News From IATSE: Box Office Workers at Oregon Shakespeare Festival Unionize With IATSE

 

ASHLAND, OR — Box Office workers at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival (OSF) have unanimously voted in favor of joining the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) Local 154, the union announced Thursday. This marks the fifth group of workers at OSF to join the union, following the chartering of Local 154 by the festival’s stagehands in 2016. Scenic, props, costume shop artisans, and Facilities/Maintenance workers additionally voted to unionize in 2022 and 2023 respectively. Along with the box office crew, an estimated 1/3 of the roughly 400 OSF staff are now under IATSE representation.

The Ashland Oregon based OSF has an 89-year history of hosting an array of performances. With over 400,000 attendees annually, the festival hosts performances from classics to new works, musicals, and world premieres. “While this unit of 12 workers may seem small, they are a mighty crew,” said IATSE International Representative Amanda Sager. “I think we often forget the important role these workers play. They not only interface with customers at the ticket offices, but field phone calls, enhance the experience for patrons, and everything in between. I’ve learned so much from this group.”

“We are horned to welcome these workers into our Alliance,” said IATSE International President Matthew D. Loeb. “We represent thousands of box office and ticketing staff across North America. These workers are increasingly aware that to gain respect and a seat a table, they must organize.”

Live event and theater workers nationwide are coming together to win essential access to healthcare, training, robust safety measures, mental health resources, and avenues for professional growth. If you are interested in joining the movement, head to iatse.net/join to contact a live events organizer.

# # #

The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees or IATSE (full name: International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, Moving Picture Technicians, Artists and Allied Crafts of the United States, Its Territories and Canada), is a labor union representing over 170,000 technicians, artisans and craftspersons in the entertainment industry, including live events, motion picture and television production, broadcast, and trade shows in the United States and Canada.

For more information please contact:
General: comms@iatse.net
Press: press@iatse.net

Video game performers strike as their industry is profitable and becomes more complex

The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) has called a strike covering their union-represented members who are employed by Activision Productions Inc., Blindlight LLC, Disney Character Voices Inc., Electronic Arts Productions Inc., Formosa Interactive LLC, Insomniac Games Inc., Llama Productions LLC, Take 2 Productions Inc., VoiceWorks Productions Inc., and WB Games Inc. The workers most directly affected by the strike do voice acting, stunts, motion-capture work, and other work that appear in video games. They are covered by the union's innovative Interactive Media Agreement.

The extraordinary nature of this strike is such that it is making headlines in industry publications, The New York Times, and the financial and business press. A strong union summary of what is at stake in the strike can be found here. A National Public Radio report on the strike can be found here. A key issue that makes this strike significant and is moving coverage of it into the mainstream press is the matter of A.I. and how it affects the work that the striking workers perform. Absent a national industrial policy on A.I., clear legal and legislative protections for workers whose livelihoods are impacted by A.I., and much-needed special efforts to protect workers and communities of color who are doubly impacted by A.I., unions are left to organize and take action protecting their member's interests.

In this case, then, SAG-AFTRA is leading a strong effort to gain ground at the bargaining table. A SAG-AFTRA press release quotes SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher as saying that “We’re not going to consent to a contract that allows companies to abuse A.I. to the detriment of our members. Enough is enough. When these companies get serious about offering an agreement our members can live — and work — with, we will be here, ready to negotiate.”

Another union leader has been quoted as saying "The video game industry generates billions of dollars in profit annually. The driving force behind that success is the creative people who design and create those games. That includes the SAG-AFTRA members who bring memorable and beloved game characters to life, and they deserve and demand the same fundamental protections as performers in film, television, streaming, and music: fair compensation and the right of informed consent for the A.I. use of their faces, voices, and bodies. Frankly, it’s stunning that these video game studios haven’t learned anything from the lessons of last year - that our members can and will stand up and demand fair and equitable treatment with respect to A.I., and the public supports us in that.”

