IATSE, Hollywood Studios Reach Tentative Contract Deal

HOLLYWOOD, CA — One of the entertainment industry's largest unions has reached a tentative contract deal with the major studios following months of bargaining, the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers announced Tuesday night.

The tentative pact, which will need to be approved by a vote of some 50,000 Hollywood craftspeople, comes after actors' and writers' strikes that upended the industry last year.

"Some of the proposed changes in the basic tentative agreement include scale rate increases of 7 percent, 4 percent and 3.5 percent over the three-year term," according to IATSE. "Hourly workers will receive triple time when any workday exceeds 15 elapsed hours, all on-call classifications will now receive double time on the seventh day of the workweek, and additional increases in pay will take effect on non-dramatic productions under the Videotape Supplemental Agreement.

Fuller details of the proposed contract will be released to union members in the coming days and a webinar is planned for July 13 to review the pact.

"The tentative deal includes new protections around artificial intelligence, including language that ensures no employee is required to provide AI prompts in any manner that would result in the displacement of any covered employee," the union said.

Workers represented by IATSE include hairstylists, camera operators, makeup artists, costume designers and other craft workers. The union's current contract with the studios was set to expire July 31.

The pending end of the contract raised some fears in Hollywood about another possible strike, coming on the heels of last year's walkouts by the Screen Actors Guild and Writers Guild of America that brought production to a halt.

The Teamsters union, which represents nearly 4,000 workers — including drivers, mechanics and other tradespeople — is still in negotiations with the studios, with its contract also set to expire July 31.

City News Service contributed to this report.