions, it ultimately led to cannibalization of box office sales.

An industry-wide strike would essentially shut down Hollywood production, like the writer’s strike did 14 years ago. This strike between 2007 and 2008 led many shows to shorten or postpone new seasons and led to the cancellation of others.