SAG-AFTRA Video Game Strike Press Conference

The video game industry does indeed generate billions of dollars in profits and I have not heard that the industry is facing a crisis, although A.I. is changing the rules of competition in the video game industry, and in other industries as well. If we look at the industry and those employed in it as a whole, we see widespread and growing interest in unionization there. Moreover, we see video game workers motivated to unionize by many key issues, including fighting harassment and discrimination, protection from encroachments by A.I., winning enforcement of civil rights on the job, and winning parity with workers in other countries. Many unions are involved in organizing and representing these workers. One of the more innovative efforts is Rights & Protections for Gameworkers (RPG-IATSE).

The industry and labor relations in the industry are certainly becoming more complex. A very helpful article on the SAG-AFTRA strike that appeared in The Guardian yesterday said

The last interactive contract, which expired November 2022, did not provide protections around AI but secured a bonus compensation structure for voice actors and performance capture artists after an 11-month strike that began October 2016. That work stoppage marked the first major labor action from Sag-Aftra following the merger of Hollywood’s two largest actors unions in 2012.

The video game agreement covers more than 2,500 “off-camera (voiceover) performers, on-camera (motion capture, stunt) performers, stunt coordinators, singers, dancers, puppeteers, and background performers”, according to the union.

Amid the tense interactive negotiations, Sag-Aftra created a separate contract in February that covered indie and lower-budget video game projects. The tiered-budget independent interactive media agreement contains some of the protections on AI that video game industry titans have rejected.

Meanwhile, the Communications Workers of America is reporting the following victory for some of the video game workers CWA represents:

Video game developers at World of Warcraft and Bethesda Game Studios joined CWA this month, forming the first wall-to-wall units under our neutrality agreement with Microsoft. Over 1,750 video game workers at Microsoft now have union representation with CWA. A group of 60 quality assurance workers at Blizzard Entertainment in Austin, Texas, also joined CWA, and their union has been recognized by Microsoft. Workers at Bethesda Game Studios in Montreal filed for union recognition with the Quebec Labor Relations Board in late June to be represented by CWA Canada.

“What we’ve accomplished at World of Warcraft is just the beginning. My colleagues and I are embarking on a quest to secure better pay, benefits, and job security through a strong union contract. We know that when workers have a protected voice, it’s a win-win for employee standards, the studio, and World of Warcraft fans looking for the best gaming experience,” said Eric Lanham, Test Analyst and member of the World of Warcraft Gamemakers Guild–CWA Local 9510.

“We are so excited to announce our union at Bethesda Game Studio and join the movement sweeping across the video game industry. It is clear that every worker can benefit from bringing democracy into the workplace and securing a protected voice on the job. We’re thrilled to get down to brass tacks and win a fair contract, proving that our unity is a source of real power to positively shape our working conditions, our lives, and the company as a whole,” said Mandi Parker, Senior System Designer and member of CWA Local 2108.

Graphic from CWA

We have lots of great labor news to report!

From Portland DSA:

Organizing for Power: Core Fundamentals
(training by Jane McAlevey, author of "No Shortcuts" & "Rules to Win By")
Thursdays, May 9 - June 13, 9-11am (PT) or 5-7PM (PT)
Groups of ten or more (get your co-workers lined up now!)
O4P's Core Fundamentals is a six-week intensive training program composed or weekly sessions divided into lectures and practice time, plus campaign assignments that organizing groups are expected to complete on their own time.
Each session runs twice each Thursday to accommodate our global audience.
The registration deadline is May Day, 2024, so begin assembling your group of 10+ now, because we're only going to win if we're in this together, disciplined and committed, and ready to build our skill sets to ORGANIZE FOR POWER. Please contact O4P Coordinator Ethan Earle (earle.ethan@gmail.com) with any questions.
REGISTER: http://tinyurl.com/O4PCoreFundamental

Universal City AMC Workers Vote to Unionize With IATSE

From IATSE:

Ushers, cooks, bartenders and all other non-management employees at the Universal Cinema AMC at CityWalk Hollywood have officially voted to unionize with IATSE! In an election that took place March 15, workers overwhelmingly voted in favor of joining together in union. The Universal Cinema AMC is the second location of the theater chain to unionize with IATSE, after the AMC Dine-In South Bay Galleria 16 in Redondo Beach.

