IATSE announced on Monday that members of the union have voted to ratify the two new contracts, the Basic Agreement and the Area Standards Agreement, with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), according to a press release. AMPTP is a trade group that represents the major studios, streaming services, and Hollywood producers. The combined vote for both contracts was 359 (56 percent) to 282 (44 percent) out of 641 total delegate votes from the 36 local unions eligible. The three-year contracts are ratified through an electoral-college system, with 72 percent of eligible union members casting ballots. “Our goal was to achieve fair contracts that work for IATSE members in television and film — that address quality-of-life issues and conditions on the job like rest and meal breaks,” said IATSE International president Matthew Loeb. “We met our objectives for this round of bargaining and built a strong foundation for future agreements.”
The popular vote among eligible members was a closer call, with only 50.3 percent of members voting yes for both contracts. However, for the basic agreement, the majority voted no, with 50.4 percent of members voting no to 49.6 percent voting yes, resulting in eight locals voting yes and five locals voting no. IATSE members have begun expressing disappointment in the ratification of the contracts, pointing out the results of popular vote for the Basic Agreement.
