IATSE has taken the subsequent step towards representing freelance TV business manufacturing division staff.
The union stated Thursday that it has despatched a proper request to the Association of Independent Commercial Producers to provoke a card rely by a impartial third occasion on behalf of hundreds of unionizing freelance TV business manufacturing division staff. If a majority of staff signal the playing cards, IATSE can be acknowledged as their collective bargaining agent.
“The card count is a key step towards officially confirming whether the majority wants a union,” IATSE says on its web site. Earlier this yr, manufacturing division staff introduced their partnership with IATSE by way of the “Stand with Production” motion.
The union already represents crews engaged on commercials across the nation and now’s searching for to signify staff employed in business manufacturing departments, as nicely. The unionizing staff embrace manufacturing assistants, line producers, manufacturing supervisors, assistant manufacturing supervisors and bidding producers. The union already represents business artwork administrators, digicam operators, hair & make-up artists, script supervisors, grips, lighting technicians, props and painters.
It’s been a bumpy highway getting this near unionizing the manufacturing division staff, with IATSE at one level accusing the AICP of “union busting.”
“We have been confident a majority in the freelance commercial production community are in favor of unionizing for some time,” stated IATSE President Matt Loeb, “yet every day the workers continue signing even more cards to demonstrate they are serious about working with the AICP to build a more standardized, sustainable, and safer industry. It’s no surprise these workers want and deserve many of the same rights and protections their unionized co-workers already have.”
In October, IATSE and the AICP reached an settlement on a brand new three-year contract protecting crew members engaged on commercials across the nation. Under the phrases of that deal, in addition they reached an settlement that might result in voluntary recognition by the AICP for non-union freelance business manufacturing division staff. That settlement defines what a unit of eligible staff is and supplies that if a majority designate IATSE as their unique bargaining consultant by signing digital authorization playing cards, the AICP will acknowledge the union for functions of partaking in contract negotiations.
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