A Hollywood film production union announced Monday that members had voted overwhelmingly in favor of striking against producers and network officials.
The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees union said the vote passed this weekend after 90% of eligible voters turned in their online ballots, 99% of which affirmed the strike, greatly exceeding the 75% of eligible voters required.
“I hope that the studios will see and understand the resolve of our members,” Matthew Loeb, the president of IATSE, said in a statement. “The ball is in their court. If they want to avoid a strike, they will return to the bargaining table and make us a reasonable offer.”
DEMOCRATS BACK WORKERS READYING FOR HISTORIC STRIKE THAT WOULD SHUT DOWN HOLLYWOOD
The union represents set builders, cinematographers, script coordinators, camera operators, makeup artists, prop makers, and editors, among others. The union represents 150,000 employees in the United States and Canada. However, only 60,000 in the U.S. are affected by the contracts and would walk out.
The strike would target the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which refused the union’s latest demands, including mandatory 10-hour rest periods between shifts, higher wages for production assistants and coordinators, and larger bonuses during long shoots without meal breaks.
AMPTP agreed to return to the negotiating table, where discussions will begin Tuesday.
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The union has the support of several celebrities, including Jane Fonda, Ben Stiller, Seth Rogen, and Mindy Kaling. Additionally, over 100 members of Congress recently signed a letter urging the producers to make a deal.
If a strike is ordered, it will be the largest strike since World War II and would affect 43,000 workers in the Los Angeles area.
