Hollywood Basic Crafts Reach Tentative Deal With Studios and Streamers

After several suspenseful weeks, the Hollywood Basic Crafts union coalition said it reached a tentative agreement with Hollywood studios and streamers.

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The group announced the provisional deal, which is still subject to a ratification vote by members, on July 27. “After a long last 48-hours, we are PROUD to report that ALL Hollywood Basic Crafts Locals have reached a tentative agreement with the AMPTP late this evening,” Teamsters Local 399 wrote in a statement.

The statement added on Saturday, “The basic crafts spent today working closely with our member-led negotiating committees to finalize a deal with the AMPTP that we can now say is being unanimously recommended by our member-led bargaining committees.”

During negotiations, which began on June 10, each member of the five-union Hollywood Basic Crafts group negotiated their own agreements, while the unions bargained together over shared issues. The Teamsters Local 399, for example, bargained its location manager and “Black Book” contracts, which covers drivers and multiple other classifications.

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With members including the Teamsters Local 399, IBEW Local 40, LiUNA! Local 724, UA Local 78 and OPCMIA Local 755, the Hollywood Basic Crafts bargains on behalf of around 8,000 workers like drivers, animal wranglers, plasterers and electricians. Teamsters Local 399 principal officer led negotiations on behalf of the union, while Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers president Carol Lombardini headed up talks for major Hollywood firms.

Heading into the last scheduled week of negotiations, the Teamsters Local 399 convened a town hall with members that featured Dougherty and Teamsters general president Sean O’Brien discussing the negotiations. “I want to be clear; we aren’t looking for a strike, we’re fighting for a fair deal for our members,” said Dougherty. “We won’t, however, bargain against ourselves, we won’t be intimidated to take our priorities off the table, and we won’t be taking any concessions.”

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