“We are incredibly happy that the workers at the AMC Citywalk theater banded together to join IATSE with an 86 percent majority yes vote in the recent union election,” Universal Cinema AMC crewmembers Savannah Copeland and Maria Lubanovic said. “These past few months have shown how dedicated the crewmembers are not only to improve the workplace for themselves, but for everyone around them. It is truly inspiring to see how much they care for each other.” Full story ➔

Meet today’s Womens History Month spotlight, Mykaila Williams. Williams is a proud Local728 member who is not only a champion in the labor movement but a leader in her community. Talk about Union Strong! Mykaila is currently working on commercials, music videos and day playing on television shows as a Set Lighting Technician. Since joining IATSE in February of 2023, Mykaila has worked on several projects, volunteered in mutual aid efforts and was selected to represent Local 728 at the 2024 Young Workers Committee Conference. "While working on projects has been fun and extremely fulfilling, nothing has quite yet topped how proud I felt to successfully get my union card in the mail."

From the National Union of Healthcare Workers:

More than 400 NUHW members struck Seton Medical Center in Daly City on March 25 and 26, demanding that the hospital restore their health benefits.

Every Bay Area news station covered the strike as workers shared their experience of working at the community hospital for decades only to no longer be able to access health care for themselves or their children.

“I’m worried about my family, my kids not having basic insurance that works,” Julia Vinogratsky, a respiratory therapist at the hospital with three children, told KQED. ”The closest doctors are about 45 minutes to an hour’s drive.”

Rachelle Ortua, a materials management technician at Seton, told KPIX-5 that she recently had to delay vaccinations for her then-four-month-old daughter because her doctor wouldn’t take her new insurance and that the nearest hospital available to treat her daughter is more than an hour’s drive from her Sunnyvale apartment.

In violation of their union contracts, AHMC Healthcare changed its health plans on Jan. 1, forcing all workers at Seton, including NUHW members to either pay up to $6,000 a year to keep access to their doctors and hospitals or accept a new health plan with very few participating doctors mostly based in San Francisco and only two participating hospital systems: John Muir Health and Seton, which doesn’t offer pediatric or prenatal care. READ MORE HERE.

Important Note: The National Union of Healthcare Workers (NUHW) website has an important interview with Sandra Leal-Lopez, LMFT concerning upcoming contract negotiations between the union and Kaiser. One subject that is driving these negotiations and making them contentious is the matter of Kaiser cutting patient management time. Another is working conditions and working time. Sister Leal-Lopez gave a credible and interesting interview in which she explains her union's position as bargaining begins. I highly recommend reading this and considering how it impacts workers here in Oregon and what it has to teach us. Please read it here.

The Amalgamated Transit Union Local 689 brought home a victory:

And in California:

Starting April, California fast food workers will earn $20/hour. $20 an hour is good for California’s fast food workers and employers.

See the California Fast Food Workers Union for details and analysis.

From the Union of Southern Service Workers:

Hit this link and this link and this link to learn more.

From More Perfect Union:

From CWA:

CWA Members Reach Landmark Collective Bargaining Agreement at SEGA

CWA Local 9510 members at SEGA of America voted to ratify their first collectively bargained contract on Tuesday. The contract covers 150 full-time and temporary employees across a range of job titles, including designers, translators, editors, producers, quality assurance testers, marketing managers, and more.

"This is a watershed moment for workers in the video game industry. We've proven that a collectively bargained contract with substantial improvements and protections is possible even when management takes an initially hostile stance toward worker organizing. We’re hopeful that in the midst of extensive layoffs, workers across the video game industry will see organizing as a pathway to improve working conditions for all of us,” said Local 9510 member Jasmin Hernandez, a Short-Form Animation Production Manager at SEGA.

