Using fiery terms such as “solidarity is the solution to corporate greed” and “if we don't get what we want, we'll shut it down on day one,” union leaders on Sunday organized what was described as a “gathering of unity”. to revive crew workers before the start of joint negotiations on Monday between IATSE, Teamsters Local 399 and Hollywood Basic Crafts with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers.
Hundreds of workers from all facets of the modest community, from electricians and plasterers to riggers, costume designers and script supervisors, gathered in a park just west of I-405 in Encino, California. to prepare for what they hope will be a successful negotiation period with the studios.
This year's bargaining round marks the first time since 1988 that IATSE, the Teamsters and Hollywood Basic Crafts have jointly negotiated health and retirement benefits for their members under the Joint Motion Picture Pension and Health Plan. . IATSE will continue negotiations on its IATSE Hollywood Basic Agreement and IATSE Regional Standard Agreement contracts as well as issues specific to local unions. The Teamsters and Hollywood Basic Crafts are expected to negotiate with AMPTP in early June to resolve their specific local issues.
To return the favor when so many crew workers joined actors and writers on the picket line last summer, SAG and WGA members were front and center to hear the speeches and shout “several professions, one fight” with everyone.
“Isn’t it great to have a rally without a strike? request Lindsay Doughertychief negotiator for Teamsters Local 399while looking out at the parking lot of workers – most of whom wore black T-shirts and sported union T-shirts that read “pay equity now” and “nothing moves without the team.”
“This is what solidarity looks like,” Dougherty continued. “As everyone knows, the Teamsters are not afraid of combat and neither is the IATSE. And although WGA and SAG-AFTRA had to strike last year to get what they needed, I'm here to tell AMPTP – and they know it and that's why they fear us the most – that 'with IATSE and the Teamsters together, if we do this, If we don't get what we want, we will shut it down on day one.
SAG-AFTRA Chief Negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland attended the rally to issue a warning about the upcoming negotiations.
“Studios and streamers are probably going to use the same tired playbook that they used with us last year and with the Writers Guild,” he began. “There will be a public disinformation campaign aimed at sowing discord between you and all of us. Messages will be broadcast about how your jobs will be replaced by technology. They will say that the lack of work and the end of pilot seasons are the fault of the union. But we all know the truth. These are the employers who chase quarterly figures instead of pursuing a sustainable business model.
One of the harshest comments Sunday came from Teamsters general president Sean O'Brien, who called the studios “white-collar crime syndicates.”
“It is time, brothers and sisters, to make them realize that if they thought they had a fight last summer, they cannot even predict what will happen to them,” he said. “I have never been so proud to see the courage and conviction to support our brothers and sisters from both respective unions. Because the only thing that is predictable with these companies is…. they are not that bright. You'd think they would have learned last year from taking on two strong unions. These unions, like all of us, do not have the financial means. We don't have the funding but we have the courage. We had the courage and conviction to fight. And I think we can all agree that we are desperate and being desperate is great. Being desperate means we don't care about the consequences of our actions. We don't worry about public relations. What's important to us is making sure that our members… who make these white-collar crime syndicates successful… it's not about what they're going to give us. It's about what we're going to demand and do moving forward. Are you ready to fight?
IATSE boss Matthew Loeb concluded the rally by declaring: “We are the antidote to the greed that has been imposed on us.”
“This is our family. Look at someone you don't know and tell them you support them. “Because that’s what it’s going to take, folks,” he said. “This is a very clear message that all unions in the entertainment industry are united here. And this has never happened before, but I think it will continue to happen in the future as we build strength and solidarity.