User:LuK3/2021 IATSE strike

Between October 1–3, 2021, members of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) voted almost unanimously to authorize a strike. The vote to strike came after negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) over the Hollywood Basic Agreement (covering the Los Angeles area) and the Area Standards Agreement (covering the rest of the country) broke down in September 2021.

The union's list of demands include higher minimum wages, a minimum time period between the end of one day and the start of another, an end to the current classification of streaming as "New Media" with lower minimum wages, and measures to dissuade studios from skipping breaks for meals. IATSE and AMPTP reached an agreement for a new three-year contact on October 16.

Background
The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees is a labor union representing 150,000 below-the-line television, film, and theater production workers in the United States and Canada. The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers is a trade association representing entertainment production companies. AMPTP have represented major production studios in contract negotiations with television and film unions like SAG-AFTRA, Writers Guild of America, and Directors Guild of America.

The potential strike would be the first in IATSE's history. It would also be the first major strike since Hollywood Black Friday in 1945 where 10,500 set decorators picketed for more than 8 months. Hollywood Black Friday, along with numerous other labor strikes in 1945 and 1946, helped introduce the Taft–Hartley Act. The Act limited the powers of labor unions and defined what was considered unfair labor practices by employers.

Negotiations
IATSE's previous collective bargaining agreement with the AMPTP expired in July 2021. Negotiations for a new contract occurred until early October 2021 when talks broke down and IATSE members throughout the United States voted to authorize a strike. 98 percent of IATSE's 60,000 members voted to authorize a strike. Negotiations between IATSE and the AMPTP continued after the strike authorization vote.

The collective bargaining agreement affects the International Cinematographers Guild (Local 600), Motion Picture Editors Guild (Local 700), and the Art Directors Guild (Local 800). The potential strike would have effectively shut down television and film productions nationwide. The contract negotiations focused on higher wages for below-the-line workers working on both linear and non-linear media productions, improved work–life balance, and increase of residuals relating to streaming media.

New contract
IATSE and the AMPTP reached a "tentative" deal on a new three-year contact on October 16. The new contract includes a "turnaround time" for between shifts, wage increases, and increased payment into the union's health and pension programs.