IATSE talks will continue on Saturday

The high-stakes negotiations between the studios and the International Alliance of Theater Workers will continue on Saturday, as the two sides continue to discuss various issues.

The union is looking to push forward its top priorities – including long hours and continuous pay scales – but has indicated it will not let talks drag on indefinitely.

“It’s a matter of days, not weeks,” International President Matthew Loeb said in a statement Friday night.

The 13 locals of the Basic Accord also issued a statement, stressing the urgency of securing an agreement. “As we remain committed to the negotiating process, there will come a time when words must be replaced by actions. “

The two sides concluded their fourth day of negotiations on Friday, after the announcement on Monday that 99% of voting members had approved a strike authorization if the talks cannot reach a deal.

“We are determined to do the right thing,” said a union official. “We are determined to make a deal. We need it to meet our core priorities. We are not going to get caught up in dragging this around for weeks and weeks. We need to see meaningful movement. “

Negotiations continued in a media blackout, although a few details emerged on Thursday. A union official reported that AMPTP had agreed to provide 10-hour ‘rotations’ between shifts for all workers on all types of productions, which had been one of the key objectives of the negotiators of the ‘IATSE. But some members – many of whom already have a 10-hour deadline – didn’t think that was enough.

“If this is what we win, it doesn’t sound like a win,” said Daniel Remillard, an electrician who works with Local 480 in New Mexico. “Since I have been a member of this union, our leadership has been weak. They constantly give in to production and the spirit of keeping people working and getting things done. And for a long time, I felt that we had to plant our feet and ask for more because we deserve more… The things we are negotiating for this round are the bare minimum.

Lee Sablick, a member of the Handles Union, Local 80, also said the 10-hour deadlines were “more crap”. A 10 hour deadline would still mean that teams could work 14 hours a day. Some members advocated 12 hours between shifts, which would translate to 12-hour days, although the union did not advocate this in negotiations. Crew members noted the strain the long hours put on their health and safety.

“There were times when I was so exhausted that they thought I was having a heart attack,” Sablick said, adding that he sometimes had to try not to fall asleep on the way home. “There have been so many times that I have had to stick my head out the window screaming just to stay awake. There were times when I had to stop to get a quick sleep for half an hour.

The Alliance of Film and TV Producers are also said to be willing to address the weekend rest, which would be the first time that the IATSE Basic Agreement has contained such a provision. The unions have asked their members to ignore what they read in the press and wait for full terms to become available.