IATSE reaches tentative agreement to avoid strike in Hollywood

The IATSE union has reached a preliminary agreement with Hollywood studios on a new contract that is intended to prevent another prolonged strike in the entertainment industry.

The crew members’ union and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) announced the three-year contract late Tuesday night. It will cover around 50,000 employees on productions by Netflix, Disney, Amazon and other studios.

Their current contract expires in July. It is not known when members will vote on whether or not to ratify the treaty.

If approved, the crew will receive salary increases, improvements in pensions and health insurance, new safety regulations, royalties and other benefits, and new protections against the use of artificial intelligence.

Last week, hundreds of members of both guilds published a public letter calling on the studios to offer IATSE a fair contract.

“These crew members dedicate their lives to their art and their departments – working long hours in often difficult conditions to bring stories to life,” said the letter, signed by stars including Mark Ruffalo and Seth Rogen. “The ability to do their jobs safely and be fairly compensated is essential for our members to be able to do our work. Without the crew, nothing happens.”

Hollywood came to an abrupt halt last year when the Writers Guild of America and the Screen Actors’ Guild went on strike. New contracts were agreed to after a few months, but the strike left the industry in disarray.

In response to the concessions won by unions in these strikes, studios have reportedly cut spending on new projects.