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Thursday, September 05, 2024
Production Assistant Union Effort Launches With LiUNA
www.hollywoodreporter.com: A veteran Hollywood union is backing an ambitious push to unionize film and television production assistants, a move that has the potential to reshape how many entry-level creatives break into the industry.
4 comments:
Jasper Gitlitz
said...
When you stop to think about it, it’s strange to think that production assistants haven’t been unionized a lot sooner. This industry is so heavily unionized to the point where almost every position has a union. The fact that production assistants still exist as un-unionized, minimum wage workers is crazy to think about. Then again, I can’t help but wonder how this push would actually work. Oftentimes production assistants are hired because they are cheap labor that will do what other workers won’t. I could easily see producers and large companies saying that a union for production assistants makes that position less worth it for the company. However, with how strong the union push has been over the past few years and with so many strikes happening, I am hopeful that this will at the very least lead to production assistants being paid a higher wage and being treated like real people.
I think this is a fantastic idea and it honestly should be a standard across all entertainment industries. Especially since the job of a production assistant is almost always people that are generally new in entertainment. They don’t necessarily have the prior knowledge or experience to know what to ask of their employers. From payment to work conditions it would be very easy for someone to not realize how poorly they’re being treated or how little they are being compensated when they don’t have the experience to know it. It would help protect newer technicians in these fields and it would start establishing better standards for production assistants everywhere. As a result of the lack of established responsibilities of a production assistant, they’re the ones that most often end up doing the dirty work of a production for a production manager because they are the most readily available and their pay often doesn't compensate for it sufficiently. A union for production assistants could only help a group of people that is consistently undervalued and under appreciated.
Based on my own work experience, the role of a PA has been undervalued in both the film and theater industries. My first job was as a PA in a theater production company, where I encountered a heavy workload, no real regulations on working hours, and no guaranteed pay. The push to unionize film and TV production assistants is a bold move that could fundamentally redefine how people enter the industry. For years, PAs have been the invisible hands behind the scenes, juggling everything from errands to managing logistics, all while repeating tedious tasks and dreaming of their big break. This unionization effort isn't just about securing better wages and benefits. It's about reshaping the very foundation of Hollywood. By organizing, production assistants are not only demanding fair treatment, where those starting at the bottom are heard and valued from day one, but also ensuring that the next generation of creatives won't have to sacrifice their basic rights to pursue their dreams. This movement could be a catalyst for a more equitable and sustainable entertainment industry, and I believe it will also encourage the theater industry to finally recognize and support the essential work of PAs.
I think that production assistants unionizing is a great idea. The role of production assistant is one that is famously under-appreciated and overworked. Points are often made about this fact in television and movies. The push for them to unionize and get better working conditions is inspiring. I also really like how one of the things that the union specifically wants is a good path towards advancing the person's career. I think that this is a great idea as a lot of production assistants want other roles in the future and this is a great way to help prevent them from getting stuck. The union also wants to help forward production assistants who want to stay production assistants. I personally think that even if you have the exact role you want, looking for ways to improve your role is a smart and admirable thing to do. A union being able to help with that could be really beneficial to people. I really hope that Production Assistants United succeeds in its goal and helps a lot of people.
4 comments:
When you stop to think about it, it’s strange to think that production assistants haven’t been unionized a lot sooner. This industry is so heavily unionized to the point where almost every position has a union. The fact that production assistants still exist as un-unionized, minimum wage workers is crazy to think about. Then again, I can’t help but wonder how this push would actually work. Oftentimes production assistants are hired because they are cheap labor that will do what other workers won’t. I could easily see producers and large companies saying that a union for production assistants makes that position less worth it for the company. However, with how strong the union push has been over the past few years and with so many strikes happening, I am hopeful that this will at the very least lead to production assistants being paid a higher wage and being treated like real people.
I think this is a fantastic idea and it honestly should be a standard across all entertainment industries. Especially since the job of a production assistant is almost always people that are generally new in entertainment. They don’t necessarily have the prior knowledge or experience to know what to ask of their employers. From payment to work conditions it would be very easy for someone to not realize how poorly they’re being treated or how little they are being compensated when they don’t have the experience to know it. It would help protect newer technicians in these fields and it would start establishing better standards for production assistants everywhere. As a result of the lack of established responsibilities of a production assistant, they’re the ones that most often end up doing the dirty work of a production for a production manager because they are the most readily available and their pay often doesn't compensate for it sufficiently. A union for production assistants could only help a group of people that is consistently undervalued and under appreciated.
Based on my own work experience, the role of a PA has been undervalued in both the film and theater industries. My first job was as a PA in a theater production company, where I encountered a heavy workload, no real regulations on working hours, and no guaranteed pay. The push to unionize film and TV production assistants is a bold move that could fundamentally redefine how people enter the industry. For years, PAs have been the invisible hands behind the scenes, juggling everything from errands to managing logistics, all while repeating tedious tasks and dreaming of their big break. This unionization effort isn't just about securing better wages and benefits. It's about reshaping the very foundation of Hollywood. By organizing, production assistants are not only demanding fair treatment, where those starting at the bottom are heard and valued from day one, but also ensuring that the next generation of creatives won't have to sacrifice their basic rights to pursue their dreams. This movement could be a catalyst for a more equitable and sustainable entertainment industry, and I believe it will also encourage the theater industry to finally recognize and support the essential work of PAs.
I think that production assistants unionizing is a great idea. The role of production assistant is one that is famously under-appreciated and overworked. Points are often made about this fact in television and movies. The push for them to unionize and get better working conditions is inspiring. I also really like how one of the things that the union specifically wants is a good path towards advancing the person's career. I think that this is a great idea as a lot of production assistants want other roles in the future and this is a great way to help prevent them from getting stuck. The union also wants to help forward production assistants who want to stay production assistants. I personally think that even if you have the exact role you want, looking for ways to improve your role is a smart and admirable thing to do. A union being able to help with that could be really beneficial to people. I really hope that Production Assistants United succeeds in its goal and helps a lot of people.
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