With 98% support in the vote among its members, the IATSE (International Alliance of Theater Stage Employees) —the union of workers, technicians, props, artisans, etc. in film, television and other arts— threatens a strike that could paralyze Hollywood for a long time.
Whether or not there finally is will depend on the negotiations, which have been stalled for months, resume at some point. At least Matthew D. Loeb, the president of the IATSE hopes that the AMPTP (Association of film and television producers) will take into account this real possibility to sign an agreement that satisfies both parties.
If we reach a strike, we will find the first nationwide in the 128 years that the organization has had. The most serious episode was in the middle of the Second World War, in the so-called Warner Bros. War when the organization was controlled by the mafia.
On this occasion, the current situation comes after the failure in the negotiation of a new agreement, which expired last July. The erosion of the pandemic and the streaming boom (which has different conditions than traditional media) have caused unsustainable situations in a sector characterized by, among other things, his endless days of filming. According to Loeb:
“This vote is about the quality of life and also the health and safety of those who work in the film and television industry. Our people have basic human needs such as time for a meal break, adequate sleep, and a weekend. For those at the bottom of the scale, they need nothing less than a salary to live.
In fact, in addition to the salary improvements, one of the key points of the negotiations was found in the rest granted to workers, claiming a minimum of 10 hours between day and day and weekends of 54 hours.
The threat of a strike —which would involve some sixty thousand workers, including technicians, technicians, electricians, artisans and others— comes at a time when production (especially television) has been retaken stronger than ever, especially in quantity.