Ryan Coogler, Natasha Lyonne, Maggie Gyllenhaal ‘Commit to Stand Alongside’ IATSE and Urge Studios to Reach a ‘Fair Deal’ in Open Letter
As IATSE and the Hollywood studios prepare to head back to the negotiating table next week, over 400 members of the Writers Guild of America, Directors Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA sent a letter to the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers urging them to reach a “fair deal” with the below-the-line union.
Among the signees are Maggie Gyllenhaal, Quinta Brunson, Ryan Coogler, Mark Ruffalo, Boots Riley and Natasha Lyonne.
“These crewmembers dedicate their lives to their artistry and to their departments – working long hours in often challenging conditions to bring stories to life,” the letter, as obtained by TheWrap, reads. “Being able to do their jobs safely and compensated fairly is essential for our membership to be able to do our jobs. ‘Nothing moves without the crew.'”
The letter was first conceived by the Union Solidarity Coalition. Founded last year during the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, the mutual aid group aims to build solidarity between Hollywood’s labor organizations with particular focus on raising funds to help pay for the healthcare of union members who are at risk of losing their guild health plan coverage due to last year’s labor stoppage and/or the slowdown in film and TV production in Los Angeles since the strikes ended.
“We commit to stand alongside them throughout the entirety of their fight and are prepared to take action and elevate their issues throughout the process in their pursuit of a fair deal prior to their contract expiration on July 31 of this year,” the letter reads.
In a statement, an IATSE spokesperson told TheWrap that the union welcomes “this show of support from writers, actors, and directors at this important moment in the film and TV industry.”
“Despite the film/TV industry contraction harming workers globally and the threat AI poses to those in creative jobs, this letter shows the workers of Hollywood remain united in achieving fair agreements that safeguard the future of work in this business,” IATSE said.
While IATSE has not called for a strike authorization vote, it has said that it will not agree to an extension of its July 31 expiration date. Progress on talks for the expansive Hollywood Basic and Area Standards Agreements remained steady over the first two months of negotiations, but insiders with knowledge of the talks say that wage increases remain a major hurdle to a deal, with IATSE pushing for higher increases to help members who had to deplete their savings during the strikes.
The AMPTP is currently in its second week of negotiations with Teamsters and the Basic Crafts, with talks beginning in earnest on that front after the unions exchanged initial proposals with the studios. IATSE and AMPTP are set to resume talks on Monday.
The open letter was first reported by Deadline.
The post Ryan Coogler, Natasha Lyonne, Maggie Gyllenhaal ‘Commit to Stand Alongside’ IATSE and Urge Studios to Reach a ‘Fair Deal’ in Open Letter appeared first on TheWrap.
