labor
Casting Assistants Unanimously Vote to Unionize With Teamsters Locals
Freelance casting assistants in New York and Los Angeles have unanimously voted to unionize with two Teamsters Locals. In a National Labor Relations Board vote whose ballots were counted on Monday, 91 casting assistants employed by top studios supported unionizing with Teamsters Locals 399 and 817. The election took place between July 19 and Aug. […]
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Animation Guild Fires Up Members at Pre-Negotiations Rally: “We’re Going to Win Our Industry Back”
Animation workers and supporters argued that recent technological and business shifts have left their craft hanging in the balance during a packed union rally in Burbank on Saturday, with one speaker positing that “the American animation industry is at stake.” The Animation Guild (IATSE Local 839) organized the event before it heads into bargaining over […]
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After Walkout, Crooked Media Union Reaches Tentative Deal With ‘Pod Save America’ Company
After a rocky final stretch of negotiations, the union representing staff members at Crooked Media and the progressive media company behind Pod Save America have reached a tentative contract agreement. The labor group and management jointly announced their provisional deal, which is still subject to ratification, on Friday. “We’re delighted to have agreed on a […]
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Apple TV Visual Effects Workers Unanimously Vote to Join IATSE
IATSE appears to have succeeded in unionizing another group of visual effects workers. Twelve workers on several Apple Studios shows voted unanimously to join the union in a National Labor Relations Board ballot count that took place on Tuesday afternoon, an NLRB spokesperson told The Hollywood Reporter and IATSE confirmed. IATSE and Apple now have […]
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Hollywood’s Divide on Artificial Intelligence Is Only Growing
The arrival of artificial intelligence hit Hollywood like an earthquake. It was 2022. Layoffs, cost-cutting and what appeared to be an inevitable strike from writers was looming and the industry was in flux. That fall, OpenAI released an early demo of ChatGPT in what became the first momentous moment of the tech entering the public […]
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Cathy Repola to Retire as National Executive Director of Editors Guild
Cathy Repola will retire as the national executive director of the Motion Picture Editors Guild at the end of January 2025. Repola has worked at the Editors Guild, IATSE Local 700, for 32 years, and has been national executive director since 2016. A search committee will be appointed to fill the position. “Working for the […]
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Crooked Media Union Members Stage Walkout Over Contract Negotiations
Members of the Crooked Media Workers Union are conducting a one-day walkout Monday after more than a year of contract negotiations with the progressive podcasting and media network. The primary asks for the contract include competitive salary minimums, annual cost-of-living adjustments and safeguards against layoffs. More than 95 percent of the 61-member bargaining unit, who […]
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Hollywood Basic Crafts Overwhelmingly Ratify New Deal With Studios and Streamers
Quelling fears of another strike in entertainment, Hollywood Basic Crafts coalition members on Thursday voted to ratify their unions’ new three-year deal with major studios and streamers. Each of the Basic Craft Locals saw overwhelming ratification by their respective memberships: LiUNA! Local 724 with 96 percent; IBEW Local 40 with 92 percent; OPCMIA Local 755 […]
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Another Major Hollywood Union Backs Kamala Harris for President
Hollywood’s unions and guilds are beginning to rally behind Kamala Harris in the 2024 election. The Writers Guild of America West’s political action committee on Thursday endorsed Harris for president. In a statement, WGAW chief Meredith Stiehm stressed that she’s “consistently supported writers,” most recently by “refusing to cross our picket line” during the 2023 […]
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Disneyland Workers Ratify New Contract With Wage Gains, Improved Sick Leave
Disneyland workers voted to approve their new three-year contract about a week after voting to authorize a strike if an agreement could not be reached. The workers, representing 14,000 cast members at Disneyland, Disney California Adventure, Downtown Disney and the Disney hotels in jobs including custodians, ride operators, candy makers and merchandise clerks, voted to […]
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Hollywood Basic Crafts Reach Tentative Deal With Studios and Streamers
After several suspenseful weeks, the Hollywood Basic Crafts union coalition said it reached a tentative agreement with Hollywood studios and streamers. The group announced the provisional deal, which is still subject to a ratification vote by members, on July 27. “After a long last 48-hours, we are PROUD to report that ALL Hollywood Basic Crafts […]
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Equity Stands in “Total Solidarity” With Sister Union SAG-AFTRA Amid Video Game Strike
The British sister union of SAG-AFTRA is standing in “total solidarity” with its U.S. counterparts after a strike was called against major video game studios. SAG-AFTRA had been in talks over a new contract agreement for close to two years. It would cover voice and performance capture workers on titles from Disney Character Voices, Activision […]
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