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The IATSE took another step towards a strike against the film and television industry on Monday, telling its members it would now ask them for leave to strike.
“Today AMPTP informed IATSE that it does not intend to respond to our comprehensive proposal which was presented to it over a week ago,” union leaders said in a message to members. “This failure to continue negotiating can only be interpreted one way. They simply will not address the fundamental issues that we have championed over and over again from the start. As a result, we will now proceed with a nationwide strike authorization vote to demonstrate our commitment to achieving long-awaited change in this industry. “
A strike authorization vote doesn’t necessarily mean there will be a strike – only members give their leaders permission to call for a walkout if they can’t reach a deal at the last minute .
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The union’s current contract was due to expire on July 31 but was extended until September 10, according to the union, “in an effort to exhaust all opportunities to strike a deal.”
Last Wednesday IATSE President Matthew Loeb said negotiations had “reached a critical juncture,” noting that “we are united in demanding more humane working conditions in the industry, including reasonable rest during and between working days and weekends, a fair wage in streaming productions and a viable wage floor.
The next day, he told members that the union was awaiting a response from AMPTP to the union’s latest package of contract proposals as it continued to “mobilize” for a possible strike.
Over the weekend, two of the union’s largest locals – International Cinematographers Guild Local 600 and Editors Guild Local 700 – held briefings to update their members on the state of negotiations. By all accounts, members are prepared to strike if necessary to get a fair contract.
An industry-wide strike against film and television production, if at all, will be the first in union history.
The union’s 13 West Coast studio locals will now hold a secret permission vote simultaneously, conducted electronically through an email voting service.
For a local to pass strike authorization, at least 75% of voters must vote “Yes” in favor of strike authorization. As in the process of ratifying the Basic Agreement, the votes of the delegates of a Local will reflect the votes of the members. So a local with 1,000 votes returned would need 750 “Yes” votes to support the strike authorization. If the local does not meet this threshold, all votes of delegates from that local will be counted as “No”. A simple majority of the votes of the delegates in the bargaining unit will determine the outcome.
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