The nearly unanimous vote to approve an IATSE strike was met with messages of support from across the industry
, members of several below-the-line guilds said they were impressed with the nearly-unanimous response from their fellow craftspeople in the entertainment industry. However, concerns about the possible economic impact are also top-of-mind for the workers who are already at the mercy of ever-fluctuating production schedules.
Crew members have been bracing for a strike authorization vote for weeks as talks stalled between the union and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which represents the studios. The unions have been negotiating since May on a new contract, and are seeking to address longstanding concerns, including long hours on set, streaming wage scales and residuals, and the stability of the pension and health funds.
Knight added, “I’m absolutely blown away by our membership’s engagement and the work of those crew members, on top of their regular jobs, to drum up support with their creativity. Very few things in this world get 98% approval, especially when they can have an effect on your financial outcomes, so this is a real show of strength.