IATSE Talks Focus on $670 Million Shortfall in Health and Pension Plans
¡Hola, mi gente! Get ready for a bustling update from the heart of Hollywood, where the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) has just wrapped up its primera semana of ‘general’ negotiations on a shiny new contract. They’re taking a little respiro now, but the dialogues will pick up again next week.
The past week has been a whirlwind, focusing intensively on reshaping the union’s benefit plans, which, mi amigos, are currently facing a hefty $670 million shortfall that needs attention over the next three years. These talks are crucial as they discuss el futuro of about 50,000 film and TV trabajadores under IATSE’s Basic Agreement with the big bosses at the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers.
Este problema came into the spotlight when last year’s strikes meant extending health coverage to out-of-work members, dramatically widening the funding gaps y dejando un hueco grande that couldn’t be ignored. Despite the intense discussions, a brief update on Friday left everyone hanging with no clear indicación of progress.
But here’s the scoop: from camera operators to those magical hairstylists and grips, these incredible craftspeople primarily based in Los Angeles are all included in the conversation to ensure their crafts don’t just survive, but thrive. And with the current contract ticking down to its expiration on July 31, every moment of negotiation counts.
One of the union’s primordiales prioridades is crafting a new fuente of funding for these benefit plans traditionally fed by employer contributions, which depend heavily on work hours. This model stumbled as the pandemic and the strikes cut deeply into these hours, causing a major financial drought. Mike Miller, the passionate international vice president of IATSE, shared in a recent interview that they’re eyeing a “safety net” to catch the plans during future unexpected disruptions. They’re thinking innovatively, pushing for a new residual payment model from streaming platforms that would flow irrespective of production buzz.
This potential change aims to shift some of the financial cargas towards the streamers, easing off production companies not linked with these platforms. And guess what? This shift also reflects the need to adapt to the rocketing costs of healthcare, where members currently enjoy zero premiums for individual plans and minimal costs for their dependientes.
The plot continues! From Monday to Wednesday last week, even the Teamsters and other Hollywood Basic Craft unions joined the stage to negotiate benefits. And the talks got into the weeds of ‘working conditions’ by the end of the week, focusing on ensuring that everyone gets sufficient rest periods and checks on meal penalties—a caliente topic from the 2021 bargaining chapter.
Now, toning down the drama, the AMPTP has skillfully reached 13 tentative deals with each IATSE local, covering critical issues across the crafts during five intense weeks of chats in March and April. Looking ahead, the discussions are expected to twist into topics like wages and the complexities of artificial intelligence in the workplace, which promises to be a futuristic showdown.
Though it’s still a mystery whether a strike authorization will be in the cards, which would undoubtedly spice up the stakes, Miller assures us that the team is laser-focused on hammering out a deal that respects and elevates their dynamic comunidad. So, hold tight, because there’s more negotiation drama to unfold over the next two weeks with the Basic Agreement before moving onto talks under the Area Standards Agreement and later, the Basic Crafts negotiations.
Stick with us, amigos! We’ll keep you posted with all the vibrant details as our heroes behind the scenes fight to keep their lights shining bright in Hollywood. ¡Hasta la próxima, compadres!
