IATSE vs. Studios: Fear, Smoke and Possible Fire
The union's Mike Miller tells me, 'Nobody's looking to win the lottery. We're looking to be treated fairly'
Two editions of Series Business in a week? What could merit such a thing? Answer: Netflix, the $260 billion market cap streaming giant, creeping into the $70 billion-plus global TV sports business, and now the possibility of another industry-paralyzing shutdown.
Talks are underway between the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) and the International Association of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) and Hollywood Basic Crafts. Recall: IATSE is negotiating two contracts expiring July 31 that impact more than 60,000 film and TV workers. First up on the docket are pension and health benefits, which the union is negotiating in conjunction with Basic Crafts, a group of unions that include Hollywood’s Teamsters, electrical workers, laborers, plumbers and plasterers. (After health benefits are sorted, IATSE will then negotiate its own specific issues with the AMPTP.)
So far, this coalition has given the AMPTP an initial set of pension and health proposals, with talks expected to continue all week, according to an update by IATSE on Monday. A kick-off rally on March 3 was livestreamed on YouTube and accrued comments speaking to the state of workers in Hollywood:
I spoke with IATSE VP Mike Miller on Friday about the issues that matter to his members, and I also got a sense from one senior studio exec about what some of the challenges, from their view, might be in implementing those demands.
Here’s a quick rundown of what you’ll learn in this edition:
IATSE’s quality-of-life framing of its demands
How the studios might frame their position about costs
If WGA and SAG-AFTRA are ready to support IATSE
The state of safety conditions in 2024
The impact of artificial intelligence on Hollywood crews
IATSE’s resolve to strike after last year