Teamsters and basic unions reach preliminary agreement on new contract

The Teamsters and other Hollywood Basic Crafts unions have reached a tentative agreement on a new contract with the major studios.

The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers had issued a “last, best and final” offer on Friday. The unions took action late Friday evening and tried to reach an agreement late Saturday.

“After a long last 48 hours, we are proud to announce that ALL Hollywood Basic Crafts Locals have reached a tentative agreement with the AMPTP late tonight,” the union announced just before midnight on Saturday. “The Basics today worked closely with our member-led negotiating committees to finalize a deal with the AMPTP that we can now say is unanimously recommended by our member-led negotiating committees.”

No details were provided about the agreement. Teamsters Local 399 was scheduled to hold a membership meeting Sunday and provide further information.

The union had sought double-digit wage increases, along with strict protections against subcontracting and driverless trucks.

The deal came four days before the contract expired on Wednesday. The Hollywood Teamsters have not gone on strike since the three-week lockout in 1988.

It follows the agreement with the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, which was ratified on July 18.

Workers have suffered an industry-wide contraction and have hoped the agreements will end uncertainty that could prevent a return to full production strength.

Basic Crafts unions represent a total of approximately 8,000 employees, including drivers, zookeepers, site managers, electricians and laborers. The unions had repeatedly warned that they would not renew the contract beyond its July 31 expiry date.

The unions had already settled the issues regarding health and pension plans, which were jointly negotiated with IATSE.

IATSE’s contract covers approximately 70,000 employees and offers a 7% increase in the first year, a threefold increase after 15 hours and some protection against artificial intelligence.

Although the IATSE negotiations went relatively smoothly, with few outward signs of tension, the Teamsters had repeatedly warned that the two sides were “far apart.” The union held a webinar on July 14 with Lindsay Dougherty, the head of Local 399, and Sean O’Brien, the union’s general president.

“I want to be clear,” Dougherty said in the webinar. “We are not looking for a strike. We fight for a fair deal for our members. However, we will not negotiate against ourselves. We will not be intimidated into taking our priorities off the table, nor will we make any concessions.”