Dominic Patten
Etan Vlessing
Greg Evans
Etan Vlessing
Katie Campione
Brian Welk
Katie Campione
Katie Kilkenny
Richard Ormsby
Katie Campione
Katie Campione
Katie Campione
California has passed a SAG-AFTRA endorsed piece of legislation establishing clear legal limits on the use of AI in digital replicas of performers. The bill uses language reflected in the recent SAG-AFTRA agreement to protect performers' voices and likenesses from unfair use. Performers–unionized or not–will majorly benefit from the protections outlined in this legislation now and in the future.
Good news: IATSE has ratified a new three year deal. Members approved both the Basic Agreement and the Area Standards Agreement, passing them with percentages of 85.9 and 87.2, respectively. Many members who voted against the deals were primarily concerned with the IATSE's approach to protecting its members from the influence of AI, saying they have no real power to refuse to work with AI. Still, with the use of AI as a production tool being so fresh, IATSE is said to have the most thorough and evolved set of rules surrounding its use.
The Teamsters, however, are still in negotiations with major studios and hope to produce a tentative three year contract by the end of the week. The two sides are reported to be far from an agreement, with national union leadership being brought into discussions. The main disagreement stems from the union’s desire to substantially increase wages for some of production’s most undervalued workers like location managers, drivers, and chef assistants. Safer working conditions and more equitable pay are the other core issues.
The Civic News Company Writers, represented by WGA East, have ratified a two and a half year contract which sees crucial issues like paid sick leave, disability, and salary minimums addressed. The terms of the contract also address issues surrounding AI, with included protections over the use of a person’s likeness and voice. Inclusivity and support are also at the core of the agreement, with a DEIB committee established to conduct a pay equity analysis along race, gender, and identity lines.
We sent you a special bulletin last week announcing that IATSE and the AMPTP have struck a tentative deal on both the Basic Agreement and the Area Standards Agreement. If you missed it, we highlighted the wage increases (7%, 4%, and 3.5% over the next three years), additional overtime provisions for hourly and on-call workers, guidelines for AI as a tool for production, $700 million for pensions and health plans, more provisions for worker lodging and transportation to prevent accidents. While the deals are still pending ratification, this should be a strike free summer for IATSE.
Labor report: Teamsters and Hollywood Basic Crafts are at the bargaining table after IATSE failed to make progress, and it looks like expanding the California tax credit program is a key point. We’ve talked a lot about tax credits in the newsletter; you might want to check out our interview with a major studio exec on the topic….
Over 400 members, including many high profile ones, of the PGA, DGA, and SAG-AFTRA signed a letter to the AMPTP in support of the union negotiations. You’d hope so after 2023…. And if you’re a drone camera operator, you’re now covered as a part of IATSE Local 600.
At least IATSE isn’t the only union having trouble: The Actors’ Equity Association, which represents 51,000+ live theatre and stage managers, has stopped issuing contracts for development work as negotiations with the Broadway League have stalled.
The writers at iHeart Podcast Network, who are members of the WGA, finally reached a contract with management to avoid a strike—after two years of negotiation.
The PGA’s initiative to get health coverage for qualified members is gaining more momentum. 20 more companies have signed on.
Labor negotiations have stalled. IATSE didn’t meet their first or second set of deadlines for the Basic Agreement, and didn’t meet their first deadline for the Area Standards Agreement. The Teamsters start their negotiations this week and IATSE will have to work around them, so IA has will return to the table on June 24. That leaves just over a month to get a deal done before the July 31 expiration. Onlookers are nervous. Our prediction? Get ready for a strike authorization vote, even if Teamsters boss Lindsay Dougherty says it’s unlikely.
In a likely response to souring morale, IATSE targeted the Daytime Emmys, which are traditionally produced by a non-union crew, for disruption. They planned to picket the awards to condemn use of non-union labor, and the WGA advised its members not to attend rather than cross picket lines. But crisis was averted when the IATSE and the Awards Committee reached a deal to give union benefits to the non-union folks working on the show.
Speaking of, here’s the latest on the labor front: Basic Agreement negotiations, despite a May 16 IATSE deadline, will extend into June. AI is a sticking point. They’ll start on the Area Standards Agreement anyway this week. Nobody has a strike authorization yet, but we’d guess a vote comes soon.
SAG-AFTRA’s new Low Budget Digital Waiver will take effect on June 27, 2024. Talent session and overtime fees are no longer negotiable and talent must be paid no less than minimum scale under the 2022 Commercials Contract, among other changes.
Career building: IATSE Local 871 (writer’s assistants, accountants, and production coordinators) will soon receive an invite to join ProdPro, which is launching a platform to help production workers find work. 871’s 3,500+ members will be invited to free accounts.
General negotiations have begun between IATSE, Teamsters, and Hollywood Basic Crafts vs the AMPTP. The current deal expires July 31; all the locals have resolved their local-specific issues. The shortfall in health and pension plans, which the IATSE is trying to pump nearly $700 million into, looks to be a key issue. You can read our predictions for the deal here, and our prediction for a strike here.
IATSE Local 705, the costumers, reached an agreement with AMPTP on their guild issues, and so did Locals 44 (propmakers and set decorators) and 884 (studios' teachers union). That means all locals have reached agreement on their specific issues. The momentum could be an encouraging sign as the IATSE, Teamsters, and Hollywood Basic Crafts alliance headed into Basic Agreement negotiations last week.
More labor momentum: Sesame Street’s writers (members of the WGA) reached agreement with the show. No cookie shortage for us. And SAG-AFTRA reached an agreement with the major music labels. Why it’s relevant for the below-the-line labor negotiations: Included in the agreement are AI provisions that the terms “artist,” “singer,” and “royalty artist” can only apply to humans.
AFM and AMPTP reach deal: The American Federation of Musicians has also been negotiating a deal with the producers, and they just landed it. Details are forthcoming but you might notice their key terms are close the the same we predicted for below the line in our last edition:
- New residuals on content made for streaming
- Better healthcare contributions for content made for streaming
- A performance bonus for content on popular shows
- Protections against generative AI and compensation when performances are used in conjunction with AI
Related: SAG-AFTRA has come to terms on its animation agreement.
SAG-AFTRA is pushing an AI bill in California that would require actors’ consent when studios use their“digital replicas”—an improvement and clarification on the language in their 2023 deal with studios.
Cinematographers Guild and Artists Guild reach agreements: IATSE Locals 600 and 800 both reached tentative deals with the AMPTP on their guild-specific issues. So did Local 729, the set painters and sign writers, and Local 695, which is the production sound, video assist, video engineering, and studio projection technicians. The locals are negotiating two at a time for their particulars; next up is the Motion Picture Editors Guild. Negotiations are ongoing for the big issues we talk about above, but maybe there is reason for optimism.