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Studios have made some concessions on IATSE’s demands for long production hours, but a deal still remains “at bay,” according to an update from an IATSE local on Thursday.
David O’Ferrall, the sales agent for IATSE Local 487, told members that the Alliance of Film and Television Producers has agreed to 10-hour turnaround times for all productions. He also said there had been “a movement on weekend turnarounds” – one of the union’s top priorities.
Negotiators hope to avoid a strike, which would end television and film production across the country. More than 52,000 IATSE members voted this weekend to allow IATSE leader Matthew D. Loeb to call a strike if the union’s demands are not met.
“There has been progress in the negotiations but not enough,” O’Ferrall reported. “Although they may be at the table, we are still a long way from a deal. AMPTP pushes back to see where they can create cracks, but the AI feeling is to bargain hard and get what we are owed.
Another local reported on Wednesday that the situation was still “fluid”.
Sources close to the management report that the negotiations are progressing slowly but also cordially. “This is not the WGA,” a labor veteran on the management side said Thursday, noting that the level of tension was lower than in previous difficult contract situations for AMPTP. Sources note that the IATSE negotiation involves 13 disparate locals with specific disciplines that need to be addressed, which also slows down the process.
In addition to committing to a 10-hour deadline as a quality-of-life issue, sources said the AMPTP companies agreed to terms that could end up adding an extra day to production schedules. drama series. While seven- and eight-day shoots for one-hour episodes have been the norm for some time, a minimum nine-day shooting schedule is likely to become the norm in the future.
The International Theater Workers Alliance, which represents the vast majority of Hollywood’s production workforce, is seeking to curb the practice of making workdays last 14 hours or more. Union negotiators are also seeking to end “Fridays,” which are late Friday shifts that extend into Saturday mornings, effectively eating into workers’ weekends.
“Turnaround” is a term for the minimum time between shifts. Some workers already have 10 hour turnaround times, but some only have eight or nine hour turnaround times. A 10-hour deadline for all workers was one of the union’s goals in the negotiations. The union is also asking for 54 hours on weekends.
O’Ferrall also reported that AMPTP had made a “small movement” on two other union priorities – meal penalties and “new media”. The union wants to increase meal penalties as a way to force productions to stop for lunch, and is also seeking to align streaming productions with wages paid on traditional projects.
The union also wants higher wages for the lowest paid workers in the bargaining unit, who include writing assistants and script coordinators. O’Ferrall said “wages and benefits are still at issue.”
The union and AMPTP returned to the bargaining table Thursday for a third day of talks since the results of the strike authorization vote were announced on Monday. The two sides are looking to strike a new three-year deal, which would also cover funding for the union’s pension and health plans.
Negotiators represent 13 West Coast locals, which are covered by the Basic Agreement, as well as 23 locals across the country, which are covered by the Regional Standards Agreement. The two agreements share the same basic model and are negotiated simultaneously.
Local 487 is headquartered in Baltimore and is covered by the Regional Standards Agreement. O’Ferrall has sought to reassure his members that the two bargaining units will not be pitted against each other.
“There will be fair deals for both deals or no deal at all,” O’Ferrall said.
AMPTP declined to comment.
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