The ratified contract includes raises that ensure equitable compensation across titles and departments, layoff protections, requirements to provide notice of planned use of AI, and more.

"Workers in the video game industry have contributed to the success of multiple games and companies that have become household names. Yet, that hasn’t translated into the fair wages, job stability, or career trajectories they deserve. Workers at SEGA of America have just shown what is possible by standing together to demand the respect their hard work has earned," said CWA Local 9510 President Peter O'Brien.

NewsGuild-CWA Members at Law360 Stage 24-Hour Solidarity Walkout

NewsGuild-CWA workers at LexisNexis-owned Law360 (TNG-CWA Local 31003) took to the streets last week with a 24-hour work stoppage in protest of recent layoffs that violate labor law. Despite the company showing impressive revenue growth, management announced the termination of 26 union members. CWA Unit Chair Hailey Konnath said, “This walkout is an unequivocal demonstration of solidarity for our co-workers who lost their jobs. The success of Law360 is due in no small part to us and the work we produce. Today we are showing the company that we—including those who lost their jobs—are Law360.”

CWA Workers at Law360 have been without a contract since 2022, and negotiations have been ongoing since then to finalize a new collective bargaining agreement. Changes to workplace terms and conditions after a contract has expired, including layoffs, must be negotiated and agreed to by the NewsGuild. Failure to maintain the workplace status quo is a violation of labor law and is the basis of an unfair labor practice charge filed by The NewsGuild of New York on behalf of Law360 Union earlier this month.

“Our entire union stands in solidarity with the workers who have been laid off,” said Susan DeCarava, president of The NewsGuild of New York. “If management continues to refuse to bargain in good faith and reverse these unlawful layoffs, labor peace will be difficult to come by at Law360.”

Catch up with some labor news

Portland Democratic Socialists of America has the following labor solidarity items posted:

Dealing with Difficult Supervisors - A Steward's Workshop
Wed. Feb. 21, 4-5:30pm (zoom)
This workshop has limited capacity and is for stewards and elected officers who work with stewards - not staff. Please register only if this applies to you.
REGISTER: https://labornotes.org/events/2024/stewards-workshop-dealing-difficult-supervisors-february-2024

Healthcare Workers for Ceasefire
Rally & Deliver Demand to Sen. Wyden & Rep. Blumenauer
Fri. Feb. 23, 4pm
911 NE 11th Ave.

Several labor organizations are promoting these important upcoming Black History Month events:

Coalition of Black Trade Unionists: Black History Month Events
Ongoing throughout February both on Zoom and in person in Portland
The Oregon Coalition of Black Trade Unionists (CBTU) cordially invites you to join us for a month-long recognition of Black excellence in conjunction with the Pacific Northwest Labor History Association, Portland Rising, Oregon AFSCME, and AFRAM/SEIU Local 503. 

February 22, 2024 at 6:30pm: Labor History Workshop (In Person at Oregon AFL-CIO)
February 29, 2024 at 7:00pm: Movie Night (In Person at SEIU Local 503)

Click here to learn more about these exciting events!

There is this:

The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) just picked up some bragging rights:

Approximately 34 in-house audio and video workers at Allianz Field, the home

stadium for Major League Soccer’s Minnesota United FC (MNUFC) ratified their

first contract Tuesday — bringing an end to eight months of contentious negotiations

 for the newly unionized crew.

Ford workers got this fixed:

We have this good news:

This is historic:

The staff of FRESHFARM farmers markets voted in favor of ratifying their

 first union contract, making them the first farmers market workers in the country to 

secure a collective bargaining agreement.

