General negotiations for IATSE’s new three-year contract with the studios begin on Monday.
Last week, Affiliated Property Craftspersons Local 44 became the 13th and final local to reach agreement on craft-specific issues in the framework agreement. Now the union is laying out some of the proposals it will put forward for general discussions affecting all members.
In a memo to members over the weekend, IATSE called this stage of the negotiations “more complex and consequential as it encompasses the larger and most important issues impacting the craft.”
General proposals include wage increases and residual funding for health and pension insurance, as well as protections against artificial intelligence. IATSE also wants to introduce a 401(k), increase rest penalties and increase sick leave.
The union particularly stressed the need to secure “a significant amount of additional income” for the film industry’s pension and health plans after last year’s work stoppages slowed employers’ contributions to the funds at a time when claims were rising .
IATSE estimates that its proposals will pump an additional $670 million into the funds over the course of the new three-year agreement, if approved by the AMPTP. However, the union also notes that it is “deeply aware of the desire to improve health and pension benefits for our members” and is exploring other options to strengthen the fund.
Wages and job security were expected to be at the heart of these negotiations, given not only last year’s double strikes but also the corrosive effects of inflation and the rising cost of living – all of which have hit union members below the union rank and file particularly hard.
The union’s 2021 agreement secured additional funding for health and pension plans, as well as a 3% annual minimum wage increase for the life of the contract. This contract expires on July 31st.
Negotiations on the basic agreement are expected to last until mid-May. IATSE will then continue negotiations on the Area Standards Agreement, which covers 23 additional IATSE locals throughout the United States
Once the IATSE is complete, the Teamsters and other Hollywood Basic Crafts will begin negotiations in June. They will also soon gather again with IATSE at the negotiating table to discuss the pension and health proposals they jointly presented to the AMPTP in March.
Deadline understands that the studios did not submit a counter-proposal to the health and pension plans in recent weeks, as IATSE studio locals negotiated on the West Coast.