The IATSE and AMPTP Reach Another Agreement

And the press release reads as follows:

Los Angeles, Sept. 5 – The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, Moving Picture Technicians, Artists and Allied Crafts (IATSE) and Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) announced today the ratification of a new Area Standards Agreement. The agreement covers 8,000 IATSE members working in feature film and television production in most areas of the United States outside of the Los Angeles and New York regions. The IATSE and AMPTP reached a tentative agreement on a new contract on August 24th, and the agreement was subsequently ratified by the IATSE General Executive Board.

The new contract, which will run through July 31, 2015, includes 2 percent annual wage increases and an increase in health plan contributions of $5 per day in each year of the three-year agreement.

“The new contract provides stability for the next three years and we are pleased to achieve increases that will protect our members,” said IATSE International President Matt Loeb.

In response to the ratification, the AMPTP said: “Feature film and television production has grown throughout the United States in the past several years, emphasizing the importance of the Area Standards Agreement for both IATSE members and the studios. Ratification of this new agreement will enable production to continue while raising wages and improving access to health benefits for crew members and their families.”

This agreement, per what I've been told, was not an easy agreement to reach.

The press release indicates sweetness and light, but there was a good deal of contention, and the IA broke off the initial talks for awhile.

Much as we did with our local agreement.

Much as the IATSE did with the Basic Agreement.

(Is there a continuing theme here? Mostly, I think, that we are not living in the age of happy and joyous labor management relations? But then, was there ever such a time?)