IATSE Set to Strike Hollywood Mon If No Contract

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Mark Jeffries

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Oct 13, 2021, 11:41:46 AM10/13/21
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The walkout would essentially shut down film and television production in North America--the union representing thousands of below-the-line employees claims that the Association of Motion Picture and Television Producers is dragging its feet on new contracts:


As I understand it, New York is a separate contract and theoretically would not be included (although there could be sympathy strikes).  Commercials, low budget indie films and premium channels contracts are also not affected.  A lot of reality shows are non-union and would continue production.  If my statement is correct, there could still be news shows and new Fallon, Colbert, Meyers, "View" and "TDS" on Monday.  There could also be an attempt to bring scabs in on Kimmel, Corden and "The Talk," but the other unions have pretty much indicated that they are going to honor the picket lines.

And the IA has been frisky in theatrical jurisdictions lately--a threatened strike at the Kennedy Center in Washington was averted last week and there was a half-day strike at a suburban Boston theater company that got settled.

Kevin M.

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Oct 13, 2021, 12:42:39 PM10/13/21
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Most in other industry unions like SAG/AFTRA have stated publicly they will not work, in solidarity with their IATSE friends. 

I have come to enjoy Hollywood strikes; it tends to bring a degree of humility to all involved, and it reminds us that the entire industry is expendable. In this specific instance, I do side with the union, as their demands are quite reasonable. Ultimately I suspect they will settle for a lab increased pay rate for streaming productions closer to (but still not equal to) broadcast/cable/major studio productions, and the industry will offer a vague “pledge to try” to limit work days to eight hours, but that the hours won’t change for the most part. 
 

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Kevin M. (RPCV)

M-D November

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Oct 13, 2021, 1:20:41 PM10/13/21
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What about Canadian production? Lots of American TV (particularly sci-fi & CW superhero shows) gets produced in our neighbor to the north.  Has there been any indication that their union intends a sympathy strike?

Tom Wolper

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Oct 13, 2021, 1:30:43 PM10/13/21
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On Wed, Oct 13, 2021 at 11:41 AM Mark Jeffries <spotl...@gmail.com> wrote:
 
There could also be an attempt to bring scabs in on Kimmel, Corden and "The Talk," but the other unions have pretty much indicated that they are going to honor the picket lines.

Good luck getting guests. Plus, if Kimmel and/or Corden brought on scabs to continue their shows, that would become their brand and they know it.

Mark Jeffries

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Oct 13, 2021, 2:01:55 PM10/13/21
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The IA does include Canada.  There may be attempts to take production to Australia or New Zealand--some scripted shows, including Joseph Gordon-Levitt's Apple+ show "Mr. Corman," were shot in those countries in the last year and Fox's reboot of "Name That Tune" was shot in Sydney with US expat contestants.  Of course, this was being done because of COVID, although recently Australia's two main production cities have been hit again with lockdowns due to the Delta Variant.

Mark Jeffries
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Mark Jeffries

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Oct 13, 2021, 2:08:58 PM10/13/21
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The precedent is that in the past when NABET (or in CBS' case the IBEW) has struck, supervisory personnel has taken over but no picket lines were being honored.  Kevin would know better than I which departments for videotape production are IA (I know for sure it's stage crew, lighting crew and stage managers) and if there is supervisory personnel that could take over.  In this instance, though, I suspect that if you tune in to Kimmel Monday night it's going to be a rerun if there is a strike.

I suspect that Sam Bee will be affected as well--she tapes her show now in Connecticut and they will be on the lines.  She could try to go back to Jason Jones shooting her in their backyard, but union personnel is still going to edit the show.

Mark Jeffries
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Doug Eastick

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Oct 14, 2021, 12:25:23 AM10/14/21
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Corden is on break this week, I think. Unsure about next week.

Guess Nick Bernstein will have to pick some more mediocre shows to rerun.



Kevin M.

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Oct 14, 2021, 12:28:03 AM10/14/21
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On Wed, Oct 13, 2021 at 9:25 PM Doug Eastick <eas...@mcd.on.ca> wrote:
Corden is on break this week, I think. Unsure about next week.

Guess Nick Bernstein will have to pick some more mediocre shows to rerun.

