IATSE Lays Out Contract Proposals, Including “Substantial” Health & Pension Plan Increases, As General Negotiations Begin

IATSE and AMPTP
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Monday marks the start of general negotiations for IATSE‘s new three-year contract with the studios.

Last week, the Affiliated Property Craftspersons Local 44 became the 13th and final local to reach an agreement on craft-specific issues in the Basic Agreement. Now, the union is laying out some of the proposals it will bring to the table for general talks, which impact all members.

In a memo to members over the weekend, IATSE called this leg of negotiations “more complex and consequential, as they encompass the larger and most important issues impacting the crafts.”

Among the general proposals are wage increases and residual funding for the health and pension plan, as well as protections against artificial intelligence. IATSE is also looking to establish a 401(k), increase penalties for rest periods, and enhance sick leave.

The union specifically highlighted the need to “secure a substantial amount of additional income” for the Motion Picture Industry Pension & Health Plans, after last year’s work stoppages slowed employer contributions to the funds during a time where claims were going up.

IATSE estimates its proposals will pump another $670M into the funds over the course of the new three-year agreement, if approved by the AMPTP. However, the union also notes that it is “deeply aware of the desire to improve health and pension benefits for our members” and is exploring other avenues to bolster the fund.

Wages and job security were expected to be focal points of these negotiations, given not only last year’s dual strikes but also the corrosive effects of inflation and cost-of-living increases — all of which have hit below-the-line union members particularly hard.

The union’s 2021 agreement secured additional funding for the health and pension plans as well as a 3% minimum wage increase every year for the duration of the contract. That contract is set to expire on July 31.

Talks for the Basic Agreement are expected to run until mid-May, at which point IATSE will continue into bargaining for the Area Standards Agreement, which covers 23 additional IATSE locals across the U.S.

Once IATSE has wrapped, the Teamsters and other Hollywood Basic Crafts will hold negotiations in June. They will also regroup with IATSE at the negotiating table soon to address the pension and health proposals that they jointly presented to the AMPTP in March.

Deadline understands that the studios did not return a counterproposal regarding the health and pension plans in the last few weeks as the IATSE west coast studio locals negotiated.

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