Earlier this week, we reported that the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) were set to strike—just one of many going on recently, as it turns out— as conversations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) were coming to a standstill. The plan was for the trade union to begin their nationwide strike on Monday, immediately causing all Hollywood productions across the country to come to a halt until their demands were met. On Saturday night, a deal suddenly came through, but it’s not one that everyone agrees with.
The new deal, currently being ratified by union members and dubbed the Basic Agreement, will last three years. Addressing IATSE’s core issues, the agreement will lead to reasonable rest periods, retroactive wage increases at 3%, adopting diversity and inclusion initiatives, and living wages for those on the bottom of the pay scale. In a statement, IATSE president Matthew Loeb described this as “a Hollywood ending,” and a landmark agreement. “We went toe to toe with some of the richest and most powerful entertainment and tech companies in the world, and we have now reached an agreement with the AMPTP that meets our members’ needs.”
Though Loeb’s statement paints a happy ending to the story, and many actors have expressed gratitude for reaching an agreement, members of IATSE don’t agree. In the tweet announcing the Basic Agreement, several replies from members have pointed out how little things seemed to have actually changed with this new deal. That same sentiment is on IATSE’s Instagram, with several calling this “insufficient” and saying they’ll certainly be voting “no” to ratify the contract.
At time of writing, IATSE has yet to release another statement addressing the concerns of its members. Speaking to Deadline, an unspecified individual said that this was a “fair deal” for everyone concerned. But that doesn’t appear to be the case, and unless something changes in the near future, IATSE’s fight isn’t as over as Hollywood would like to believe.