In a surprising development, Hollywood Teamsters leaders at a standing room only membership meeting this morning asked the membership to ratify a 2 year contract proposed by the studios. The membership then voted 97.3% to 2.7% to ratify, ending the possibility of a strike that could have shuttered much film and television production.
Most remarkably, the package that the leadership recommended -- which was achieved in back-channel negotiations Saturday afternoon -- differed little from the package the union rejected Friday night. The three Saturday enhancements were minor, and included such matters as reimbursement for Teamsters' renewal of their drivers licenses.
In essence, the union blinked, recognizing that a strike was not feasible in this economic climate. Union leaders also said they believed that management would not back down even if the union struck.
For details, see my Hollywood Reporter story.
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Breakthrough in Teamsters talks; deal ratified
Teamsters Ratify Contract; Strike Averted
In a surprising development, Hollywood Teamsters leaders at a standing room only membership meeting this morning asked the membership to ratify a 2 year contract proposed by the studios. The membership then voted 97.3% to 2.7% to ratify, ending the possibility of a strike that could have shuttered much film and television production.
For details, see my Hollywood Reporter story.
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Teamsters, studios fail to break stalemate
Talks between the studios and Hollywood Teamsters Local 399 ended late Friday night with no movement and no new negotiating sessions scheduled. The union meets in Burbank early Sunday morning, where the leadership is expected to seek – and obtain – a strike authorization vote from members. That authorization would, in turn, allow union leaders to call a strike at any time after the July 31 expiration of their contract with the studios and producers.
For further details, see my piece in the Hollywood Reporter.
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Transportation strike could paralyze Hollywood
Believe it or not, Hollywood may be headed for another work stoppage in just two weeks. In 2007-2008, the Writers Guild struck, shuttering television and film production. In 2008-2009, a Screen Actors Guild stalemate lingered for almost a year, shutting down primarily film production. This time, the Hollywood Teamsters may strike - and that could immediately halt television and film production. For details, see my exclusive Hollywood Reporter story.
