Variety: As contract negotiations stall between the International Association of Theatrical Stage Employees and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, crew members have taken to social media to share their support for a possible strike action and for the terms that IATSE is demanding in the next deal.
8 comments:
Honestly, hearing that a giant cooperation is refusing decent working and human rights to thousands of people is just annoyingly ridiculous to me. I always think that we are getting past things like these as a nation but the entertainment industry, especially, is always lagging behind with regards to quality of life. The fact that IATSE has to go on a strike for the first time, in 2021, because of a refusal to provide health plans, pension, rest breaks, and a work day that isn’t 14 or more hours long is ridiculous. The industry can continue with a providing basic human needs and care. Being on call in the entertainment industry sounds like a result of poor scheduling. I am glad that crew working in the film industry and feeling comfortable to come forward with their stories. Though the stories are terrible and sometimes evil sounding, they need to be heard. People always think that working in the industry is “fun” but these are stories of talented, hard working people, that want to keep working, but can’t take much more. I hope that this strike provides an opportunity for change in the industry.
This is so incredibly important. I know that I will be working in this industry for a good many years and the idea that it might keep me from having a family is one of my greatest fears in regards to my career choice. I really can’t overstate how grateful I am that this work is being done. Honestly it just further reinforces my love for unions. Every person, especially people who work so hard, deserve safety and security, a living wage. These production companies are raking in money and can’t pay their crew or ensure safe work conditions? Bull. From a historical perspective, I find the increase in union activity across the board really interesting. There seems to be a pattern where there will be a society altering pandemic and then an increase of labor rights and regulations. I mean the strikes today are not because of large scale death like the Black Plague but it is still based on the need for labor and the decreased access to it.
This! This article is so important because it is honestly a big fear of mine. The idea of being part of a crew that is worked to the bone with no regard for personal health or safety is really scary to me. Especially when we all start out, a lot of us don’t have a choice when it comes to saying yes or no. This is also true in our school as well. I honestly don’t understand why our crew calls last till 10:30, only to be called at 8 am the following day. I think standards such as these start from our education, and what we believe to be acceptable and unacceptable. I know that the SOD is trying to keep manageable and humane hours, but it is also so easy to work overtime. I hope that unions such as these are further supported by the industry, and further supported by the public. Crews are an essential part of the production process, and without labor there can not be any product. They are human beings as well, so I hope that unions continue to fight and people continue to listen.
It’s disheartening to read the stories of the horrid working conditions of such talented creatives. Massive underpay based in discrimination, 16 to 18 hour working days, no personal time whatsoever? It’s abusive and disgusting, and IATSE has needed to strike for a long time. If anything good came out of the pandemic, it’s the shift in culture and realization that people deserve better working hours. People should be able to see their kids grow up, be there for their families, and do all the things that make life worth living, especially the people who create the content we love to consume in our downtime. Maybe I don’t understand the entertainment industry, but why are 12 and 14 hour workdays being hailed as humane? While 16 to 18 is horrendous, it’s still pretty bad to be pushing people for that long, even if small breaks are included in that time. I hope this strike shines more light on the plight of the people behind the scenes, and gets them the working conditions these amazing people deserve.
Yep, this is really important. Reading some of the examples of horrific working conditions and inabilities to attend important life events and appointments because of work is just awful. It scares me, because while of course I love entertainment and could never do anything else with my life, I still like to have a life outside of it. Even forgetting hobbies, having time for health, family, and rest should be the bare minimum. 14 hour work days, calls that don't even stop for crew death, and even being forced to attend to work related issues during funerals, it seems almost dystopian to me.
So yeah, everyone and their mother should support this strike (if my mom found out I was working in these conditions she'd tell me to find a new career).
I am really sad that this is happening, but extremely glad that it seems to be getting the attention it deserves in the public. I have seen many celebrities come out and support their IATSE crews, which has been great to see, because the crew makes their shows possible. It is extremely disappointing to see how mistreated IATSE crew members have been treated for so long. Working 16 hour days in the conditions that they are in is physically and mentally destructive. I am glad that they are standing up for what they deserve as it seems like the industry is getting even more difficult to work in with the rise of streaming platforms and the strain COVID has put on the industry. I hope they get what they deserve after this all blows over and I hope that producers will finally listen to their demands and treat the crew right for once.
-I wish IATSE the best, because for far too long have production crews been forced into awful working hours and conditions. It is about time that everyday people in the industry stood up to the mega Hollywood studios. It also saddens me to realize the industry I will likely enter in is so incredibly toxic to its crew workers. I already was concerned about the fact that very few costume designers are given health plans, or pensions. Yet, the idea that I will be forced into working possible 14 hour long days is insane. There are so many regulations in other fields of work that prevent abuses like this, yet for whatever reason overworking like this is common place. I was also so surprised to hear that this was one of the first times IATSE has gone on strike. I really hope that this strike will act as a catalyst for real change within the industry, because sadly many of these abuses have been happening for far too long. As long as people stay together and stand strong for IATSE, the mega Hollywood studios will have to give in.
I’m not sure if this is the choice of articles, but all the articles I’ve read about this have basically summed it up as such. AMPT is just being greedy and all the IATSE members want are just very reasonable things that are afforded to them in other live and recorded entertainment realms. It bothers me that these big “new media” platforms would continue to take advantage of working people like this and not be willing to change even a little bit to improve the quality of life of their performers. I’m interested to see if the strike authorization really does go through and I hope it’s a wakeup call. The only backfire scenario I can imagine is that this could be almost a successful union break, but I hope that they don’t then try to get around the union and hire randos and more importantly I hope randos don’t try to get hired. There’s a worker shortage now anyway.
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