The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, or IATSE, announced today that it will move forward with a strike action on Monday, October 18 if no suitable agreement is reached in the union’s negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which represents such studios as Disney, Paramount and Universal. IATSE represents 60,000 workers in the film and television industry nationwide, and the union has been in contract bargaining all summer for such workers’ rights as an increased minimum wage, humane working hours, and fair pay for work on streaming programming. On October 4, union members voted 98 percent in favor of a work stoppage.
“We will continue bargaining with the producers this week in the hopes of reaching an agreement that addresses core issues, such as reasonable rest periods, meal breaks, and a living wage for those on the bottom of the wage scale,” tweeted IATSE President Matthew D. Loeb in his announcement of the pending strike date. “However, the current pace of bargaining doesn’t reflect any sense of urgency. Without an end date, we could keep talking forever.” A work stoppage from IATSE would bring film and television projects currently filming in the United States to a halt.
