Hollywood Teamsters and other crew unions ratify new contracts

A coalition of labor unions representing drivers, location managers, animal trainers, electricians, plumbers and other Hollywood crew members have ratified new three-year agreements with the major studios.

Six different groups of craftspeople each approved their respective agreements on Thursday, all by ratification votes of more than 92%. The below-the-line workers are represented by the Hollywood Basic Crafts, a team of unions led by Teamsters Local 399.

“While we are proud of what was accomplished for our members regarding wage increases and adjustments across many classifications and improved working conditions, it will never be enough for the hard work, skill, and expertise of our members,” Lindsay Dougherty, chair of the Hollywood Basic Crafts and principal officer of Teamsters Local 399, said in a statement.

The newly ratified deals include the Teamsters Local 399 Black Book Agreement covering drivers, dispatchers, transportation administrators, animal trainers, wranglers and mechanics; the Teamsters Local 399 Location Manager Agreement covering location managers, assistant location managers and key assistant location managers; the LiUNA! Local 724 Basic Agreement covering laborers; IBEW Local 40 Basic Agreement covering electricians; the OPCMIA Local 755 Basic Agreement covering plasterers; and the UA Local 78 Basic Agreement covering plumbers.

They contain wage increases, pension and health benefits and other gains for some 7,600 film and TV crew members.

The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers — which advocates for the studios and streamers — congratulated the Hollywood Basic Crafts “on the overwhelming ratification of their respective deals, which contain important new protections and some of the largest increases in decades.”

“The significant economic gains, benefits, additional safety measures, and quality of life improvements in these new contracts reflect the immense value and contributions the hard-working members of these unions bring to Hollywood daily,” the AMPTP said.