In case you didn't see it, Daily Variety reports there will be early negotiations between the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers and the IA:
... the Intl. Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees will hold early negotiations with the AMPTP on its West Coast contract starting April 7.
IATSE, which covers about 25,000 below-the-line employees in 18 locals in the contract, is about halfway through its current contract. That pact, finalized in early 2006, expires in August 2009.
This early negotiation strategy by the IA has been percolating for a while. I'm assuming that the AMPTP would like to have all the Hollywood labor unions onboard the boat sooner rather than later. So it looks like SAG-AFTRA's negotiations will be last in the current contract cycle, given their weekend squabbling:
AFTRA is telling the Screen Actors Guild to stop dragging its feet -- and warning that it's willing to start negotiations as early as this month without SAG.
The move by the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists is the latest indication of the town's increasing frustration over SAG's refusal to schedule formal negotiations with the AMPTP as soon as possible ...
SAG's really brilliant move to reject a merger with AFTRA some years ago could come back to bite it. Instead of having one union negotiating deals, there are now two that can undercut each other.
Fabulous.
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7 comments:
If say, the IATSE were to go on strike, would that affect Animation Guild members?
No strike, as TAG isn't in the bargaining unit.
But it's a moot point. The IATSE is negotiating with a "no strike" clause in force, so there won't be any strike ... for any union.
The IA and AMPTP either reach an agreement or they don't.
If the can't strike, what other leverage do they have?
The leverage of 110,000 unified members who are in touch with REALITY - ie, protecting their health care and pension. You know, like the REST OF AMERICA.
If the can't strike, what other leverage do they have?
Specifically this: The IA would tell the producers, "We make a good deal now ... early, or we come back a week before the contract ends."
At that point, there would be the threat of a strike hanging over the congloms' heads, with the prospect of the whole country being shut down.
I guess I dont' understand the term "no strike clause" since they can still strike when the contract expires. I figured anyone under a contract was precluded from striking until the contract expired so what further limitation does the "no strike clause" create?
Does it mean they can't even *vote* to strike until the contract expires?
You're misunderstanding a little. It IS the No-Strike clause that says you can't strike while the contract is in force (and that clause comes with a flip side that the company can't lock workers out for the duration of the contract).
Labor contracts without a No-Strike/No-Lockout clause are rare nowadays, for obvious reasons.
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