Ladies and gentlemen, there’s some news that hit earlier this week that actually doesn’t involve any specific movie release or production. No, this has to do with the IATSE union. What is IATSE? It stands for the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees. It’s one of the most important unions in Hollywood, if not the most important. Hollywood, as most people probably know is pretty much a union town. It’s part of how the industry operates. There’s a lot of contract negotiations going on between organizations, actors, directors, what have you. IATSE is unique in that they represent nearly 150,000 members of the Hollywood crafts scene. Let me get a little more specific. When you watch a movie, what do you see on screen? You see costumes, buildings, explosions, lighting, camera-movements and other stuff like that. You can thank IATSE for all of that. The people that IATSE represent and protect are film editors, sound and set designers, builders, electricians, costume designers, caterers, hair dressers, and make-up artists. Essentially, these people are literally the nuts and bolts of the film industry. Sure, you’ve got actors and directors who are important, and the unions that represent THEM are as equally important. But without set builders and electricians and all these relatively unknown people, you’ve got nothing. So, whenever you watch the end credits of a TV show or movie, look for this symbol at the very end. It’s attached to nearly every production in the United States.
I bring that up to bring this up: Earlier this week, according to The Hollywood Reporter, members of IATSE have called for what is known as a “strike authorization.” It’s not the same as a strike. What this does is that it allows the union to go ahead with a strike if contract negotiations break down or reach an impasse. This is happening because members of IATSE are returning to incredibly intensive schedules following the pandemic. You have to understand that people who work in this industry work tough hours on a regular basis, averaging about 12 hours a days, sometimes up to twenty. It’s a very demanding industry, and that’s why unions are important to help protect the workers. The problem here is that film producers want more for less. They want everything, but they’re not willing to pay for it, which puts the folks in IATSE in a bit of a bind. The work conditions faced by these workers has been an issue for years, and the workers are sick of it. I don’t blame them. You’re working all these hours and you don’t get a lot of time to rest or see your family? There’s something inherently wrong with the system and the workers are fighting back. They should be. It’s obvious that the winds are changing in the film industry with video-on-demand and streaming services. It’s an evolving beast. But the higher-ups at some of these places and studios don’t seem to understand that if you piss off the people that work for you, you’re not going to be able to provide a product for the masses, who in turn, will tear you to shreds.
Let’s say, for the sake of argument, that IATSE votes to strike. What would happen? Basically, Hollywood shuts down, and that’s not hyperbole. Every US-based film and TV production would be brought to a standstill, even if the production is taking place in another country. The movies that are already in the can and ready to be released, will be released on schedule, but any film that’s in any sort of production will come to a complete halt pending the outcome of these negotiations. This is HUGE. This potential strike has the possibility of changing work-place behaviors and standards to better accommodate the people that are working on these projects. These people are incredibly important. If you don’t have them, you don’t have a movie. It’s that simple. What are the odds of IATSE actually striking? There’s a very strong possibility that they will. Now, will negotiations between other organizations come to an amicable conclusion to prevent a strike? It’s another possibility. The billion-dollar question has to be asked: If IATSE strikes, will the strike succeed? Honestly, I don’t know. I’m no contract lawyer, and I have no idea what’s going on in those negotiations. I’m just some dumb schmuck with a microphone and a keyboard. Do I think they should strike? Absolutely. One of the biggest things about unions is their bargaining power. IATSE is in the unique position of being one of the most powerful unions in Hollywood, while representing OTHER smaller unions under their umbrella. The people that IATSE represent deserve fair wages and compensation for a hard day’s work, as do we all. But they also deserve time off to rest and recuperate. Changes HAVE to be made.
Be aware that the film industry is still feeling the effects of the writer’s strike back in 2007-2008. Any strike from these unions has a lasting impact on the industry, which is why it’s important that you don’t piss them off. Negotiate until the cows come home, but get it to the point where both sides are satisfied. If IATSE votes to strike, you can pretty much bet hard money that most movies in production will have their release dates pushed back significantly. It’s in everybody’s best interest to get this situation resolved as quickly as possible. Again, this is not about actually striking, but rather a strike authorization. To get a strike authorization, IATSE needs a majority of delegates from participating locals to vote in favor of authorization. This is an incredibly fascinating situation and I’m going to be keeping my eyes on it and see what develops. I’ll let you folks know if anything changes.