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IATSE Members Vote to Authorize a Strike With Over 98 Percent Support
The Hollywood Reporter
By Katie Kilkenny and Carolyn Giardina
October 4, 2021
Signaling overwhelming support for its union’s battle with studios over two expiring contracts, as widely expected, IATSE members have voted to authorize an industry-wide strike. This marks the first authorization of a nationwide strike in the union’s history. Over 98 percent of eligible members from 36 Locals voted to authorize a strike in the momentous contest for the union — which bargains on behalf of over 150,000 crew members internationally, including cinematographers, operators, grips, editors, costumers and writers assistants, among others. This strike authorization vote concerns around 60,000, or about 40 percent, of those workers. Meanwhile, about 90 percent of eligible voters cast a ballot. Members voted simultaneously between October 1 and October 3 via ballots that were emailed to them, a little under two weeks after international president Matthew D. Loeb announced to members that the union would take the step amid stalled contract talks. “The members have spoken loud and clear,” Loeb said in a statement on Monday. “This vote is about the quality of life as well as the health and safety of those who work in the film and television industry. Our people have basic human needs like time for meal breaks, adequate sleep, and a weekend. For those at the bottom of the pay scale, they deserve nothing less than a living wage.”
JOINING TOGETHER
Workers At Crime-Watch App Citizen Are Unionizing
Vice
By Jason Koebler, Lauren Kaori Gurley and Joseph Cox
October 4, 2021
Sixty-nine workers at the vigilante crime-watch app, Citizen, are unionizing with the Communications Workers of America. The workers petitioned for a union election with the National Labor Relations Board on September 22, and are waiting for approval to conduct a union election, according to the National Labor Relations Board filing. They are calling their union the Citizen Central Operations Union. A spokesperson for Citizen told Motherboard that the company does not support the unionization effort.
Hollywood studios to head back the bargaining table after TV, film crew union authorize a strike
CNBC
By Sarah Whitten
October 4, 2021
Negotiations between Hollywood’s studios and a union representing its film and television crews are set to restart Tuesday after backstage workers voted overwhelmingly to authorize an industry-wide strike Monday. The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees said 90% of eligible voters cast ballots over the weekend, with more than 98% in support of strike authorization. “The members have spoken loud and clear,” Matthew Loeb, president of IATSE, said in a statement Monday. “This vote is about the quality of life as well as the health and safety of those who work in the film and television industry. Our people have basic human needs like time for meal breaks, adequate sleep, and a weekend. For those at the bottom of the pay scale, they deserve nothing less than a living wage.″
Hollywood Crew Union Votes to Authorize Strike Against Studios
The New York Times
By Brooks Barnes and Nicole Sperling
October 4, 2021
Hollywood moved closer to a production shutdown on Monday after one of the film and television industry’s lower-profile unions said that members had overwhelmingly voted to authorize a strike. The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees said that 90 percent of eligible members cast online votes between Friday and Sunday; nearly 99 percent of the votes were in favor of a strike. The union represents some 150,000 crew members in the United States and Canada: camera operators, cinematographers, script coordinators, prop makers, set builders, editors, makeup artists and other behind-the-scenes specialists. About 60,000 members are covered by the contract being renegotiated with studios. “I hope that the studios will see and understand the resolve of our members,” Matthew Loeb, the union’s president, said in a statement. “The ball is in their court. If they want to avoid a strike, they will return to the bargaining table and make us a reasonable offer.”.
Catholic Health, union to meet Tuesday as Mercy Hospital strike continues
The Buffalo News
By Jon Harris
October 4, 2021
When negotiations resume Tuesday, CWA Area Director Debora Hayes said the union is focused on having productive conversations and is prepared to discuss all proposals in detail, such as plans to bolster staffing at Catholic Health's hospitals. “Our No. 1 priority has been negotiating a fair contract that will alleviate the staffing crisis that is wreaking havoc on our hospitals and our community, and we’re glad that Catholic Health is ready to get back to the table and work with us to do that," Hayes said.
New NPR SAG-AFTRA contract expands parental leave, includes DEI provisions
Current
By Tyler Falk
October 4, 2021
Members of NPR’s Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists union voted overwhelmingly Thursday to approve a new three-year contract. The contract increases paid parental leave from eight to 20 weeks and provides an annual 2.5% pay raise. It awaits final approval from the SAG-AFTRA executive committee and would retroactively go into effect Oct. 1 upon approval. The contract covers 521 employees at NPR, including hosts, reporters, newscasters and other audio and digital staffers. The unit’s members voted 324-4 in favor of the contract.