IATSE is nearing the end of local talks as two guilds reach tentative deals

IATSE announced on Friday that two more local guilds have reached preliminary agreements on a new contract, bringing the union closer to an agreement on all ‘craft-specific’ matters.

The latest deals involve Local 728, which covers lighting technicians, and Local 892, the Costume Designers Guild. With these agreements, 10 out of 13 “West Coast” residents now have tentative deals.

The crew union and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers have set aside five weeks of negotiations on local issues, and expect to complete that before turning to the Basic Agreement on April 29.

The Basic Agreement covers issues affecting all thirteen guilds, including pension and healthcare contributions, wage increases and artificial intelligence. IATSE leaders have said they hope the local talks will generate momentum that will feed into the broader negotiations.

“This bargaining calendar, along with the diligent preparatory work that the West Coast Studio Locals bargaining committees have done, has ensured that the time we have spent at the table with employers to date has been effective,” said Mike Miller, deputy president of IATSE and director of the union’s film and TV division, in a statement.

The remaining three locals who have not yet reached an agreement are Local 44, Local 705 and Local 884. They will all begin their discussions next week.

The IATSE contract does not expire until July 31 and negotiators hope to have an agreement ratified by that date. Negotiations on the Basic Agreement are expected to last three weeks until mid-May, followed by talks on the Area Standards Agreement, a parallel contract covering 23 IATSE residents across the country.

The Teamsters and other Basic Crafts unions will also negotiate in June. Their contract also expires on July 31.