California, Oct. 5 (BUS): North American film and television production is in danger of halting after its behind-the-scenes workers voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike for the first time in its 128-year history.
Nearly 99% of registered members who took part, or 52,706 people, voted for a strike over the weekend, the International Alliance of Theater Employees said Monday.
At issue is a contract suspension over requests for more reasonable terms for craftsmen, technicians and workers who work for streaming companies like Netflix, Apple and Amazon, including better wages, reasonable breaks, safer hours and guaranteed meal breaks.
“I hope you see the studios and understand our members’ design,” Alliance president Matthew Loeb said in a statement. “The ball is in their court. If they want to avoid the strike, they will go back to the negotiating table and make us a reasonable offer.”
The last three-year contract expired in July, leading to four months of negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, the group representing studios and streaming companies in the negotiations. But on September 20, the day after shows like “The Crown,” “Ted Lasso” and “The Queen’s Gambit” swept the Emmy Awards, the conversations stopped.
Loeb said his goal was to reach an agreement, not “disagreement,” but noted that the vote was about “the quality of life as well as the health and safety of those who work in the film and television industry.”
The International Alliance of Theatrical Operatives said it was “incomprehensible that the AMPTP, a conglomerate that includes massive media companies worth a combined trillions of dollars, claims they cannot provide behind-the-scenes crews with basic human necessities such as adequate sleep, meals, breaks, and a living wage.”
The union added that its members have worked through the coronavirus pandemic to ensure their businesses appear intact. “Now, we cannot and will not accept a deal that leaves us with an unsustainable outcome.”
The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers said in a statement that it remains committed to reaching an agreement that will keep the industry operating, particularly as it continues to recover from the economic fallout from the pandemic.
“A deal can be struck at the negotiating table, but it will require both parties to work together in good faith with a willingness to compromise and explore new solutions to resolve open issues,” she said.
While unions such as the Writers Guild of America often found themselves on the brink of strike, and in 2007-2008 actually went on strike for 100 days, Hollywood crews and the International Alliance of Theater Employees had no major strike in history. The only previous dispute was when the interior designers pulled out for six months in 1945, leading to riots at the gates of the Warner Bros. studio that became known as “Bloody Friday.” If this time the stalemate leads to a strike, it will be the first national movement in the history of the theatrical labor group.
Several prominent names in Hollywood have expressed public support for the crew’s demands, including actress and producer Octavia Spencer who tweeted her support on Monday.
“Hopefully #AMPTP will do the right thing and sit back,” Spencer wrote. “They are not asking for anything unreasonable.”
RAE