An Electoral College-esque system ended up keeping Hollywood from facing a widespread strike by below-the-line workers, as IATSE members approved their union’s latest contract with studios by the narrowest of margins.
But despite this result, the turnout by tens of thousands of Hollywood workers to reject a contract that leaders from all 36 nationwide IATSE locals had recommended shows that there is a significant portion of the workforce that is not pleased with Hollywood’s status quo and is willing to break ranks with union brass to voice that discontent.
“This sort of result is very rare over the last 30 years, but it is common over the past year,” Rutgers labor professor Susan Schurman said, referring to the wave of strikes seen across the United States in 2021.
What Razor-Thin IATSE Contract Vote Reveals About Discontent With Hollywood’s Status Quo
Despite unanimous recommendations from IATSE leaders, a slight majority of West Coast local members voted against the Hollywood Basic Agreement
