At the conclusion of our second week of negotiations, the Hollywood Basic Crafts remain united and are prepared to continue the fight on behalf of our collective memberships. Our members, who represent some of the most foundational yet unseen jobs in the industry, are owed their time at the table to have their issues considered and respected and their labor fairly compensation.
Our members have voiced their core priorities that center around protecting and improving their working conditions, increased compensation to provide for their family and the ability to retire with dignity. Many conditions that we are asking for are the same Motion Picture Industry workers are already granted here in Hollywood and in other parts of the country by these very same companies. We entered these negotiations with an overarching bargaining priority of respect. Respect for the skilled workforce that plays an integral role in bringing Hollywood to life.
At the conclusion of our scheduled dates for June, we want to make it clear that we are not interested in bargaining against ourselves. There is a perceived lack of urgency on the employers’ end in addressing issues affecting our members. While this process just started last week, our contract is set to expire next month on July 31st. We have no intention of extending our agreement past expiration and would instead prefer to engage in productive discussions. We have been upfront about our intention to find a middle ground on our members’ core priorities, while working collaboratively to see Hollywood rebound.
We will return to the table next week alongside IATSE over our shared pension and health benefits. July 1st marks the next scheduled date for our Basic Crafts negotiations, as well as the start of the last month outlined in the term of our agreements.
Counter proposals have been delivered to the AMPTP for our general Basic Crafts, Local 399 Black Book and Location Manager agreements. The ball is now in the employers’ court to set the tone for our final month of negotiations when we return to the table. We will continue to keep our members engaged and informed on the process.
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