The American Federation of Government Employees says:

During a week of spectacular protest actions the following came from the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA:

Alaska Airlines Flight Attendants Authorize Strike, Raising Stakes in

 Contract Talks

Senator Jeff Merkley @SenJeffMerkley 18h Solidarity with the @afa_cwa, @APFAunity, and
@transportworker workers walking out of major airports across the country this week. Flight
attendants are essential workers who support billions in profits for the airline industry. They
must be paid well with a strong #ContractNow!

A cautionary note:

An apology: I am unable to accurately credit most of the sources for the items given above  because of problems with my filing. Most likely came from the AFL-CIO or the unions listed.   

The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees members "aren't going to just settle."

Matthew Loeb, President of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) told a labor gathering in Las Vegas the other day that IATSE is ready to strike should negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) not go well this Spring. The AMPTP describes itself as "the entertainment industry's official collective bargaining representative" and "negotiates 58 industry-wide collective bargaining agreements on behalf of hundreds of motion picture and television producers."

Brother Loeb said, "Nothing’s off the table, and we’re not going to give up our strength and our ability because they sapped us...Everybody’s bank account got sapped because they were unreasonable for months and months. My folks aren’t going to just settle.”

The entertainment industry may have been counting on IATSE members being "strike weary" after protracted entertainment industry strikes last year went on longer than expected despite drawing strong support from the labor movement and the public. In fact, IATSE had a pretty good 2023 and union and public solidarity helped make that so. Loeb and his advisors within the union have their fingers on the nation's pulse. “Folks are fed up. And I don’t know what to call it, if it’s a post-Covid wake of dissatisfaction, but people are ready to fight and the studios would be ill advised to think that they’ve weakened us to the point that we can’t,” Loeb has been quoted as saying.

These remarks came during a panel on AI that was part of the AFL-CIO's Labor Innovation & Technology Summit at the Consumer Electronics Show held in Las Vegas this week (see this also). There is much to say about AI from a union perspective, or perspectives. Loeb was clear in saying that “(T)he studios are on notice that this is a crucial issue for us and we’re going to fight very hard…We’re going to look closely at the deals that were already made and if we can draw from that....We have a pretty uphill climb in terms of making sure (our) people are safe and that they’re secure and protected." Loeb is framing part of the national debates on AI about jobs.

The Teamsters and the Writers Guild of America-West (WGA), unions with good relations with IATSE, seems to be taking a go-slow approach where AI is concerned. The President of  Teamsters Local 399 and the President of WGA-West understand that the employers that the three unions deal with together are concerned about negotiating union contracts that may negatively impact their ability to use AI in the future. On the one hand, then, the unions have the challenge of making the industry employers negotiate over something that most employers refuse to negotiate over---the use of technology---and, on the other hand, they're approaching contract bargaining with a high level of coordination, recent strike experience, and a willingness by IATSE to strike. It's reasonable to expect that the employer's concerns about the future of AI, competition, and the entertainment industry's economics will stiffen employer resistance to union demands. Meanwhile, there is significant public debate and concerns about AI that go beyond looking at AI solely through a union lens and some strong labor allies are staking out advanced positions on AI as well. Local 399 is using political action in California to take on the state's governor and the tech companies, and the local is using this as wedge to warn California Governor Newsom to not run again. Intended or not, this fight will impact union negotiations with AMPTP and will help affect public perceptions of AI.

Photo from Wikipedia

Disney seems to be playing defense as the unions are setting the ground for contentious negotiations. Paramount is in such a deep financial mess that it may merge with some greedy entertainment companies that seem more interested in acquisitions than entertainment. Overall employment in the entertainment industry seems to be down. Still, IATSE is willing to talk about striking and is taking an aggressive legal stand with a recalcitrant employer that probably sends a strong union message to industry employers. The union is not letting up on organizing in areas where how technology is used is contentious, pushing the point that unions can organize, go into major negotiations prepared to strike, and go into court to protect their members' interests in the same period.  

The views expressed here are solely those of the author and do not reflect the opinions of any of the organizations or individuals mentioned in the post or those of the Marion-Polk-Yamhill Central Labor Chapter..