In Nick’s defense, he refused to play along with the lame James Bond bit last week 

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Bob Jersey

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Oct 17, 2021, 9:45:50 AM10/17/21
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Mark Jeffries

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Oct 17, 2021, 3:50:06 PM10/17/21
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Social media seems not to be satisfied.  I would suspect it may not be ratified and there might be wildcat strikes tomorrow.

Mark Jeffries
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Kevin M.

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Oct 17, 2021, 6:33:17 PM10/17/21
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It addresses exactly none of the cited grievances. The disparity between network/studio and streaming pay still exists, and the hours change can be ignited if crews adopt a six day production week as standard, which many do already (hence the problem). If I was in IATSE, I’d be ten types of pissed. 

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Kevin M.

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Oct 18, 2021, 12:23:32 AM10/18/21
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Looks like the actual contract won’t be voted on for a few weeks when they’ve finalized the language. In the meantime, production will continue and the majority seems to be planning to vote against it.

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Kevin M. (RPCV)

PGage

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Oct 18, 2021, 12:40:10 AM10/18/21
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I have been following this a bit today as things unfolded online. Any thoughts as to why Variety and Deadline seemed to be pushing the story initially as “Strike is over, Union won!”, when so many Union workers almost immediately panned it as DOA? Are the media outlets in the pockets of producers, or were they misled by Union Leadership? 

My Union (Mental Health workers at Kaiser) is currently voting on a strike authorization. My impression is that the Union leadership is more radical (pro-strike) than the membership, though we may well vote fir our third strike in five years. But I am interested in why (if indeed the case) the leadership of the ISTSE seems to be more conservative than it’s membership? 

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Kevin M.

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Oct 18, 2021, 12:56:57 AM10/18/21
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On Sun, Oct 17, 2021 at 9:40 PM PGage <pga...@gmail.com> wrote:

I have been following this a bit today as things unfolded online. Any thoughts as to why Variety and Deadline seemed to be pushing the story initially as “Strike is over, Union won!”, when so many Union workers almost immediately panned it as DOA? Are the media outlets in the pockets of producers, or were they misled by Union Leadership? 

My Union (Mental Health workers at Kaiser) is currently voting on a strike authorization. My impression is that the Union leadership is more radical (pro-strike) than the membership, though we may well vote fir our third strike in five years. But I am interested in why (if indeed the case) the leadership of the ISTSE seems to be more conservative than it’s membership? 

My response would be anecdotal, but my friends still in the industry believe there’s a genuine disconnect between union leadership and those working the union jobs. It’s not that they screwed up; it’s that the leadership doesn’t even realize the extent to which they failed the workers. The leadership thought it was a win, based on what I couldn’t begin to speculate. The biggest issues — the hours and the pay difference — we’re almost totally ignored. It’s like sending a spouse to the store for milk but the spouse comes back with cheese. It might be nice cheese, but they needed milk. 

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Kevin M. (RPCV)

PGage

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Oct 18, 2021, 1:14:45 AM10/18/21
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 Have failed my wife in that way on occasion, but because I was not effectively listening to my wife, not because a Big Cheese Company paid me to get cheese instead of milk. 

My grandfather worked on the line for Ford for 30 years, and I remember he felt that there were times when the Union leaders, fat and well paid and more used to fancy board rooms than the assembly line, had forgotten what it was like fir the guys on the floor.

David Bruggeman

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Oct 18, 2021, 3:32:24 AM10/18/21
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For what it's worth, All Things Considered aired a short piece on this development, including an interview with a union official.  When asked to (I'm paraphrasing) name the top achievement in the agreement, mentioned fully funded benefits before pivoting to better working hours.

It's one data point, but it would support Kevin's speculation.

David

Mark Jeffries

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Oct 18, 2021, 1:21:48 PM10/18/21
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It should be pointed out that the trades are all owned in part (The Hollywood Reporter) or in whole (Variety, Deadline) by Penske Media.  Penske's partner in THR (and Billboard and Rolling Stone) is Media Rights Capital ("House of Cards," the former dick clark productions, now MRC Live & Alternative).  Even though the connections are always mentioned where necessary and there is a certain amount of independence (THR opinion writers have not hidden their contempt for the HFPA or the Golden Globes in print or in podcasts, then having to mention the connection between the Globes and their corporate co-owners), but you do have the major trades owned by the people on the management side.

Mark Jeffries
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