IATSE strike

[Blue Jam]

As widely expected, the International Association of Theatrical Stage Employees have voted overwhelmingly in favour of authorising the biggest strike in Hollywood since WWII, and one which may have the potential to make the Writer's Strike look like a minor inconvenience by comparison:

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/iatse-strike-vote-results-1235017990/

In a nutshell:

https://variety.com/2021/film/news/iatse-strike-authorization-vote-explainer-1235076384/

What do the unions want?

Though money is definitely part of it, the primary issues relate to workers' quality of life. The industry has long expected workers to put in 14-hour days during production, if not longer. The shift to streaming and the explosion of demand has only sped up the pace. Before, workers might have expected weeks of downtime between shows. Now they can jump from one show to the next. Workers complain of exhaustion, and of being too tired to drive home safely.

The union is seeking a 10-hour minimum "turnaround" — the time between production days — for all workers on all types of productions. The union negotiators argue that workers need a minimum of eight hours at home, plus an hour each way to commute to set. Some classifications have that already, but others have only eight- or nine-hour turnarounds.

The unions are also seeking a minimum 54-hour turnaround on weekends. That would put an end to the dreaded "Fraturday" — a late-Friday shift that ends on Saturday morning. They also want to dramatically increase meal penalties, which are the payments that productions are obligated to provide if workers do not get a meal break. For many workers, a production will have to pay $8.50 for the first half-hour without a meal, $11 for the second half-hour, and then $13.50 for each half-hour after that. Those payments can work out to hundreds of extra dollars a week — though at the cost of having to eat standing up or skipping meals entirely. Unions have suggested increasing those payments as much as threefold, as a way of forcing studios to actually take the meal break, rather than just budgeting in the penalties.

Some of these provisions are already in place on other IATSE contracts, and the union argues that productions have found a way to make it work.

It looks like The Third Golden Age Of Television has led to a massive increase in the production of titles for streaming media, and studios have failed to appreciate that production staff can't cope with the greater demands placed on them, with many missing lunch breaks and also fearing a repeat of one camera operator dying in a car crash after falling asleep while driving home from a 19-hour work day.

The demands for a lunch break and a proper rest between work days really doesn't seem much to ask, and I guess we've all already got too much streaming media to catch up on.  I'm guessing the impact won't be noticed by consumers of media as much as the Writer's Strike was, when there was less to watch overall so less of stuff like House and Breaking Bad didn't go unnoticed, hopefully this will put more pressure on the studios panicking over getting more new dramas in the pipeline, and trying to get their next flagship drama ready to go for when the old ones conclude.

[chveik]

good. a wide scale streaming services boycott would help but where things stand it's never going to happen

[mothman]

Boycott as in not watching, or as in cancelling subscriptions? I presume you mean the latter. As you say, yes it'd be a stretch.

[An tSaoi]

The union is seeking a 10-hour minimum "turnaround" — the time between production days — for all workers on all types of productions. The union negotiators argue that workers need a minimum of eight hours at home, plus an hour each way to commute to set. Some classifications have that already, but others have only eight- or nine-hour turnarounds.

Jesus, imagine driving an hour to work, working, driving an hour back home, sleeping, then driving to work again. I do an 8 hour day, and I live 5 mins from work, but I get in a bad mood when I have to do just a couple of hours overtime. I'd strangle somebody under those conditions.

[Blue Jam]

...and imagine being that sleep-deprived and then not having a proper lunchbreak on top of that... it's a wonder more actors and directors haven't been murdered by crews.

[Mister Six]

Makes me fume, this kind of shit. Given the money sloshing around in Hollywood, it's fucking unforgivable. But of course it all goes to the brainless execs who don't know or care about cinema, and not to the poor fuckers who have to heft a boom mike around for 10 hours with no lunch, then drive home.

[Dex Sawash]

I'm affiliated with General Organised-labor Association of Theatrical Stage Employees and our union may go out  fuckitpost

[Jerzy Bondov]

I'm affiliated with General Organised-labor Association of Theatrical Stage Employees and our union may go out  fuckitpost

That's a bit of a stretch

[bgmnts]

Makes me fume, this kind of shit. Given the money sloshing around in Hollywood, it's fucking unforgivable. But of course it all goes to the brainless execs who don't know or care about cinema, and not to the poor fuckers who have to heft a boom mike around for 10 hours with no lunch, then drive home.

You say this but how will films get maid if executives aren't being paid millions for doing whatever made up role they do? You have to think about these things.

[Mister Six]

Can't believe I wrote "boom mike". What a cunt.

[Butchers Blind]

Imagine working those hours and conditions and then what you've been slaving for turns out to be a piece of shit. Demoralising.

[Blue Jam]

Strike date set for October the 18th, unless an agreement is reached before then:

https://iatse.net/strike-date-set-for-60000-film-and-television-workers/

[JamesTC]

A three-year deal has been struck to avert strike action.

[Lord Mandrake]

Can't believe I wrote "boom mike". What a cunt Boomer

[Replies From View]

GIATSE more like

[Replies From View]

Can't believe I wrote "boom mike". What a cunt.

What's the millennials' word for them?

[Lord Mandrake]

Probably boom mic, same as ours.